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Archive for the ‘Family’ Category

A Prayer for Dad

Posted on: June 17th, 2020 by Alden

Here’s a prayer for Father’s Day, celebrating Dad’s passion for family and his role as a source of wisdom, inspiration and love. The photo is me and my father Jack z”l in Key West, where I became a father for the first time. Happy Father’s day to dads and children everywhere.

A Prayer for Dad
For our father,
A song of dignity and honor.

Guardian of mitzvot,
Keeper of truths,
Hand of protection and peace,
We are blessed with your humor and compassion,
Your zest for life
And your zeal for family.
You remind us to open our lives to G-d’s majesty and mystery
G-d’s justice and mercy.
You remind us to seek radiance and splendor,
Awe for creation and compassion for each other,
And choose joy over grief,
Laughter over tears.

G-d of fatherly patience and strength,
Bless our family with love
And our father with vision, endurance and hope.
May his devotion inspire us to righteousness and charity,
Guided by Torah.
Bless our lives with abundance
And our days with vigor,
So that we bring majesty and mystery to our lives
And into the world.

Blessed are You, G-d of our fathers,
Who provides just and righteous men
In every generation.

Postscript: I wrote this prayer more than a decade ago as “For the Patriarch,” and it appears in my book Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing with that title. Our times, sensitivity, and the meanings associated with the term “the patriarchy” call out for the title change, as well as two changes in the text. Thanks to Hila Ratzabi and Adva Chattler of Ritualwell for suggesting the revisions.

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Photo Source: Alden Solovy

Wedding Blessing for Nikki and Pro

Posted on: March 29th, 2019 by Alden

This is the prayer I wrote for my daughter and her husband, reading it at their wedding last weekend. Here’s a link to the prayer that I wrote for their engagement, called “Bind Our Hearts.” Here are three more related prayers: “A Moment of Love,” “For an Open Heart” and “Blessing for a Spouse/Partner.”

Wedding Blessing for Nikki and Pro
Love.
A gift. A blessing.
A legacy. An inheritance.

Eternal One,
Source and Shelter,
Light and Truth,
Bless Nikki and Pro
With the simplicity and the splendor
Of the love that binds
Two together,
The gentleness and the grandeur,
The hope and the faith,
The trust and the forgiveness
They will need as they
Build and grow
Their lives together.
Bless them with abundance,
With health, with joy,
With good fortune,
And with children, healthy and strong,
So that they establish a Jewish home
Filled with the blessings of Torah
And the beauty of mitzvot.

Love.
A gift. A blessing.
A legacy. An inheritance.
Let it shine throughout your days.
Let it radiate throughout your years.
Let it guide you and shelter you
With the brilliance and the blessings
From G-d’s Sukkat Shalom,
G-d’s Tabernacle of Peace,
All the days of your lives.

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Postscript: Special thanks to our dear friend Rabbi Joe Black for officiating.

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: Family photo

Travel to an Unexpected Family Emergency

Posted on: March 25th, 2015 by Alden

One Friday morning I called my daughters to tell them: “Your mom’s going to die today.” We faced harrowing cross-country trips to be at Ami’s z”l deathbed. Here’s a prayer for travel to a family emergency. This text is less important than the idea: move from fear and worry and into prayer. Word choices are shown with slashes (“/”). The blank line is for including a name. This piece appears in This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day from CCAR Press.

Travel to an Unexpected Family Emergency
Today,
God of Old,
Is a day I never imagined
And never prepared to face.
I am traveling
To be present as my [father/mother/sister/brother/child/wife/husband/partner]
Faces a medical emergency.
My fear is compounded by the stress of travel.
And I feel alone.

G-d of Healing,
Bless __________________________ (name),
With healing of mind,
Healing of body,
And healing of spirit.
Ease his/her pain.
Remove her/his suffering.
Grant him/her courage and endurance
Throughout this challenge.
Bless her/hid doctors with wisdom and skill,
And his/her caregivers with compassion, focus and dedication.
Grant her/him a full and speedy recovery.

