| Life in the state of Israel has raised an entirely new and delicate question regarding Shabbat observance in the public sphere. Most religious and traditional Israelis agree that the character of our Jewish state cannot be preserved without three basic features-Shabbat and festivals, national kashrut availability, and marriage and conversion supervision. Without these three basic elements of Jewish identity, our state would be hollowed of its Jewish identity and its association with our illustrious past, our national rituals and our collective memory. For Israel to be the historical homeland of the Jews, Shabbat must be maintained in the public sphere. Yet ,even given the broad support for a general Shabbat ambience, most Israelis are not interested in full halachik compliance of Shabbat. Most traditional Israelis ritually mark Shabbat with festive meals, synagogue attendance and candle lighting, but have little desire for a complete shutdown of twenty-four hours and strict adherence to thirty nine prohibitions, not to mention the vast array of Rabbinic injunctions. Perspective of Religious Jews Religious Jews hope for an era of widespread religious revival and a world in which every Jew observes full halachik Shabbat. The Gemara quotes a promise that full national compliance of two consecutive Shabbatot will herald Mashiach. That is our greatest hope. Until that era develops however, religious Jews must be supportive of even partial Shabbat experience, even if it falls short of full halachik observance. Shabbat observance isn't binary and isn't an all-or-nothing proposition. Shabbat has many layers to it and for this reason, the laws and rituals of Shabbat were delivered in the desert in piecemeal fashion, signifying that even partial Shabbat experience is valuable. All this presents us with the following challenge: how to preserve general Shabbat spirit in the public domain while not superimposing restrictive Shabbat policies upon a disinterested sector of non-observant Israelis. Generally, unilateral imposition of religious enforcement boomerangs, engendering dislike and distaste for religion. How can Shabbat spirit be preserved in the public commons and how can Shabbat interest, which already runs high in Greater Israel, be promoted in a non-threatening manner? Hard questions without any easy solutions. The challenge is especially delicate in Israel, which still maintains a five-and-a-half day work week, leaving Shabbat day as the sole time for recreation and relaxation. If the day is stripped of any religious element,it will become empty of any spirit and will no longer be a collective national experience. The day will quickly degenerate into consumerism and traffic jams https://insecure.yutorah.org/l... | 
