Better World Archives - Page 4 of 17 - To Bend Light Archive | To Bend Light

Archive for the ‘Better World’ Category

Tree of Life, Pittsburgh

Posted on: August 1st, 2019 by Alden

This acrostic spelling out “Tree of Life Pittsburgh Tree of Life” will be used on Yom Kippur in a new Martyrology created by Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, the rabbi at Tree of Life – Or L’simcha Congregation. This prayer is a response to the Oct. 27, 2018, shooting there and first appeared in a CCAR rapid response resource kit. Here’s a link an interpretive Hebrew version of that prayer. See also: “Ma’oz Tzur for Pittsburgh” and “Taharot in Pittsburgh.”

Tree of Life, Pittsburgh
Tree of Life,
Revive our souls,
Enrich our days,
Entreating Your blessings.
O, God of Peace,
Fill our hearts with comfort,
Letting Your Torah shine,
In the fullness of our love.
Faith in You, our God,
Eternal Source of blessings.

Praying for healing
In the depths of despair,
Thanking God for the survivors,
Thanking God for the first responders,
Sorrow crushing our hearts,
Bereaved beyond belief,
United in our love,
Returning to You in faith,
God of Israel,
Healer of generations.

Tree of Life,
Redeemer of Israel,
Enliven this moment with healing,
Enliven this moment with hope.
Oh, Rock of Israel,
Forget not the Jews of Pittsburgh.
Let Your love flow
In the days ahead
For justice and peace
Everlasting.

New here? Subscribe here to get my newest prayers by email.
Share the prayer! Email this to a friend.

Postscript: See also: “Ma’oz Tzur for Pittsburgh,” “Taharot in Pittsburgh,” “After a Deadly Anti-Semitic Attack” and “Racist Violence against Houses of Worship.”

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.

Photo Source: Tree of Life * Or L’Simcha Congregation website

O Freedom: Psalm of Protest 14

Posted on: July 4th, 2019 by Alden

A Psalm of Protest for U.S. Independence Day 2019. It’s the 14th in a series of social protest prayers using the voice of the Psalmist. See also: “#MeToo, No More: Psalm of Protest 11,” “A Dream of Columbine: Psalm of Protest 13,” “Voter Suppression: Psalm of Protest 12,” as well as “Psalms of Protest 1, 2 and 3,” Psalms of Protest 4, 5 and 6” and “Psalms of Protest 7-10.”

O Freedom: Psalm of Protest 14
A psalm of protest.
For guitar and drum.
O freedom.
O justice.
That tyrants can’t deny.
O freedom.
O justice.
This is our rally cry.
Let all who love this country,
Let all who love this land,
Stand up and shout with power,
Injustice will not stand.
Be strong against the hatred.
Be strong against deceit.
Organize to fight the cause
And never dare retreat.
Come sisters, now, come brothers,
Come join, come heed this call.
And we will fight together,
For freedom, one and all.
O freedom.
O justice.
That tyrants can’t deny.
O freedom.
O justice.
This is our rally cry.

New here? Subscribe here to get my newest prayers by email.
Share the prayer! Email this to a friend.

Postscript: See also: “Against Detaining Children,” “Against Tyranny” and “Domestic Insurrections.”

Photo Source: CCS

Against Detaining Children

Posted on: June 26th, 2019 by Alden

This prayer is in response to the detention of children at the U.S. border, as well as the tragic deaths of innocents there and in the custody of the federal government. The first stanza alludes to the Emma Lazarus sonnet, New Colossus, which appears on a plaque inside the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. Lazarus calls the border “our sunset gates” and the statue “the Mother of Exiles.” The closing line is from the siddur, the Jewish prayer book, from the section called birkot hashachar, the morning blessings. The format of the prayer follows other social justice prayers, such as “Against Gun Violence” and “Against Hunger.”

Against Detaining Children
G-d of the captive,
G-d of the imprisoned and detained,
The voice of heartbreak echoes across the land,
Children rejected at our sunset gates,
The Mother of Exiles weeps for the innocent,
Their journey to Liberty bringing detention, deprivation and death.
Has compassion fled our borders?
Has the lamp at our door been extinguished?
Has Justice abandoned her post?

Source of comfort and hope,
You call upon us to stand in the name of the children,
To witness against mistreatment and neglect,
To fight a government that separates parents from minors
At the border of our nation,
Flaunting power,
Ignoring decency and law,
Allowing the innocent to die.

