Shomer Shabbat

A person who is shomer Shabbat or shomer Shabbos (Hebrew: שומר שבת, "one who observes/keeps the Sabbath") is someone who observes the mitzvot (commandments) associated with Judaism's Shabbat, or Sabbath, which begins at dusk on Friday and ends after nightfall on Saturday.

Keeping Shabbat is seen in Judaism as a "sanctification of time", in which the seventh day is distinguished from the other six through both refraining from labor and engaging in positive practices. Under Jewish law (halakhah), this includes abstaining from acts defined as melacha—forms of creative or constructive work prohibited on Shabbat. These acts include cooking, handling money, writing, operating electrical devices, and other restricted activities. In addition to these prohibitions, individuals are expected to fulfill positive commandments, including enjoying festive meals, engaging in prayer and study, performing rituals, resting, practicing kindness—and for married couples, engaging in sexual intimacy on Friday night.

In Orthodox Judaism, shomer Shabbat generally refers to full observance of halakhic guidelines regarding Shabbat. In most other Jewish movements, the term may describe someone who maintains core elements of Shabbat, such as candle lighting or refraining from work, even if not observing every traditional restriction. Practices vary widely, and in many communities, individuals or families adapt Shabbat observance in ways that align with their beliefs and circumstances.

Being shomer Shabbat often accompanies broader patterns of traditional observance, but not exclusively. Some people center their Jewish identity primarily around Shabbat, without observing other mitzvot.