As part of celebrations marking the United States’ 250th anniversary, US President Donald Trump is encouraging Americans to observe Shabbat ahead of a national prayer rally planned for Sunday.
In a Jewish American Heritage Month proclamation issued on May 4, Trump called on Jewish Americans to observe a “national Sabbath” from sundown Friday to nightfall Saturday and encouraged Americans of all backgrounds to take part.
“In special honor of 250 glorious years of American independence and on the weekend of Rededicate 250, a national jubilee of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving, Jewish Americans are encouraged to observe a national Sabbath,” Trump said in the proclamation.
“From sundown on May 15 to nightfall on May 16, friends, families, and communities of all backgrounds may come together in gratitude for our great Nation,” he continued. “This day will recognize the sacred Jewish tradition of setting aside time for rest, reflection, and gratitude to the Almighty.”
Jewish groups divided over ‘Shabbat 250’
The call marked the first time an American president had formally urged the observance of Shabbat. Trump’s daughter Ivanka, who converted to Judaism before marrying Jared Kushner, reportedly observes Shabbat according to traditional interpretations of Jewish law.
Trump’s call echoes the legacy of conservative Christian activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot in September. Kirk’s book detailing his own observance of a “Jewish Sabbath” every week was published posthumously.
The exhortation has received mixed reviews from the American Jewish community. Some Jews have said they appreciate the gesture and recognition of a central tradition in Judaism, and are promoting their own Shabbat services as part of “Shabbat 250.”
Others say Trump is appropriating Judaism to promote conservative political goals and Christian nationalism, a movement backed by a portion of Trump’s base that scholars say could push the country in a direction less hospitable to Jews.
Support for the initiative has been strongest among Orthodox Jews, who tend to be more politically conservative. Rabbi Josh Joseph, executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, endorsed Trump’s call soon after it was made.
“This weekend, following President Trump’s encouragement, we will mark Shabbat 250,” he said in a statement earlier this week. “We will pause to acknowledge all the blessings that the Almighty has provided American Jews through the unique devotion to liberty embedded in this nation.”
Critics warn of Christian nationalism
Some Orthodox synagogues, including many affiliated with the Chabad Hasidic movement, have announced “Shabbat 250” programming, such as dinners and special speakers. The group Young Jewish Conservatives, meanwhile, distributed $180 grants to conservative Jews under 35 who committed to hosting at least five people for Shabbat dinner at home.
More than 7,500 people have declared their intention to observe Shabbat on a new website, Shabbat250.org.
On the other side, Rabbi Jonah Pesner of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism is among the faith leaders scheduled to participate in a virtual event Friday morning opposing the Sunday prayer rally.
Organizers of the event said they would “explain why so many religious Americans of diverse faiths are alarmed and alienated by attempts to use America’s 250th birthday as an opportunity to frame the US as a ‘Christian nation.’”
Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie of the progressive Lab/Shul also criticized Trump’s involvement in Shabbat observance.
“When the state meddles in our sacred affairs, blurring the already fuzzy lines between church and state, it doesn’t elevate the Sabbath; it diminishes the democracy that 250 years of history were supposed to protect,” Lau-Lavie wrote in a blog post on Wednesday.
Prayer rally to feature Trump allies
The debate comes ahead of Sunday’s prayer rally on the National Mall, called Rededicate 250, organized by the nonprofit Freedom 250.
Organizers are promoting appearances by Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Trump is expected to appear by video, while House Speaker Mike Johnson is also scheduled to speak.
Of the 33 prayer leaders set to appear, about half are evangelical or non-denominational evangelical Christians.
The only non-Christian speaker on the lineup is Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, an Orthodox rabbi and senior scholar at the Tikvah Fund who also sits on the Religious Liberty Commission created by Trump last year.
Rachel Laser, CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, criticized the rally as part of what she called a growing movement of Christian nationalism.
“If President Trump and his allies truly cared about America’s legacy of religious freedom, they would be celebrating church-state separation as the unique American invention that has allowed religious diversity to flourish in our country,” she said in a statement.
The White House is expected to host a reception marking the start of Shabbat 250 on Friday afternoon.