Source and Shelter,
Give me the presence of mind
To be a source of wisdom and strength
In this hour of need.
Bless my family with ease and comfort.
Give us energy and endurance,
Hope, tranquility and peace.

Blessed are You, G-d of mystery,
Source of health and healing.

Postscript: The story of Ami’s death is told in an article in JTA News, with greater detail in the introduction to my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Photo Source: Adventist Hinsdale Hospital

Shemot 5775: In Praise of Adoption

Posted on: January 8th, 2015 by Alden

Exodus begins with extraordinary examples of care for children: midwives Shiphrah and Puah refuse Pharoah’s order to kill newborn males; then, Moses is adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter and nursed by his birth-mother. This week’s Torah prayer praises adoption. It’s the second in a new series on adoption that will appear in my forthcoming book Prayers for Healing the World. Optional language is shown in [brackets] and word choices are identified with a slash (/). Here’s my prayer “To Adopt a Child.”

In Praise of Adoption
G-d of Mercy,
Source of love and shelter,
Bless those who have taken children as their own,
Into their lives, into their homes,
With compassion and care,
Healing the world one small soul at a time.
Bless their lives with wisdom and strength,
Kindness and care,
So their children will be nurtured,
Protected and educated,
With joy and wonder.
Bless these families with health and safety,
Happiness and well-being.

Source of Life,
Bless those who hope to adopt,
Those who have waited
With anticipation [and with disappointment]
As the adoption process moves slowly, step-by-step.
Let the loving hand of adoption bring their lives
The richness of [family/a growing family],
The joys and challenges of parenting.
Bless, too, those who work and advocate
For children and for adoption.
May their energy and effort
Be a source of healing.

Father of the fatherless,
Mother of the motherless,
We are all Your children.
Watch over children and youth still waiting for families,
Still in need of hope and shelter,
And bring them speedily to a home of love and care.
Let Your light shine upon them.
Let Your mercy heal them.
Look with special favor on the children who
Are often left behind: orphans of war,
Children with special needs,
Youths and teens, children of color.

Holy One,
Bring the day when all children will know
The love of parents and the joy of family.
For wholeness.
For healing.
For peace.

Postscript: Here’s a link to the prayer I posted for Shemot 5773, “Finding G-d.” Nine pregnancy and fertility prayers appear in Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing, including: “For Pregnancy,” “Loss of Pregnancy” and “Loss of Pregnancy (Husband/Partner).” Other prayers about family include: “On the Birth of a Child” and “On the Birth of Grandchildren.” For more prayers about family, click here.

Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. Please take a moment to explore my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Photo Source: Adoptive Families Circle

Vayechi 5775: On the Birth of a Child

Posted on: December 30th, 2014 by Alden

In Vayechi, Jacob “blesses” his children. They read like praises for some and curses for others. This is consistent with the parenting skills exhibited in Genesis, where parents play favorites, inflict trauma and neglect children. Every child deserves a loving parent, rich in blessings. For Vayechi 5775, here’s a prayer to be said by new parents who wish to provide nothing less. Gender choices are identified with a slash, such as “him / her.” Content choices are identified in [brackets.] This prayer appears in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

On the Birth of a Child
Precious child,
Wonder of creation,
You are proof of Divine love,
Witness to our Maker’s Glory,
Witness to the blessed partnership
Between [woman, man][us] and G-d.
What makes me worthy of you?
What makes me able to gently guide you on your sacred path,
Your own journey to wisdom, charity, righteousness and Torah?

Father of the universe,
Mother of creation,
Be my guide and teacher,
As I father/mother/parent this new life,
This precious gift.
Give me humility, compassion and wisdom
To teach her/him Torah and Mitzvot
Through my actions and my life,
So that we become each other’s blessings.

Gracious G-d, be my partner in raising this child,
For this gift is not mine.
It is ours to nurture, to grow,
And to give back to the world for tikun olam.

