The Israeli family is not an ordinary American family no matter how Americanized the kids feel. In most American families, with a teenager involved a Friday night is a detached night from the family. You ask just about any teenager what they do on a Friday night and they will say, "Party" or "Hang out with friends". On the other hand the family-dinner that my parents and I went to was at our friend's house and like most Israeli families they to spend Friday nights as a family; no one leaves the house until dinner is over. (Unless they go to a synagogue together and then come home to have dinner, or go to a friend's house together) Dinner is a whole separate ritual, there are certain things that have to be on the table, certain things they say and sing, before the meal, and the way that it is considered a special family gathering day. This really amazes me, because my family has never done anything like that before.
             The Shabbat dinner started at 5:30 PM, when we got there, they greeted us, and we chitchatted for a while, and then sat down at the table. The table had a beautiful white tablecloth on it, and antique plates at each seating spot, and really shiny silverware. Each person had one glass filled a little with grape wine, Sosnick Company. The really young children had grape juice, but my brother (the 13-yr. old) had the wine. That's because he, in the Jewish religion is already a man. Under each plate there was a napkin on the right side, and a book "The Shabbat Seder", with a colorful picture of a metal wineglass, 2 hallot (Braided Bread), covered, and 2 candles lit. On the table that we were sitting at each person had a metal wineglass, and there were 2 hallot covered closer to the head of the table on the side that the male sat at. There were 2 candles closer to the other head of the table, where the woman sat. Each male had a Kipa on his head. (It was a hat big enough to cover ...