Shabbat is considered over at nightfall , when the sky is dark enough that three medium-sized stars are visible, a moment known in Hebrew as tzeit hakochavim (“the emergence of the stars”).

The core idea

  • Halachically, Shabbat ends at tzeit hakochavim , not just at sunset.
  • This is usually some time after the sun has set, during the period when the last light fades.
  • Traditional calendars build in a small extra buffer time to “extend” Shabbat out of love and caution.

In simple terms: Shabbat ends when it’s clearly night, not when the sun first disappears.

Why there isn’t one fixed clock time

The answer to “when is Shabbat over” changes based on:

  1. Location
    • The farther north or south you are, the longer or shorter twilight lasts.
 * This means the gap between sunset and the time three stars appear can differ a lot between, say, Tel Aviv and New York.
  1. Season of the year
    • In summer, it can stay light for quite a while after sunset, so Shabbat ends later by the clock.
 * In winter, darkness falls faster, so Shabbat can end earlier.
  1. Community custom (minhag)
    • Many communities end Shabbat around 40–60 minutes after sunset.
 * Some are stricter and wait **72 minutes or even 90 minutes** after sunset, following more stringent opinions.

 * There is also a concept called _tosefet Shabbat_ (adding to Shabbat), where people deliberately end a bit later than the technical minimum.

Typical practical times (rule-of-thumb)

These are general patterns , not exact instructions:

  • Many Orthodox communities in North America often use about 50 minutes after sunset as a standard end time.
  • Some communities follow the opinion popularly associated with Rabbenu Tam and will wait roughly 72 minutes after sunset (or candle lighting) or even more.
  • Online Jewish calendars and apps list exact local times for each Shabbat based on your city.

If you’re unsure, a common safe rule is: wait at least 40–50 minutes after local sunset , unless your community has a different clear practice.

How to find today’s Shabbat end time

Because it depends on date and place, people usually rely on:

  • Jewish calendar websites that let you enter your city and show “Shabbat ends” for each week.
  • Synagogue or community schedules , which often print candle-lighting and Shabbat end times.
  • Printed calendars that list candle lighting and ending times, already adjusted for local custom and tosefet Shabbat.

If you tell me your city or region , I can explain roughly how many minutes after sunset are typically used there and how that relates to your local custom (e.g., “about 40 minutes,” “about 50 minutes,” etc.), even if I can’t give a to-the-minute clock time in this response.

TL;DR: “When is Shabbat over? ”
→ When it’s halachic nightfall, marked by three medium stars in the sky, which is usually 40–72 minutes after local sunset, depending on where you are and your community’s custom.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.