Prayers

Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya'aseh shalom aleinu v'al kol Yisrael, v'al kol yoshvei teivel. 

V'imru amen. 

May the Source of peace, who creates peace in high places make peace for us, for our community and for all who dwell on earth. 

And let us say amen.

"I have concluded that one way to pay tribute to those we loved who struggled,

resisted and died is to hold on to their vision and their fierce outrage at the

destruction of the ordinary life of their people. It is this outrage we need to keep

alive in our daily life and apply to all situations, whether they involve Jews or non-

Jews. It Is this outrage we must use to fuel our actions and vision whenever we see

any signs of the disruptions of common life: the hysteria of a mother grieving for

the teenager who has been shot, a family stunned in front of a vandalized or

demolished home; a tamily separated, displaced; arbitrary and unjust laws that

demand the closing or opening of shops and schools; humiliation of a people

whose culture is alien and deemed inferior; a people left homeless without

citizenship; a people living under military rule. Because of our experience, we

recognize these evils as obstacles to peace. At those moments of recognition, we

remember the past, feel the outrage that inspired Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto and

allow it to guide us in present struggles.

Rabbi Liz P. G. Hirsch

Executive Director, Women of Reform Judaism

Our God, the God of our ancestors

Free all those captured in war.

Free the captive women:

Free our mothers, grandmothers, daughters, sisters, and aunts.

Free the babies and children,

senselessly, violently kidnapped.

Fulfill that great mitzvah, that holy duty

Of redeeming the captive.

May they all return, swiftly

To their families and their homes.

May women’s bodies be sacred and safe.

Shechinah, nurturing presence, watch over them.

Guard them.

Protect them.

Bring them home.

Baruch atah, Adonai, matir asurot.

Blessed are You, Eternal our God, who frees the captive

To the One who blessed our ancestors and the

One who blesses all beings here on this earth,

bless all those who are suffering the grief of someone they loved.

May they find solace in their memory,

and may their love find a resting place in their hearts.

Bless all those who are struggling with the death

of someone with whom they had a difficult relationship.

May they find compassion for themselves and renewal of spirit.

May they have patience and strength, as grief can come in waves throughout their lives.

May they find the courage to share their grief with others, no matter how many years have gone by.

While they can be shattered by loss, they can be healed by love from others.

Sacred One, help them find ways to open their hearts to love and hope.

Bless all those who are grieving, for it is an honor to have lived.

Make both life and death a blessing.

Amen.

A prayer by the Blue Dove Foundation