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Welcome to New Moon,
the official e-newsletter of your FridayLight Shabbat community. With spring in our midst and the sun setting later, it has become all the easier to gather a group to light candles with on Friday night. If you’re the woman of a household, in a sorority, at a military base, or have neighbors that you’d like to share the light with, now’s the time to kindle together and enjoy a leisurely dinner afterwards. Spring is also the time for the blossoming of fragrant flowers. Gardens, fields and hillsides have come alive with an enticing array of colors and scents. Fill your FridayLight table with these gifts. They are yours to enjoy and remind you of the divine beauty of all creation. |
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 To Jews, springtime is nearly synonymous with Passover. We share Seder meals and retell the ancient story of miracles that culminated in our ancestors’ liberation from slavery. We ceremoniously eat unleavened bread and imbibe multiple glasses of wine. We feast upon the bounty of spring and celebrate freedom. While the Passover story unfolds with Moses as the central heroic figure, this year at your Seder table, also consider Miriam, a woman who plays a striking role in the biblical drama. Miriam, you may know, was Moses’ older sister. In the aftermath of the splitting of the Red Sea, tambourine in hand, Miriam opened her arms to the heavens and passionately led the women in a song and dance of gratitude. It is said that there in the desert, the women’s enthusiastic display was rewarded with the miraculous appearance of much-needed fresh water for all to drink. There is a lesson to be learned from Miriam, not only for Passover, but also for every day of the year. Gratitude, especially gratitude expressed with a committed and open heart truly replenishes the body and nurtures the soul. This month, after lighting your candles each Friday night, take a moment to let your heart dance and soul sing like Miriam’s in gratitude for the gifts of freedom and self-expression in your life. Hers is a time-honored path to the inner-peace you seek. |
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| Have you ever thought about how simple the act of lighting candles is? How absolutely basic the mastery of flame is to human existence. Transforming darkness into light is truly as miraculous as it is mundane. Many of life’s simplest elements are like that. A smile, a sunrise, or just a pleasant memory can transform your day. It is your acknowledgment and appreciation that allows you to perceive their miraculous nature. As part of this month’s focus on gratitude, remind yourself to notice the small things – an early in the morning pause outside, a moment’s attention to the chirping of the birds, a moment or two to take in the profound beauty of your Shabbat flame. It’s amazing how quickly we can reconnect with the essential miracle of our lives |
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| We all go through difficult times and when we do, it’s reassuring to know that there are those we can reach out to for support. Your FridayLight community is always here for you and would like to offer prayers on your behalf. Click here to submit a prayer request or to answer someone else’s. |
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 Last month a number of readers were charmed by picture we shared of one of our youngest FridayLighters. How about these Shabbat twins? Girls as young as 3 years old may be helped to light their own candle before their mothers, aunts or sister kindle their own. What joy can match the light in little girls’ eyes, at the wonderment of a candle’s glow? So cute! | |
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 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 everywhere. Women, just like you are welcoming Shabbat into their hearts, homes and part of the planet. Did you know that there are FridayLight communities throughout Australia now? Watch their candles join yours at: www.fridaylight.org/page/gmap.php. 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 nearly100, 000 to women who share Shabbat with you. If you know someone who would benefit from one, please click here. | |
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It’s almost done! 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. Before it hits the presses, if you have a thought or story that you'd like to share, please send it to Marina@FridayLight.org. Your piece might be as brief as 50 words or as long as 1500. Feel free to let your creativity soar and your inspiration flow onto the page. |
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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 . |
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FridayLight is focusing on expanding the FridayLight campaign by developing partnerships with various Jewish organizations. From Israeli Day Festivals to Israel trips, from military bases to college campuses, and from Rekindle Shabbat programs to Teen Shabbatons, FridayLight is brightening the world. |
