My daughter Dana asked me to write a prayer for her friend Brendon z”l who was brutally murdered in the streets of Chicago. The last sentence is the classic ending of a Yizkor prayer.

At the Hand of Violence: A Yizkor Prayer
Author of life
Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To ______________________ (name),
My [father / mother / sister / brother / child / wife / dear one / friend]
Whose life was cut off by violence,
An act of witless aggression.
We remember his / her wisdom, talents and skills,
Joy, laughter and tears.
Let these memories continue to bless us
Even as we pray for him / her to find peace
In the world to come.
Put an end to anger, hatred and fear
And lead us to a time when no one will suffer at the hand of another.
May his / her soul be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

© 2011 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: See also these other memorial prayers: “In Memory of an Organ Donor,” “For Bereaved Children” and “For the Bereaved.” Click here for a full list of memorial and yizkor prayers.

Please check out my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer,” and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Tags: grief, healing, loss, soul, Yizkor