Lebedike Likht: Candles for the Living

Lebedike likht are candles made by women in Ashkenazi Jewish communities in the pale of settlement of Eastern Europe. They would measure the bodies of their loved ones using candle wick, then use that wick to make candles to bring protection for that loved one when the candle is burned. Traditionally these candles are burned during Yom Kippur, or the harvest season more generally, when the veil between the living and the dead is thinner. These women asked their deceased relatives to bring protection and blessings.

 

In this class, we will use wick to measure each other, create a long twist with the wick, and create thick torch-like candles. Participants are welcome to bring objects special to an ancestor that can be measured with wick. We’ll have space to share memories of ancestors, invoking their protection. Participants will leave with 2 or more completed lebedike likht.

 

This class is of Jewish lineage, but open to all or no religious affiliations! Thank you to Annabel Gottfried Cohen for their research into Neshome Likht in the Pale of Settlement and for helping so many today connect to this practice.

 

About the Instructor: Miriam Khanan

 

Instructor will provide the following: 

All candle making materials and supplies, including beeswax cultivated in the St. Croix River Valley.

 

Students are asked to bring:

Optional: an apron

 

Skill Level 

No experience required. 

 

Age Recommendation 

Students ages 16 and older are welcome to attend this class. Students ages 16 and 17 may attend without a parent/guardian in attendance as long as MMFS is provided with written parental permission by email to info@marinemillsfolkschool.org.

 

Location Details 

Marine Mills Folk School

550 Pine Street

Marine on St. Croix, MN 55047

 

Cost Details

Tuition: $65

Materials Fee: $20

Total Cost: $85

 

NOTE: Be aware we may cancel class if a minimum number of registrations is not reached. We work to balance teachers’ need to plan for a class with students’ busy schedules — not an easy task. Please register as early as possible! If interested, you can find our cancellation policy HERE.