3rd Candle Lighting Book to Print

Jewish Girls Unite, the global community for Jewish girls, in conjunction with the Mivtza Neshek Candle Lighting Campaign, will publish the 3rd Candle Lighting book first instituted by the Rebbe. Jewish girls can still submit their thoughts on candle lighting and get published. Families can also honor a loved one with a tribute or legacy page.

In 1977, the Lubavitcher Rebbe asked Mrs. Esther Sternberg, director of the Shabbos Candle Lighting Neshek Campaign, to run a writing contest for girls in order to gather entries for a book about Shabbos candles. The first book called, “A Candle of My Own” was published in 1977 and had illustrations by artist Michoel Muchnik.

In 1979, Mrs. Sternberg was paralyzed (temporarily) and wasn’t able to walk. There is verse that says, “Ner L’ragli Mitzvosecha” – which means, “Your words of Torah guide me like a candle to prevent my feet from injury,” so she announced a second candle lighting contest (with a prayer for good health), and did not think about publishing a book.

Mrs Sternberg’s husband got a call from the Rebbe’s office, “Publish the second book – even before Rosh Hashanah.” This was only a few weeks before the High Holidays, not leaving much time to produce a book.

Mrs. Sternberg put together a selection of compositions from the many hundreds of entries already received through the contest and included photographs of Jewish girls lighting candles by photographer, Schneur Zalman Stern. Amazingly, the book includes a photo of Nechama Laber, global director of Jewish Girls Unite, at the age of five.

The second book was published before Rosh Hashanah and the Rebbe received the first copy of the book and responded with gratitude and satisfaction, and Mrs. Sternberg soon recovered.

Today, Nechama Laber is leading the effort to publish the THIRD CANDLE LIGHTING BOOK, which will be called, One More Light. The third book will include the inspirational writings received from the 2015 Shabbos Candles Writing Contest, as well as inspiration from women writers. Girls, ages 6 and up, can submit their entries for the second round of the Shabbos Candles Writing Contest before December 31 [Essays will be selected for the book and all essays will be published at www.jewishgirlsunite.com]. In addition, families are also invited to create a Tribute or Legacy page to honor a loved one: a grandmother, mother, daughter, a Bat Mitzvah in this special book.

“This is exactly what the Rebbe wanted,” said Mrs. Sternberg, who for over 40 years honors the personal direction from the Rebbe and leads this vital Mivtzah Neshek Campaign. Over the years many remarkable stories have taken place with these books. View this video of Mrs. Sternberg speaking about the power of this book to inspire and educate mothers and daughters for generations to come.

Video: Mrs. Sternberg

This book is part of a GLOBAL ONE MORE LIGHT CAMPAIGN to perpetuate the Rebbe’s global vision and spread the Mitzvah of Shabbos Candles through our Jewish girls. Even as young as 3, the Rebbe calls them Ambassadors of Light. At Jewish Girls Unite, our goal is to empower every girl to “Shine Her Inner Light” and we invite you to join us, said Nechama Laber.

All information about the ONE MORE LIGHT CAMPAIGN and the ONE MORE LIGHT BOOK can be found at www.1morelight.com.

Go to www.jewishgirlsunite.com for more information about Jewish Girls Unite, the safe online community for Jewish Girls.