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Lighting a Candle for Israel

Susan Quinn
@SusanQuinn
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Tonight at sunset, the Jewish Sabbath begins. It will be a Sabbath like no other. In Israel, I suspect many people who are not observant may still light candles as a way to reach out to G-d, hoping He will bring light into the darkness of the past week.

For me, lighting the candles is about connecting with G-d; about illuminating our relationship, to shine a light on those who are suffering, on those who feel alone and abandoned. I will be lighting candles this Shabbat as a way to connect with Israel and its people, too, not only with my friends and acquaintances there, but with special blessings for the Israel Defense Forces, for those who have lost friends and relatives, and for those who may be hostages and are living in the path of destruction.

For those of you who are not Jewish, I ask you to consider lighting a candle, too. It needn’t be a Shabbat candle or lit precisely at sunset. Or simply say a prayer. But I truly believe that if a candle is lit with intention and hope, it will, in its small way, light up the world.

My thanks to all my friends, Jewish and gentile, whose hearts are with Israel and its people.

Shabbat Shalom

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