Why do some Jewish business close early when the sunset is around 5pm?

Question

I work for an Israeli company, and the office is closing at 2:00pm every Friday - why?

Answer 1

For practical reasons. The Shabbos starts Friday at Sunset- and you need to prepare. Showr, get changed, get the cooking finished, lay the table etc. While in Summer this could be done later- for practical reasons its easier to just use a standard time throughout the year.

Answer 2

the Sabbath begins on Fri evening at sundown. in the summer months 5PM closing give you enough time to get home before sundown. in the winter, the sun sets earlier so 2PM or 3PM is the norm.

note:
traveling/working on the Sabbath is prohibited.

Answer 3

That's when their major holidays start-at sundown.