candle lighting
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Waving the Hands Before Candle Lighting: A Kabbalistic Understanding
This short post explores the Halachic (Jewish law) and Kabbalistic (Jewish mysticism) explanations as to why those lighting the Shabbat evening candles wave their hands three times over the lit candles
The History of Lighting the Shabbat Candles
In this excerpt from the article, “Lighting Sabbath Candles,” Avi Lazerson discusses the historical and textual explanations for the commandment of lighting the Shabbat evening candles. He explains how this ritual was