candle lighting

Bread from the Earth: Food Justice Ceremony

Bread from the Earth: Food Justice Ceremony

This ceremony, meant to be performed before the blessing over the bread, encourages people to contemplate the source of their food, the process it went through to get onto the

Shalom Sesame: Learn About Shabbat with Grover

Shalom Sesame: Learn About Shabbat with Grover

In this sweet, amusing video, Grover learns about Shabbat on “Shalom Sesame,” the Israeli version of the popular children’s television series, “Sesame Street.” Grover helps his friend prepare for Shabbat

“If I Let It” – Poem Preceding Shabbat Candle Lighting

“If I Let It” – Poem Preceding Shabbat Candle Lighting

This short poem by Trisha Arlin provides a “kavanah,” – a direction in which to focus one’s attention – to be utilized when welcoming Shabbat. The poem mentions many ways in

Lighting Candles: A Spiritual Cure-all

Lighting Candles: A Spiritual Cure-all

In this thought-provoking article, psychologist, Dr. Miriam Biber, explores the unique spiritual power of lighting the Shabbat candles through personal anecdotes and biblical, Talmudic and Chassidic sources. Described as a prototype for all of

Lighting Candles for Peace: A Sheikha and a Rabbi

Lighting Candles for Peace: A Sheikha and a Rabbi

This short poem, written by two women – a Jewish rabbi and Muslim sheikha – calls on readers to light a candle in their homes and houses of worship on Friday, the day

Shabbat Candles FAQ

Shabbat Candles FAQ

This article contains clear and detailed answers, according to an Orthodox Jewish perspective, to a number of  frequently asked questions about lighting Shabbat candles on Friday night, including who, when,

Shabbat Candle Lighting with Masculine and Feminine God-Language

Shabbat Candle Lighting with Masculine and Feminine God-Language

This post presents the blessing for lighting the Shabbat candles on Friday night, both in its traditional format (i.e. with masculine God-language) and using feminine God-language, an option that reflects

Young Girl Lights Her First Shabbat Candle

Young Girl Lights Her First Shabbat Candle

In this sweet seven-minute home video a young girl receives a silver Shabbat candlestick in a package in the mail from her grandparents just prior to her third birthday. According to the Hasidic

Chabad: How and Why We Light the Shabbat Candles

Chabad: How and Why We Light the Shabbat Candles

In this 18 min. lecture, Rabbi Yosef Shusterman, renowned Chabad rabbi and authority on Jewish law and Hassidut, gives an extensive overview of the practical how to’s of the lighting

A Beginners’ Guide to Shabbat Candle Lighting: Article and Video

A Beginners’ Guide to Shabbat Candle Lighting: Article and Video

The following article, How to Light Shabbat Candles, by Rabbi Michael Strassfeld, Richard Siegel and Sharon Strassfeld, discusses both the how to’s of the Shabbat candle lighting ceremony and the