Bless those who dedicate their lives to human rescue.
Grant them the fortitude to battle in the name
Of the unknown, the unseen,
Those who cannot be forgotten.
May the work of their hands never falter,
Nor despair deter them from their holy calling.

Bless those in human bondage with hope and courage.
Grant them the strength and the fortitude
To face the indignities and privation forced upon them.
Hasten their release.
Grant them lives of health and prosperity,
Joy and peace.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who releases the captive.
.ברוך אתה יי אלהינו מלך העולם, מתיר אסורים
Baruch ata Adonai Eloheynu melech ha-olam, matir asurim.

New here? Subscribe here to get my newest prayers by email.
Share the prayer! Email this to a friend.

Postscript: The final two stanzas of this prayer, prior to the closing line, are adapted from “Against Human Trafficking.” See also: Against Poverty“and “Against Tyranny,” as well as various Psalms of Protest.

Photo Source: The New Yorker

For Sri Lanka, On a Day of Blood and Prayer

Posted on: April 21st, 2019 by Alden

A prayer on behalf of the people of Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019, as the news unfolds. More than 150 people were murdered and 500 injured in a coordinated attack on three churches and three five-star hotels.

For Sri Lanka, On a Day of Blood and Prayer
How can it be,
That day of prayer,
A day of reverence and love,
A day of worship and communion,
At the hand of killers,
Can become a day of blood?

How can it be,
That a day heralding the message
Of peace on earth
And forgiveness for all,
At the hand of murderers,
Can become a day of wailing in the streets?

Author of life,
Man has turned vicious and cruel,
Cutting down innocents in Sri Lanka
With violence and hate,
On a day of holiness and faith.

Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of murder in Sri Lanka,
At churches, hotels and in the streets,
At Anthony’s, St. Sebastian’s and Zion,
At Shangri-La, Kingsbury, and Cinnamon Grand.
Their lives were cut off by cruelty and hate.
Their dreams were cut off by heartless brutality.

G-d of Mercy,
Grant healing of body and spirit to the survivors,
The wounded, the maimed,
The dazed, the shocked and the traumatized.
Give them and their families strength and courage
As the hours, the days and the years pass.

Heavenly Guide,
Hand of love and shelter,
Put an end to violence,
And lead us to a time when no one
Suffers at the hand of another.
Grant the people of Sri Lanka Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing,
And Your peace.

New here? Subscribe here to get my newest prayers by email.
Share the prayer! Email this to a friend.

Photo Source: Courtesy of St. Sebastian’s Church as seen on Times of Israel

For Police, Revised

Posted on: April 14th, 2019 by Alden

I just returned from a six week trip to the U.S., including teaching at many synagogues. Police officers were present at each ont to protect congregants. Here’s a revised version of my prayer “For Police.” This version adds lines of support for families and colleagues of fallen officers. The original prayer was a response to a sniper attack on police in Dallas during a Black Lives Matter protest. This version also omits a politically-charged paragraph that doesn’t fit in a general prayer for police. For more on the impetus behind the original version, see the original post.

For Police
G-d of the selfless,
G-d of the strong and the brave,
Watch over those who dedicate their lives
To serving and protecting others,
Men and women who have answered the call
Of honor, duty and service,
Who risk life and limb to maintain law and order,
Who risk life and limb among the first responders
To natural disasters and man-made terror.
Grant them protection in the pursuit of our safety,
Skill in the pursuit of our well-being
And wisdom in the pursuit of justice.

Bless the souls of those who’ve died in our service.
May their memories be sanctified with joy and love.
Bless their families with consolation and comfort,
And their colleagues with solace and support.
Grant Your healing to all who grieve.

Rock of Truth,
Watch over our communities with love.
Bring an end to crime and violence,
So that all may know
Your compassion and Your grace.

Rock of Ages,
Stronghold and Shelter,
Bless all who serve in the policing professions with Your care.
Bless them fortitude and strength,
Insight and judgment.
In their lives, bless them with joy and health,
Security and well-being.
Let their deeds resound with fairness and integrity,
The calling of their profession,
A source of blessings in our midst.

New here? Subscribe here to get my newest prayers by email.
Share the prayer! Email this to a friend.

Postscript: See also “For Firefighters.” This prayer is based on two other prayers: “Memorial Prayer for 9/11 First Responders” and “For Nurses.” Here are prayers “Against Gun Violence” and for taking social justice “To the Streets.”