Postscript: For Veyechi 5773, I posted a prayer called “Near the End: A Meditation.” For prayers about family, click here. See also: “On the Birth of Grandchildren.” This prayer first appeared on this site on June 25, 2010.

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

Mikeitz 5775: For Our Brothers

Posted on: December 18th, 2014 by Alden

This is a prayer for our brothers. In this week’s Torah reading Mikeitz, Joseph begins the process of testing his brothers to see if they have changed. They appear to have learned some lessons about honor, trustworthiness and family. This prayer is from a series of prayers about rejoicing in family relationships. It appears in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. To listen along as you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows. For Mikeitz 5773, I posted a social justice prayer called “Against Hunger.”

For Our Brothers
For our brothers,
A chant of honor.

Brother, to have you is a blessing,
A gift of endurance and strength.
Your courage is my shield,
Your humor, my cloak,
Your humility, my guide,
Your vigor, my hope.
Your victories witness your confidence,
Your devotion
And your zeal.

You are my brother by birth
My brother by choice,
My brother through pain
And my brother in thanksgiving.

G-d of brotherly dignity and grace,
Bless our family with gratitude
And our brothers with enthusiasm, vitality and wonder.
May their devotion inspire us to justice and mercy.
Bless our lives with energy and prosperity
So that we become a source of healing in our lives
And in the world.

Blessed are You, G-d of brothers,
Who delights in brotherly love.

Postscript: See also: “For Our Sisters,” “For the Patriarch,” “For the Matriarch” and “For the Family Historian.” Note that this prayer is written to be used by both men and women to honor their brothers. “For Our Brothers” first appeared on this site on Oct. 2, 2010.

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. If you like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet.

Photo Source: KeepCalm-O-Matic

Vayishlach 5775: Family Healing

Posted on: November 30th, 2014 by Alden

In this week’s Torah portion, Jacob attempts to reconcile with his brother. This is a prayer for healing family wounds. Much as Jacob prepared to encounter Esau, this is a prayer for the spiritual willingness to heal. Choices to tailor the prayer to particular family situations are in [brackets]; use these choices or your own language. This prayer appears in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Family Healing
G-d of Old,
Our family has been fractured,
Torn apart by _________________ [anger, violence, death, alcoholism, suicide, disease, mental illness, neglect, abuse, abandonment, finances],
Old wounds that have steeped into our bones and our blood,
Our thoughts and our words.
Release me from my anger and my guilt,
So I may see my kin with new eyes –
Their losses and fears,
Their pain and shame –
And therefore find a source of
Forgiveness and renewed love.

Well of Blessings,
Lead us to new vision and new wisdom,
The place where love rests safely in our hearts
And peace waits quietly in our hands.

G-d of Generations,
Grant healing to my family, speedily,
So that we may rejoice together in Your gifts,
With joy and thanksgiving.

Postscript: Here’s the prayer I posted for Vayishlach 5773, “The Descent,” a prayer about wrestling with angels. My prayer “For Family” includes a similar message to this prayer, but more softly stated. Here are prayers of family praise: “For the Patriarch,” “For the Matriarch,” “For Our Sisters,” “For Our Brothers” and “For the Family Historian.” This prayer first appeared on this site on November 8, 2012.

Photo Source: Pinterest, Family Constellations

To Adopt a Child

Posted on: November 19th, 2013 by Alden

This is a prayer to be used by those seeking to adopt a child. It’s a new prayer in the general theme of the journey to parenthood. Nine pregnancy and fertility prayers appear in my forthcoming book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. The choices for customizing this prayer an attempt to recognize a wide variety of family circumstances in adoption, such as: singles, gay couples and families that already have children. Word choices are identified with a slash (/) and optional lines are shown in [brackets].

To Adopt a Child
Ancient One,
G-d of hope,
How I/we yearn for a/another child!
I/We have prayed,
I/We have cried,
I/We have shown my/our sorrow to heaven,
[As I/we moved through fertility treatments],
As I/we strive to be called mother/father/mother and father
To a child,
A shining light of Your creation.

