The Glow in my heart

This evening as I returned home from work, two very young women – well, actually, teenage girls - stopped me on the street, and asked me, was I Jewish? When I said yes, they handed me two tiny candles and a leaflet showing all the times for Shabbat candle-lighting up to 12/15.

These lovely young women took the time, as we waited for a traffic light to change, to listen as I told them that, in my opinion, one big reason why we Jews need redemption is the horrible way some of our people have treated the Palestinians in our homeland of Israel.

I am a proudly socialist/liberal/left-wing/progressive Jew, a single woman in my late 50s with no children, and not exactly part of your target demographic. And yet, the wonderful young ladies from Chabad gave me candles and a schedule for Shabbat, and they touched my heart.

I took the candles home, and at 7:48 pm, I lit them and sang the sweet old prayer that I still remember from so many, many years ago.

I am looking at my Shabbos candles right now, as I write, and there is a glow in my heart that I have missed. Thank you.