Is It Shabbat in Israel Right Now?
Live countdown to the next Shabbat start or end — candlelighting and Havdalah times for major Israeli cities.
Live Shabbat status
Shabbat clock for Israel
Select your city to see the exact candlelighting and Havdalah times this week — and a live countdown so you can plan around Shabbat closures. See also: what's open on Shabbat.
Loading current Israel time…
Times are computed astronomically (±2 min). Candlelighting shown at 18 min before sunset — the common Israeli standard. Some communities use 30–40 min earlier. Verify with Chabad.org/zmanim for exact community times.
Planning around Shabbat
Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) runs from Friday sunset to Saturday night every week in Israel. For tourists it shapes everything: transport, restaurants, markets, museums and shops all adjust their hours — or close entirely — during this 25-hour period.
Jerusalem observes Shabbat most strictly: the city largely closes from Friday afternoon. Tel Aviv is more secular — the beach and many restaurants stay open throughout. Haifa runs city buses even on Shabbat, unlike every other Israeli city.
Public transport: intercity buses and national rail stop around 2 hours before candlelighting and resume on Saturday night. Taxis, Gett and private shuttles operate normally. Some Arab-operated buses run on Shabbat on specific routes — verify locally.
Frequently asked questions
Is Shabbat happening in Israel right now?
Use the live widget above — it shows the current Israel time and whether Shabbat is currently active. Shabbat runs from Friday candlelighting (18 minutes before sunset) until Saturday Havdalah (about 42 minutes after Saturday sunset). During this period most shops, restaurants and public buses stop operating in Jerusalem and many other cities.
When does Shabbat start and end in Israel?
Shabbat begins at candlelighting, set by each community — in Israel the most common standard is 18 minutes before sunset. It ends at Havdalah, about 40–50 minutes after sunset on Saturday. Times shift week-to-week as sunset moves with the seasons: summer candlelighting in Jerusalem can be as late as 8:10 pm; in winter it can fall before 4:00 pm.
Do Shabbat times differ between Israeli cities?
Yes — because Israel spans roughly 3 degrees of latitude, sunset (and therefore candlelighting) varies by up to 14 minutes between Eilat in the south and Haifa in the north. The tool shows accurate times for each city. Jerusalem observes candlelighting 18 minutes before sunset; the same standard applies to Tel Aviv, Haifa, Beersheba and Eilat in this calculator.
What is closed during Shabbat in Israel?
Intercity buses (Egged / Dan) and national rail stop from approximately 2 hours before candlelighting until Saturday night. Most shops, markets and malls close, particularly in Jerusalem. Tel Aviv is more secular — many restaurants and some shops remain open. Private taxis, Gett and hotels operate normally. See our full guide on what's open on Shabbat for details by city.
How accurate are the Shabbat times?
Times are computed from astronomical sunset using standard solar-position formulas (Jean Meeus simplified) and are accurate to within ±2 minutes. Candlelighting is shown at 18 minutes before sunset (the common Israeli standard). Some communities use 30 or 40 minutes earlier — verify with Chabad.org/zmanim for your specific location and community custom.
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