New Moon - January 2008 - FridayLight's e-Newsletter

If you are unable to read this e-newsletter, please click here.

Welcome to FridayLight's "New Moon"

Welcome to this month’s FridayLight New Moon, the official the e-newsletter of your Shabbat candle lighting community.

Whether you are on vacation in some splendid sunny spot, cocooning in the Canadian cold, or as some of our readers are, on duty with the armed forces in Iraq, each of us who kindles FridayLight candles this week sustains a tradition that binds us together in spiritual brightness and dedication, as it has our ancestors for thousands of years.

It is nothing short of remarkable to think of the infinite range of circumstances in which the generations have lit FridayLight candles. Long before electricity illuminated our homes, long before our cities were built, our flames welcomed Shabbat with peace, warmth and calm. During wars and in peace, for the healthy and the weak, for the old and the young, Shabbat, quite simply, has illuminated the history of the Jewish people.

FridayLight is something to look forward to. In our overly hectic lives, anticipating that moment before sundown as an approaching oasis of peace and connection eases the endless chaos. Come Friday, a moment to get out of the fast lane and off the PDA awaits. It’s Shabbat… time to reclaim your true inner peace.

As you light this week, take a few seconds after the blessing to send the glow before you to someone who especially needs it, and a moment to picture all the other people around the planet sharing the lighting of candles with you, bringing light into their hearts and into the darkness.

DIGGING DEEPER INTO SHABBAT

For centuries, lighting the Shabbat candles has been one of the most significant mitzvot bestowed upon Jewish women. Tradition recounts the miracle of our Matriarch, Sarah, whose Shabbat candles burned from Friday eve through the following Friday eve. Our sages tell of our Matriarch, Rivkah, who lit the Shabbat candles at the tender age of three. The Shabbat lights are an eternal bond with our ancestors, our heritage and one another. Through these holy flames, we are forever united with generations to come. (more…)

Have you seen the FridayLight map lately? Take a moment to check out the lights of women around the world who are sharing your Shabbat. The candle lit FridayLight.org map of the United States has expanded to encompass Shabbat candle lighters on every continent. Women, just like you are welcoming Shabbat into their hearts, homes and part of the planet.

Recently a woman from Seattle, who just began lighting up, wrote and told us how moving it was to see her candle join those of so many other women. (See the international map of FridayLighters here.)

Speaking of sharing the light, our starter kits have also spread across the globe. Now also available in Hebrew, Russian, French, and Spanish, we have distributed over 100,000 to women who share Shabbat with you.

If you know someone who would benefit from one, please click here.

As most of you know, Challah is the wonderful braided bread baked in honor of Shabbat. Come Friday morning, kosher bakeries around the world turn out tens of thousands of loaves, but it is a real treat, especially on a cool winter day, to fill your home with the warm aroma of this fresh baked bread. Many people place two challahs on their Shabbat table to commemorate how Jews in the desert received a double portion of Manna every Friday in honor of Shabbat. Why not try baking this delicious ancient bread yourself. Find recipes here.

As some of you know, FridayLight is going into print with a very special book of original stories, poems, prayers, memories and meditations that relate to lighting Friday night candles. We are almost done with the first anthology, but if you have a thought or experience you'd like to share, please send it to Marina@FridayLight.org. Your piece might be as brief as 50 words on why you light, or what lighting means to you, or it may be as long as 1500 words about the Shabbat you'll always remember. Feel free to let your creativity take over and your inspiration flow onto the page. We can't wait to read your submission!

We hope that you have enjoyed this edition. Let us know your thoughts at www.fridaylight.org. If you no longer wish to receive FridayLight's New Moon newsletter, please reply to this email and enter "UNSUBSCRIBE" in the subject
.

Get your first starter kit free here – and feel free to tell your friends about them!

Get your first kit free here – and don't forget to tell your friends about it!

Get the specific time to light your candles this week here. Or log in now at FridayLight.org to have it automatically sent to your phone or email each week.

Shabbat officially ends on Saturday evening and like Shabbat there is a specific time to honor its conclusion. The ceremony is called Havdalah and you can have that time sent weekly to your cell phone or in your email box!

Log in now at Fridaylight.org and update your membership profile.

cellphone icon Get Text Messages Telling You When to Light Up

Tell a friend

FridayLight is focusing on expanding the FridayLight campaign by developing partnerships with various Jewish organizations. From Israeli Day Festivals to Birthright Israel trips, from military bases to college campuses, and from Rekindle Shabbat programs to Teen Shabbatons, FridayLight is brightening the world.