G-d of Old,
Grant me/us the wisdom to be gentle with myself/ourselves
In time of longing.
Bless me/us with courage and wisdom,
With patience and with understanding.
[Bless my/our children with a deep sense of my/our abiding love.]
Let me/us feel Your divine presence in these hours of waiting,
These days of hoping,
These months, perhaps years, of praying.

Bless me/us with a child,
With the gift of generations,
With the gift of love,
So that I/we may become a well of gifts
For a precious child, a soul in need.

Blessed are You, Source of life.
Hear this prayer.

Postscript: Here are related prayers regarding pregnancy and fertility: “For Pregnancy,” “Loss of Pregnancy” and “Loss of Pregnancy (Husband/Partner).” Here are others about family: “On the Birth of a Child” and “On the Birth of Grandchildren.” For more prayers about family, click here.

Photo Source: Mommy Run Fast

Mother’s Meditation

Posted on: January 27th, 2013 by tobendlight

This prayer is to be said by mothers with children who have begun their independent lives. It’s the companion piece to “Father’s Meditation.” The two prayers follow the same overall structure and rhythm.

This prayer, along with “Father’s Meditation,” will appear in my forthcoming book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Mother’s Meditation
Gracious and Compassionate One,
Father of the Universe,
Mother of Life,
Fountain and Well,
Hear this prayer:

My children are Yours,
To guide and protect with Your open hand,
To nurture and care with Your wisdom,
To hold and heal with Your loving ways.
Grant them vitality and fortitude
As they build lives of their own.
Fill their days with friendship and hope,
Joy and kindness,
Thanksgiving and peace.
Shield them from pain and strife.
Grant them years of prosperity and serenity,
Gratitude and faith,
Awe and wonder.
May they enjoy the fruits of Your creation
In service to Torah and our People Israel.

Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d,
G-d of our ancestors,
G-d of generations.

Postscript: Here’s a parent’s prayer for when for when “My Child Leaves Home.” Click here for more prayers about family.

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Photo Credit: Body+Soul

Father’s Meditation, Revised

Posted on: January 20th, 2013 by tobendlight

This prayer is to be said by fathers with children who have begun their independent lives. It’s a revision to a prayer of the same name. Today I wrote the companion piece, called “Mother’s Meditation.” The two prayers follow the same overall structure and rhythm. As I wrote the new meditation, it seemed clear that some of the new phraseology in “Mother’s Meditation” belonged in this prayer and that some of the phraseology in the original version of this piece belonged in the other prayer. Both prayers appear in Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Father’s Meditation
Gracious and Compassionate One,
Mother of the Universe,
Father of Life,
Source and Shelter,
Hear this prayer:

My children are Yours,
To guide and protect with Your strong hand,
To nurture and care with Your outstretched arm,
To hold and heal with Your righteous ways.
Grant them vitality and fortitude
As they build lives of their own.
Fill their days with meaning and purpose,
Joy and adventure,
Thanksgiving and peace.
Ease their burdens and relieve their struggles.
Grant them years of prosperity and serenity,
Wisdom and courage,
Gratitude and wonder.
May they enjoy the fruits of Your creation
In service to Torah and our People Israel.

Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d,
G-d of our ancestors,
G-d of generations.

Postscript: Here’s a parent’s prayer for when for when “My Child Leaves Home.” Click here for more prayers about family.

Photo Credit: fcaministers.com

Archive for the ‘Family’ Category

A Prayer for Dad

Wedding Blessing for Nikki and Pro

Travel to an Unexpected Family Emergency

Shemot 5775: In Praise of Adoption

Vayechi 5775: On the Birth of a Child

Mikeitz 5775: For Our Brothers

Vayishlach 5775: Family Healing

To Adopt a Child

Mother’s Meditation

Father’s Meditation, Revised

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