candles. shabbat
Bella Chagall’s “Burning Lights:” A Recollection
In this excerpt from the book “Burning Lights: A Unique Double Portrait of Russia,” Bella Chagall describes a detailed accounting from her childhood of what the Shabbat candle lighting ceremony
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
How to Light Shabbat Candles: Bringing Light to your Family
This video, by Rabbi Janet Ross Marder, describes how to light the Shabbat evening candles, with a focus on bringing light and peace to your home and family. Rabbi Marder
How to Light Shabbat Candles: Kabbalistic Wisdom
This video describes how to light the Friday evening Shabbat candles according to the Orthodox Ashkenazi tradition. In addition to the recitation of the blessing, this video provides explanations of the meaning
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel Quotes on Shabbat Candles
These poetic quotes from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel describe the moment when Shabbat arrives, bringing with it an atmosphere of light, peace, rest, joy, and renewal. Heschel points to the creative and
Alexander Goldscheider’s Tune for the Blessing over the Shabbat Candles
In this video, Alexander Goldscheider, a Jewish Czech-born composer, performs a unique musical rendition of the blessing over the Shabbat candles. Golscheider’s uses lyrical repetition and rising notes throughout the melody
Candle Lighting: The Test of Time
The following excerpt from the article “Truth Stands the Test of Time” explains how the Shabbat candles are symbolic of the truth and authenticity of the Torah and the Jewish
The History and Symbolism of Lighting Shabbat Candles
In this short, informative video, Rabbi Michael Laitner offers both historical and spiritual explanations for the Shabbat evening candle lighting and provides guidelines on how to fulfill the commandment. This video
How to Light Shabbat Candles: Reform Tradition & Customs
This video demonstrates how to light the Shabbat candles and recite the blessing according to the Reform tradition. In the first of a series of instructional videos, Rabbi Betsy Torop discusses
Women in Judaism: Lighting Shabbat Candles
This article explains how lighting Shabbat candles brings peace and harmony into the home, both practically and symbolically, and why this ritual is connected to the unique role of women in