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Back in the mid nineties a Jewish advertising executive in New York came up with an idea. What if the New York Times - considered the world's most prestigious newspaper - listed the weekly Shabbat candle lighting time each week. Someone would have to pay for the space, but imagine the Jewish awareness and pride that might result from such a prominent mention of the Jewish Shabbat each week.
He got in touch with a Jewish philanthropist and sold him on the idea. It cost almost two thousand dollars a week, but he did it. For the next five years, each Friday, Jews around the world would see 'Jewish Women: Shabbat candle lighting time this Friday is .'.
Eventually the philanthropist had to cut back on a number of his projects and, in June 1999, the little Shabbat notice stopped appearing in the Friday Times. From that week on, it never appeared again. Except once, on January 1, 2000, the NY Times ran a Millennium edition. It was a special issue that featured three front pages.
1. One had the news from January 1, 1900.
2. The second was the actual news of the day, January 1, 2000.
3. A third front page was projecting future events of January 1, 2100.
This fictional page included things like a welcome to the fifty-first state: Cuba. As well, a discussion as to whether robots should be allowed to vote, and so on. In addition to the fascinating articles, there was one more thing. Down on the bottom of the Year 2100 front page, was the candle lighting time in New York for January 1, 2100. Nobody paid for it. It was just put in by the Times.
The production manager of the New York Times – an Irish Catholic - was asked about it. His answer was right on the mark, It speaks to the eternity of our people and to the power of Jewish ritual. "We don't know what will happen in the year 2100. It is impossible to predict the future, but of one thing you can be certain, that in the year 2100, Jewish women will be lighting Shabbos candles.
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Light Candles
