Judith Shulevitz

Well, who doesn't? So if you were an ultra-Orthodox Jew, I think there would be aspects of it that you would chafe under, right? Yeah. Everybody chafes under rules and regulations.

Well, who doesn't? So if you were an ultra-Orthodox Jew, I think there would be aspects of it that you would chafe under, right? Yeah. Everybody chafes under rules and regulations.

Another reason I wrote this book is that I wanted to write about the Sabbath from the point of view of an American who innately is suspicious of rules and regulations, who fiercely wants to defend her individuality, who wants to be part of American society, didn't want to be separated from it. But there are these contradictions. There's always going to be these conflicting impulses.

Another reason I wrote this book is that I wanted to write about the Sabbath from the point of view of an American who innately is suspicious of rules and regulations, who fiercely wants to defend her individuality, who wants to be part of American society, didn't want to be separated from it. But there are these contradictions. There's always going to be these conflicting impulses.

And I write about how I'm fundamentally ambivalent toward the Sabbath because there's a lot of times I don't want to do it. And it can be as negative an experience as it can be a positive one. But it's like anything else. It's like writing, for example. You know, you sit down, you don't want to write, but you got to write. And there will be three hours when it's a slog.

And I write about how I'm fundamentally ambivalent toward the Sabbath because there's a lot of times I don't want to do it. And it can be as negative an experience as it can be a positive one. But it's like anything else. It's like writing, for example. You know, you sit down, you don't want to write, but you got to write. And there will be three hours when it's a slog.

And that one hour when your mind opens up and you're in the flow and you get it, you

And that one hour when your mind opens up and you're in the flow and you get it, you

get well you've created the schedule where you have to sit at your desk from nine to one or whatever it is as unpleasant as that may be as many conflicts as there may be and nothing good is easy you have to kind of work for it you have to work not to work in this case you have to work to get to the experience of flow to get the experience to the experience of god to that get to that sort of what emile durkheim the sociologist who by the way came from a family of rabbis

get well you've created the schedule where you have to sit at your desk from nine to one or whatever it is as unpleasant as that may be as many conflicts as there may be and nothing good is easy you have to kind of work for it you have to work not to work in this case you have to work to get to the experience of flow to get the experience to the experience of god to that get to that sort of what emile durkheim the sociologist who by the way came from a family of rabbis

called effervescence, which is that sort of collective joy, you're not always going to like it. Now, if you can't ever like it, you're not going to do it.

called effervescence, which is that sort of collective joy, you're not always going to like it. Now, if you can't ever like it, you're not going to do it.

Absolutely. I find it to be true. And I find it to be particularly true in New York.

Absolutely. I find it to be true. And I find it to be particularly true in New York.

Why?

Why?

Because there's always this hubbub. There's always noise. People are always going somewhere. So the only time I've really found it to be a kind of natural experience was in Israel, where they really do have these Saturday closing laws, and there are fewer cars on the road, and there's less public transportation. And, you know, it's changing. But there is this kind of quietness in the street.

Because there's always this hubbub. There's always noise. People are always going somewhere. So the only time I've really found it to be a kind of natural experience was in Israel, where they really do have these Saturday closing laws, and there are fewer cars on the road, and there's less public transportation. And, you know, it's changing. But there is this kind of quietness in the street.

So you don't feel like you're fighting against society in the same way. And I think you are here. We have essentially lost this idea. Now, you have to remember that America is fundamentally a Sabbatarian nation. The Puritans founded this country in part so that they could keep their very strict Sabbaths as they wanted to and as they felt they were unable to in England.

So you don't feel like you're fighting against society in the same way. And I think you are here. We have essentially lost this idea. Now, you have to remember that America is fundamentally a Sabbatarian nation. The Puritans founded this country in part so that they could keep their very strict Sabbaths as they wanted to and as they felt they were unable to in England.