Photo Source: Victim Services

A Dream of Columbine: Psalm of Protest 13

Posted on: February 2nd, 2019 by Alden

The massacre at Columbine High school took place more than 20 years ago. And still, we have school shooting after school shooting. This Psalm of Protest, listing school shootings, imagines that those schools stand as witness against all gun violence, as witness against all mass murder. See also, “Against Gun Violence” and “In Memorium: Sandy Hook.”

Addendum: Written in 2019, this has been updated on May 25, 2022, to include Robb Elementary School, Uvalde, Texas.

A Dream of Columbine: Psalm of Protest 13
A dream of Columbine High School,
When the U.S. was beset by guns.
Red with blood,
A dream of Thurston High, Red Lake High and Virginia Tech.
Wet with tears,
A nightmare of Sandy Hook and Robb Elementary.
A lament of guns and death,
At NIU, Marshall County High, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, Santa Fe High and Saugus High.
Crying out
With so many others,
Too many dead,
So many wounded and scarred.
Crying out,
O Columbine!
How long? How long? How long?

New here? Subscribe here to get my newest prayers by email.
Share the prayer! Email this to a friend.

Postscript: See also: “Psalms of Protest 1, and 3,” Psalms of Protest 4, 5 and 6,” “Psalms of Protest 7-10,” “#MeToo, No More: Psalm of Protest 11” and “Psalm of Protest 12.”

Photo Source: NBC12

As Fires Rage

Posted on: November 12th, 2018 by Alden

A prayer to be said as the California wildfires rage, destroying homes and taking lives. See also this prayer “For Firefighters.”

As Fires Rage
G-d beyond my understanding,
Fires consume the land,
Destroying homes and lives,
Blazing into the foundations of serenity and security.
Let the winds cease,
The rain fall,
And the fires be extinguished.

G-d of justice and mercy,
We pray for the people of California.
As fires rage and fear spreads,
We pray for the survivors and the mourners,
The traumatized and the bereaved.
Grant them shelter and solace,
Comfort and consolation,
Blessing and renewal.
May people of righteousness and mercy
Come swiftly to their aid.
Grant the fire fighters and first responders
Strength and endurance
As they battle the inferno.

G-d of heaven and earth,
Hand of love and shelter,
Grant the people of California
Your protection
And Your peace.

New here? Subscribe here to get my newest prayers by email.
Share the prayer! Email this to a friend.

Photo Source: The Big Picture

For Wisdom during Mid-Term Elections

Posted on: November 1st, 2018 by Alden

Go out to vote. With wisdom. And encourage others to vote, as well. Early mid-term voting is open in most U.S. states. This prayer has a much different tone than my Psalm of Protest 12, sung on the eve of an election.

For Wisdom during Mid-Term Elections
G-d of Justice,
Protector and Redeemer,
Grant guidance to our nation
As we select leaders
To serve and to govern,
The men and women who promise
To bring prosperity to our land,
The men and women who promise
To protect our homes and our democracy.

Grant wisdom and courage to voters
To entrust our government to visionaries,
To consensus builders and peacemakers,
To those luminaries who will serve our citizens –
And all who reside within our borders –
With honor and integrity
To forge a flourishing and peaceful future.

Bless our current and future government
With vision and strength,
Fortitude and insight.
May this new government lead us to a time
When liberty and equality will
Reign supreme throughout the land.

G-d of Truth,
Source and Shelter,
Grant safety and security to all nations,
So that truth and harmony will resound
From the four corners of the earth.
Let the light of our democracy
Shine brightly,
A beacon of hope
For every land and every people.

New here? Subscribe here to get my newest prayers by email.
Share the prayer! Email this to a friend.

Postscript: This is an adaptation of “For Wisdom during U.S. Primary Elections.”

Photo Source: island FM

Voter Suppression: Psalm of Protest 12

Posted on: October 9th, 2018 by Alden

This Psalm of Protest is to be “sung on the eve of an election.” The third stanza quotes verses from Psalm 94. The fourth stanza echoes those lines with a modern voice and a modern response: a call to action. See also “Psalms of Protest 1, 2 and 3,” “Psalms of Protest 4, 5 and 6” and “Psalms of Protest 7 to 10.”

Voter Suppression: Psalm of Protest 12
A psalm of protest,
Sung on the eve of an election,
Before the seats of power.

