For the past four decades, Jewish women and girls around the world have been educated and inspired in every venue imaginable—in classes, in person, in shopping malls, when stopped outside on the street and through mass media—to light candles at the onset of the Jewish Sabbath and holidays.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the launch of that ongoing worldwide campaign by the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—as well as building on the most recent chapter in that effort—using social media to spread the word.
Invitations from TheJewishWoman.org are going out this week to women and girls around the world to attend a special Facebook “event”, urging them to light candles on Wednesday, Sept. 24,and Thursday, Sept. 25, in honor of Rosh Hashanah, and on Friday, Sept. 26, in honor of Shabbat.
(For instructions on candle lighting visit the Chabad.org page here. To find the candle-lighting times for your location, visit here.)
“Every mitzvah introduces light into the world, but with certain mitzvahs, the light we generate can actually be seen,” says Chana Weisberg, editor of TheJewishWoman.org. “The Shabbat and holiday candles usher in a day of peace and holiness, and bring peace, light and spiritual protection to our land, to our people and to our world. There is no better way for us to bring blessings to our world than to increase in light, clarity and spiritual protection.”
In the spirit of “passing it on,” women and girls are encouraged to invite their Facebook friends to the “event,” reminding them of the importance of this precious mitzvah, which will result in even greater observance and a marked increase of light throughout the world.
On the 24th day of the Hebrew month of Elul, 5774, corresponding to Sept. 11, 1974, the Rebbe introduced this special mivtzah (campaign) for all Jewish woman and girls. Known as Mivtza Neshek (Neirot Shabbat Kodesh, the lights of the holy Shabbat) the Rebbe also revitalized the time-honored Jewish custom that as soon as a Jewish girl reaches the age of education and understanding, she should light her own candle.
