Howard MarkoseIn this video, Billy Kaplan offers a unique rendition of the blessing over the Shabbat candles (starting at 1:05), including a post-blessing message of hope. In his blessing, the singer replaces the name of God (Adonai) with a euphemism (Adoshem) in order not to recite God’s name in vain, as he is not actually lighting candles for Shabbat. Billy Kaplan is the creator of “A Shabbat Sweet,”‘ a Friday night Shabbat service which blends traditional Jewish prayers with melodies that are original, lively and soulful. He is a singer-songwriter of all kinds music: Jewish liturgical music, children’s music, holiday music and adult contemporary music. To hear more of his music, visit his YouTube channel.