Welcome to FridayLight

You see, I had a minor problem. I could no longer, safely, light Shabbos candles or any other candles or be near any kind of flame.

Why? I am waiting for a double-lung transplant and am now using oxygen to help me breathe. This precludes me from lighting our special Shabbos candles.

What to do? I thought there…where there’s a will, there’s a way.

I went to a good Chabad site and asked a scholar. I posed the question, ” What do I do if I cannot light candles?” The response, at first, was WHY could I not????

After the explanation there came the answer. An alternative. Simply turn off the light switch in the dining room (where I normally lit Shabbos candles) then flick it on, say the prayers and LEAVE the LIGHT ON.

Ah, so there you have it. Perhaps I cannot strike the match to entice the physical flame but I can create the Shabbos light within my soul, this house, our community, our collective Jewish neshama, one way or another.

Melody Masha Pierson/Montreal

I love lighting Shabbat candles.

Someone sent me a connection to this site, just as the war in Lebannon heated up.

I have family there and felt a bit powerless over what was happening.

So, I lit up. Friday night candles that is. The feeling of peace as I sent my best wishes to my family is amazing.

It’s a great step.

Why did you use a photo of a red-haired woman in an Asian dress holding a decorative candle rather than a shabbos candle???

I reconnected with Judaism after my daughter was born in September 2005. We began celebrating Shabbos and joined a synagogue. Every Friday I make challah with my 5 year old son and 11 month old daughter and I do the baking for our synagogue’s oneg. When my husband gets home he showers and we make kiddush. We usually have matzo ball soup and brisket for Shabbos and then we go to synagogue. My husband is not Jewish but wants to convert because of the peace and joy and love he has found in Judaism. Shabbos has become what we look forward to as a family, a renewal of spirit and life. My husband has been deployed for 6 months and we have celebrated without him but he is coming home in 2 weeks and we will once again be a complete family, celebrating and reconnecting by the flickering glow of our Shabbos candles.

I was walking on campus yesterday and saw two other women wearing the FridayLight necklace that came in our starter kits! I asked them where they got them and they said they had visited the site. What a blessing to see other women share the light!