What malice,
What cynicism,
What blatant manipulation of democracy,
To perpetrate injustice and pervert the will of the people!
Voter suppression.
Gerrymandering.
Turning a blind eye to attacks from hostile governments.
Woe to the usurpers who gain power falsely.

G-d of retribution, (Ps. 94:1-2)
G-d of retribution, appear!
Rise up, Judge of the earth.
Repay the arrogant what they deserve.
Can a corrupt throne be aligned with you? (Ps. 94: 20-21)
Can injustice be framed into law?

People of conscience,
People of conscience, appear!
Rise up to reclaim the ballot box,
Repay the deceitful,
Reject them and deny them office.
Will a corrupt government stand?
Will injustice be left unanswered?

Rise up, you of faith,
You of hope.
Rise up, to stand stalwart
Against threats to democracy.

New here? Subscribe here to get my newest prayers by email.
Share the prayer! Email this to a friend.

Postscript: See also “For Wisdom during Democratic Elections.”

Photo Source: Dayton Daily News

#MeToo, No More: the 11th Psalm of Protest

Posted on: September 30th, 2018 by Alden

This Psalm of Protest is to be “sung by brave women with a chorus of honest men.” It was inspired by the bravery of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testifying before the Senate, and that of Ana Maria Archila and Maria Gallagher confronting Sen. Jeff Flake in a Senate elevator. The psalm alludes to both Dr. Ford’s testimony and the moment when Ms. Gallagher tells Sen. Flake to look at her. See also “Psalms of Protest 1, 2 and 3,” “Psalms of Protest 4, 5 and 6” and “Psalms of Protest 7 to 10.”

Psalm of Protest 11: #MeToo, No More
A psalm of protest,
Sung by brave women,
With a chorus of honest men.

Brave Women: What willful ignorance!
What blatant deceit!
That you in the halls of power detest us with disbelief.
That you loath us with scorn.

Look at me.
Look into my eyes when I speak.
Look at us,
The hundreds, the thousands,
The myriad beyond count,
As numerous as the stars in the sky.
Silenced by trauma.
Silenced by fear.
Silenced by you.
No more!
Me too. Me too. Me too.

Honest Men: We believe.
We know.
We have been silent too long.

Brave Women: What arrogant pretense!
What feigned sympathy!
That you in the halls of power
Dismiss us with false words of feigned understanding.

We have been raped,
Fondled, pushed, grabbed, groped,
Forced into corners,
Forced onto beds,
Drugged into submission,
Abused, beaten,
Left cold and alone.
Look into my eyes when I speak.

Honest Men: We believe.
We know.
We have been silent too long.

Brave Women: We tremble, terrified,
The trauma seared indelibly into the hippocampus,
The laughter and the disdain,
The violence and the anger,
The violation and the abandonment.
We demand to be heard.
We demand to be seen.
We demand justice from halls of power.

Join us, brave women.
Join us, honest men.
Together, in one voice, declare:

All: Me too, no more!
Not in the courts.
Not in the White House.
Not in our lives.
Not in the lives of anyone.

Brave Women: And we will lead the way.

New here? Subscribe here to get my newest prayers by email.
Share the prayer! Email this to a friend.

Postscript: The call of justice is not enough. Men and women must be part of co-creating a better world, a world with no space for sexual assault, emotional degradation, personal harassment or rape.

Photo Source: Fred Klonsky

Archive for the ‘Better World’ Category

Tree of Life, Pittsburgh

Against Detaining Children

For Sri Lanka, On a Day of Blood and Prayer

For Police, Revised

A Dream of Columbine: Psalm of Protest 13

As Fires Rage

For Wisdom during Mid-Term Elections

Voter Suppression: Psalm of Protest 12

#MeToo, No More: the 11th Psalm of Protest

“Alden has become one of Reform Judaism’s master poet-liturgists…" - Religion News Service, Dec. 23, 2020

“Mesmerizing, spiritual, provocative, and thoughtful, Alden was everything you would want in a guest scholar and teacher.” – Rabbi Denise L. Eger, Congregation Kol Ami, Los Angeles, and Past President, CCAR

**"Alden Solovy has become one of the most revered liturgists of the last decade…" - Jewish Post & Opinion, March 29, 2023**

“Alden left everyone feeling inspired.” – Cantor Jeri Robins, Shabbat Chair, NewCAJE6

Your contribution helps support the creation of new prayers available to all on this site.