A National Sabbath: Why All Americans Should Mark the 250th
Daystar is proud to partner with David Nekrutman of The Isaiah Projects. Daystar recently partnered with him to provide advanced security systems for communities surrounding Gaza.
David is one of the world’s leading experts in Jewish-Christian relations and the author of Your Sabbath Invitation: Partnership in God’s Ultimate Celebration. We invite you to read David’s thoughts on a historic event taking place this month. God is on the move in America and we want you to join Him!
A National Shabbat: Why All Americans Should Mark the 250th
In his Jewish American Heritage Month proclamation, President Donald Trump has issued a historic call: he has asked the Jewish community to dedicate next Shabbat—from the evening of May 15th to the evening of May 16th, 2026—to the national celebrations of America’s 250th anniversary.
This represents a landmark moment in American history. While U.S. presidents have a long tradition of issuing proclamations for National Days of Prayer or general religious holidays, this 2026 proclamation is the first time a U.S. President has issued a formal call for a "National Sabbath" to be observed by the Jewish people specifically to honor American independence. It marks a significant departure from standard executive practice, integrating a specific Jewish religious observance into the formal framework of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The proclamation is inextricably linked to the "Rededicate 250" initiative, a broader national jubilee described as a weekend of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving for the nation's 250 years of freedom. By using religiously specific language—noting the observance should last from "sundown to nightfall"—the administration has uniquely mirrored the Jewish halakhic (Jewish law) definition of the Sabbath within an official state document.
It is a profound gesture, recognizing the deep spiritual and historical ties between the Jewish people and the American project. I couldn't agree more with the sentiment. However, if we are to truly honor the essence of the Sabbath and the spirit of this milestone, that celebration must extend its reach. This Sabbath should not just be a Jewish event; it should be a clarion call to non-Jews across the nation.
To bridge this political moment with our shared spiritual heritage, we must look deeper at the foundation of the Sabbath itself. To understand why the Sabbath is the perfect vessel for America’s semi-quincentennial, we must examine the "tripod" of perspectives offered by the Five Books of Moses.
First, the Sabbath is an acknowledgment of God as Creator (Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:11). It is a pause that recognizes a power higher than the state, asserting that our world—and our rights—do not originate from man-made institutions. Second, it is a moment of revelational reception (Leviticus 23:3). The Torah calls the Sabbath a mo’ed (an appointed time) and a mikra kodesh (a holy assembly). It is an encounter between the Divine and humanity within the arena of time itself. Soaking into His presence during this first thing He called “holy” provides the opportunity for our souls to hear from Him and direct our purpose toward advancing His kingdom. Finally, it acknowledges God as Redeemer. Crucially, the Exodus was not a liberation of the descendants of Jacob alone; it included a "mixed multitude" of non-Jews who left Egypt alongside them (Exodus 12:38).
From its very inception, the redemption of the Sabbath held a seat for the "other."
This inclusivity is not merely a historical footnote; it is a prophetic vision for the future. The prophet Isaiah took this further, envisioning a day when the Sabbath would transcend tribal boundaries. In Isaiah 66:23, he proclaims: "From New Moon to New Moon, from Shabbat to Shabbat, all flesh will worship Me, says The Eternal." For a book that begins by rebuking Israel for a hollow observance of the Sabbath (1:13), it ends with a revolutionary, universal vision: Jews and non-Jews together celebrating the ultimate redemptive Shabbat.
Interestingly, Isaiah 66 is the same chapter that asks, "Can a nation be born in a day?" Since May 14, 1948 (the 5th of Iyar -5708), we have witnessed the modern unfolding of that prophecy in the Land of the Covenant—Israel. Yet, the resonance of this prophecy extends beyond the borders of the Levant; the United States, too, is a nation rooted in the concept of "Covenant."
The Preamble’s iconic opening, 'We the People of the United States,' is far more than the preamble to a legal contract—it is the formal signature of a social covenant. While a contract focuses on what we can get, this covenant centers on who we are: a people bound by a sacred commitment to one another’s flourishing. The Founders of this Republic did not write in a vacuum; they had the Hebrew Bible engraved on their hearts. When they declared, 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights,' they were making a profound theological statement. In the cold light of the natural world, such equality is anything but 'self-evident'—it is a revealed, biblical truth that forms the very bedrock of our national identity.
This identity is sustained not by legalisms, but by the unique mechanics of the covenant itself. A biblical covenant is fundamentally different from a contract: where a contract is about interests, a covenant is about identity and collective responsibility. America has always understood that freedom requires more than just a functioning state; it requires a healthy society. It requires a society built on strong covenantal institutions: marriage, family, houses of worship, charities, and voluntary associations.
The beauty of a covenantal nation is that it possesses the unique capacity for self-renewal.
As we approach this milestone, we must realize that the preservation of this covenant is a duty shared by every citizen. Next Shabbat should mark more than just a 250-year-old memory. It should be a celebration of "responsible freedom." It is an opportunity for all Americans—Jew and non-Jew alike—to "stand in the gap" for one another. It is a moment to commit to rebuilding communities on the margins and strengthening the American family.
This burden does not rest solely on the shoulders of the government. It also rests on the citizens of the country. We should look to the Book of Deuteronomy for our blueprint: "Gather the whole nation together—the men, the women, the children... and read to them this Torah."
So, yes, Mr. President, let the Jewish people lead the way next Shabbat. But let the doors of the synagogue and the hearts of the faithful be open to all. Let us use this "appointed time" to renew the American covenant, ensuring that for the next 250 years, we remain a nation that seeks to be a light to the world.
David Nekrutman is a prominent American-Israeli Orthodox Jewish theologian and a leading pioneer in the field of Jewish-Christian relations. He is best known for being the first Orthodox Jew to earn a Master’s degree in Biblical Literature from a Christian university and for his extensive work building theological bridges between the two faiths.
As of 2026, he continues to serve as the Executive Director of The Isaiah Projects, an initiative he co-founded to producing Hebraic roots resources for Christians as well as providing humanitarian aid to Christian Arabs and single Ethiopian mothers living in the Holy Land.