Candles that Light up the World

Woodley Park, CA — At the recent Israeli Freedom Day celebration, over 3000 women received decorative tins containing tools for an important mitzvah that’s been passed on for generations. The special tins were FridayLight starter kits, and they held the chance for women to rekindle an important Jewish tradition.

These free kits were handed out by FridayLight, a program spearheaded by Chabad of California that uses the weekly ritual of lighting the Shabbat candles as a touchstone for women to embrace Jewish traditions and pass them on to their daughters. “We’re helping Jewish women and girls everywhere to rediscover the warmth and serenity of lighting Shabbat candles,” said Rabbi Ari Baitelman, Director of FridayLight. “And by performing this special Mitzvah, they join a growing global community with an incredible power for good.”

Recently a group of prominent Chabad supporters approached Rabbi Baitelman with the idea of using innovative techniques to promote the FridayLight program and its special mitzvah to modern women and girls who may be unaware of its beauty and significance. Sponsored by an anonymous philanthropist in Florida, the organization offers the free FridayLight starter kit: an attractive tin including tea light candles; matches; a poster with the blessing, and a decorative necklace. Having already passed the first goal of 100,000 kits sent across the United States, the next goal is 1 million kits sent out worldwide.

A natural place for the distribution of these kit are college campuses, where young women can be introduced to the ritual or reintroduced if it was something practiced in their home but ignored at college. Through campus Chabad Centers and sororities, countless kits have been handed out to young women eager to embrace their Jewish roots.

FridayLight.org is the official website for the organization, and it offers a wealth of information about all aspects of lighting Shabbat candles. The site also provides a “Sunset Almanac,” complete with schedules of candle lighting times for various parts of the country. They even offer a customized service that e-mails or text messages you every Friday with the correct local time for candle lighting.

One of the goals of the website is to create an on-line community for Jewish women to exchange stories and promote solidarity. FridayLight.org hosts a forum where women can share their inspirational experiences about lighting Shabbat candles. Many of these insights are being collected in an anthology called The Book of Lights for publication later this year. Editor Marina Mahlfriedel is currently gathering material for the book and is looking for original stories, poems, Shabbat prayers or even photographs and explanations of Shabbat candlesticks. Women who want to share their candle lighting experiences can visit FridayLight.org or contact Mahlfriedel directly at Marina@ FridayLight.org.

The site also shows its humorous side with a list of the “10 things you don’t have to do on Friday night.” Scrubbing the stove and yard work are two of the items on this amusing list of chores that can be put aside in order to observe the Shabbat. The list is ever-changing and welcomes new suggestions.

The FridayLight campaign was inspired by the words of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who said, “With the world so shrouded in darkness and confusion, it is imperative that women illuminate it with the holy lights of Shabbat candles.” The Rebbe pointed out that in pre-war Europe it was the norm in many communities for young girls to light Shabbat candles. It was only due to warfare — and its candle shortages and blackouts that this custom was discontinued. Thus young girls lighting candles is actually a return to an age-old custom.

With the FridayLight campaign expanding outside the United States, future plans include Hebrew, Russian, French and Spanish versions of the starter kits and expanding the candle lighting reminder service to international time zones.

For nearly 4000 years, honoring Shabbat has been among the most sacred practices of the Jewish people. The magic of the candle’s flame is a metaphor for one’s relationship to G-d. The Book of Proverbs says, “The candle of G-d is the soul of humanity.” Through the simple act of lighting a candle, Jewish women around the world can share in their past and invest in the future.