Shai Schmidt no longer counts the Shabbat dinner as part of his typical Friday night. Yet having grown up as part of a traditional family in Jerusalem, the rituals are familiar: warm challah bread, cold wine, hot chicken soup, spirited songs. Although Mr. Schmidt is no longer religiously observant, he often finds himself missing the experience. It can be hard to replicate.

The Shabbat dinner marks the ceremonial start of the Jewish Sabbath, which runs from Friday evening to Saturday night. Observant Jews spend the 25 hours abstaining from working, handling money, driving, writing and much more. In a world where cellphones and other devices essentially function as bodily appendages, the Sabbath offers respite from the noise. Rather than seeing the rules as restrictions, many think of them as a source of liberation, providing time to stop and think without constant interruption.