“It took ten years of study, testing, and tweaking, but I got myself a PhD in Shabbos prep.”
Tamar Cohen’s voice is calm and vibrant, and her enthusiasm is tangible.
Tamar, owner of “Shabbat B’Rogah,” is a baalas teshuva, so preparing for Shabbos didn’t come naturally to her.
“Coming from an academic family who employed a full-time cleaning lady, I had to understand the ‘why’ before I could invest myself. Once I realized the tremendous gains of preparing for Shabbos wholeheartedly, I was ready to master the ‘how’ and infect others with passion.”
She delved into the details. “I did in-depth interviews with ten women who were acing Shabbos prep. I analyzed those interviews and pulled out the salient points.”
That was the foundation of her concise, practical book, “Eich Lhitargen l’Shabbat Brogah” later translated into “Shabbos on Time.” Next she created an online course, “Malka L’Shabbos.”
“It’s the course I wished I’d had. I wanted to give floundering women everything they needed to have a calm, happy home, as well as an appreciation of Shabbos.”
She distilled all that she learned into 9 filmed classes, covering time management, home organization, cleaning, cooking, laundry, and grocery shopping. There’s a clear strategy for Thursday and Friday, fitted to every woman’s needs (“I never tell women what to do, rather I explain how they can figure it out themselves”). It’s all backed by quotes from Jewish sources and lots of inspiration.
“The way you go into Shabbos is an outgrowth of your whole week, soyou need to learn how to create a solid infrastructure. The course equips you with a clear sense of purpose, and you know how to run a well-functioning home all week long.
“With that intact, it’s only natural that Erev Shabbos is a happy, exciting time that the whole family looks forward to.
Soon, Tamar was being invited to speak, and to make sure she did a good job, she joined Temech’s Bama public speaking course.
“Thank G-d, it transformed me as a speaker. The material was so rich and the personal example of the teacher, Shani Peretz-Kariv, was so compelling.
“I learned the art of storytelling, how to structure the lecture, to utilize body language, to involve the audience, to speak clearly and powerfully, to listen and empower others, and equally important, how to market.
“At the end of the course, we each gave a 7-minute “Ted Talk.” I spoke about Shabbos and about how the excitement of preparing for it will transform your children’s approach to this pillar of Judaism. I also gave three of my best tips. It was a fabulous evening for everyone.”
“Now, when I lecture, it’s with a passion. I’m not sharing technical data, but lavishing myself on the audience, empowering them to make changes in their lives.”
Tamar is currently practicing life coaching and NLP.
“Shani and the ambiance of Temech sharpened my focus. And my goal is to help women lead happier, more fulfilling lives that are aligned with their mission.”
