Italian b’nei anousim celebrate Shabbat with a unique candelabra

For thousands of Italians who live in the southern Italian region of Calabria, the island of Sicily and the Aeolian Islands, connecting family traditions with an ancient Jewish heritage can be little more than a lucky guess. But as B’nei Anousim (those who were forced into Christian conversion during Inquisition times) continue to search for their lost and hidden Jewish roots, one ritual item, the Shabbat candelabra offers an important clue.

For years I believed that the triple candelabra that was one of our family heirlooms was little more than a lovely artifact. Later on as I began a search of our family’s anousim roots, I discovered that this three-branched candelabra was a special part of the family Shabbat table.

- by Rabbi Barbara Aiello: the first woman and first non-orthodox rabbi in Italy. She opened the first active synagogue in Calabria since Inquisition times and is the founder of the B'nei Anousim movement in Calabria and Sicily that helps Italians discover and embrace their Jewish roots.

http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/italian-bnei-anousim-celebrate-shabbat-with-a-unique-candelabra/

A Candle of My Own - By Joannie (Henya) Tansky

“Shhh, my children. Make sure the blinds are closed tightly. Come to the table, light the candles.” That is how many Jewish children grew up in communist Russia in the 1960s and ’70s. No explanations about their heritage—not about Chanukah, Purim,Passover, or even Shabbat. If they knew nothing, they could not repeat anything that would put their families in peril…

A Candle of My Own

Birthright Shabbat, Part 2

Birthright Shabbat, Part 2 | David Suissa | Jewish Journal:

I don’t often write about the same subject in consecutive weeks, but because my “Birthright Shabbat” column last week elicited an unusual amount of feedback, I thought I’d share some of it with you, as well as build on the idea.

Last week, I wrote about the special magic of the Friday-night Shabbat meal to attract all kinds of Jews who are disconnected from their Judaism, and I suggested a national initiative that would do for Judaism what Birthright Israel did for Israel.

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Birthright Shabbat

The Shabbat meal takes an idea everyone loves — Thanksgiving — and makes it a meaningful weekly experience.

The beauty of this meal is that it can be tailored to attract any taste: a poetry Shabbat, a spiritual Shabbat, a literary Shabbat, a culinary Shabbat, a storytelling Shabbat, a Zionist Shabbat, a singles Shabbat, a green Shabbat, a social justice Shabbat and so on.

Birthright Shabbat

New Shabbat mantra: Stop and taste the chocolate!

http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/67351/new-shabbat-mantra-stop-and-taste-the-chocolate/

Why the Focused Rest of Shabbat is Important

Why the Focused Rest of Shabbat is Important :

Rest and action are two poles of existence. Whatever one is doing, one is either resting or exerting oneself. Exertion complements rest and rest complements exertion as day complements night and night complements day. The reader knows from universal experience, that exercise leads to a deeper sleep and that without resting, one cannot have the energy to act. Therefore, the question of primary importance, as with all pairs of opposites, is the question of balance.
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Hanukkah matters -- whether you’re Jewish or not!

Hanukkah matters -- whether you’re Jewish or not | Fox News: "By Rabbi Brad HirschfieldPublished December 08, 2012"

Hannukah celebrates the fact that there is more possibility and potential – in us, in and in our world --than we almost ever allow ourselves to imagine. If we really knew and trusted that single principle, we could overcome many of the challenges we face, and even make some wonderful things happen, for ourselves and for others as well.  It’s a 2,000 year old premise – one which lies at the heart of the successes which Hanukkah celebrates, and one which can guide us to new successes again and again.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/12/08/hanukkah-matters-whether-youre-jewish-or-not/#ixzz2EPWDAB8C

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