About Chai Lifeline

This year Chai Lifeline will touch the lives of more than 4,300 children and families around the corner and across the globe.

When a child is born or diagnosed with a serious illness, the entire family feels the pain. Chai Lifeline provides crucial emotional, social, and financial assistance that enables each member to cope with the diagnosis, treatment and long-term challenges of life-threatening illness or debilitating chronic and genetic conditions.

Become a partner.

See how much more we can do together.
 

About Shabbat Candle Lighting

Each Friday, 18 minutes before sundown, we usher in the Shabbat with candle lighting, preventing the potential chaos of stumbling about in darkened quarters and bringing an atmosphere of holiness and peace into the home.

The Shabbat candles are customarily lit 18 minutes before sunset, and may not be lit after sunset. Although the mitzvah applies to both men and women equally, ideally the woman should be the one to perform the lighting. Two candles are lit to represent the double verses in the torah that reference to Shabbat, and an additional candle is lit for each child in the family. After kindling the lights, the woman moves her hands inward in a circular motion three successive times to welcome in the Shabbat queen. After the third time, she covers her eyes and recites the following blessing:

Baruch a-ta A-do-nay Elo-hei-nu me-lech ha-o-lam a-sher ki-dee-sha-nu bi-mitz-vo-tav vi-tzi-va-noo li-had-leek ner shel Sha-bat Ko-desh.

Translation: Blessed are you, L rd our G d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the Holy Shabbat.

The moments immediately following the blessing, while the woman’s eyes are still covered, are an especially auspicious time for her to offer up her personal prayers. Many pray for the physical and spiritual well-being of their husband and children, and to merit the final redemption. After completing her supplications, she uncovers her eyes and greets all those present with the traditional "Shabbat Shalom", or alternately, "Good Shabbos".

An important aspect of the ceremony is the custom of giving charity prior to candle lighting. During these great spiritual moments, we take the time to remember those in need. Dedicate your charity each week to Chai Lifeline, and become partners with us in lighting up the lives of children and families coping with illness.