Tag Archive for "terror" | To Bend Light

Posts Tagged ‘terror’

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.”

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: NBC12

For the Sufis of the Sinai

Posted on: November 26th, 2017 by Alden

At least 300 are dead after an attack on a Sufi mosque in the Northern Sinai on Friday, including at least 27 children. More than 125 people were also injured in this coordinated assault that began with a bomb blast and continued as terrorist militants gunned down fleeing worshipers from a packed mosque.

For the Sufis of the Sinai
Oh people of conscience,
Cry out.
For man has again turned violent,
Murdering and maiming the innocent,
Worshipers in the act of prayer.

Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of terror in the Northern Sinai,
Sufi innocents,
The hundreds murdered and wounded
By the hand of wickedness,
The hand of malevolence,
As they praised Your Name.
Each one a human.
Each one a life.
Each one enough to cry out to heaven.

Remember the survivors of this horror,
The injured, the witnesses, the mourners,
The new widow and the new orphan,
Those in shock and those in trauma.
Grant them shelter and solace,
Comfort and consolation,
Blessing and renewal.

Heavenly guide,
G-d of refuge,
Hand of love and shelter,
Grant the Sufis of the Sinai,
And all the people of Egypt,
Your protection,
Your wholeness and Your healing.
Let violence, hatred and terror vanish,
Let comfort descend from heaven,
And let the righteous rest in peace.

Postscript: This new prayer combines elements of three other prayers written in the wake of violence: “One is Everything: A Meditation on Terror and Numbers,” “Racist Violence against Houses of Worship” and “For Paris.”

Photo Source: Business Insider

For Manhattan, New York

Posted on: November 1st, 2017 by Alden

After another day of horror, this one in New York City. Here is my “Liturgy after Terror Attacks.” May we never need prayers such as these again.

For Manhattan, New York
Author of life,
Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under Your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of the massacre in Manhattan,
Whose lives were cut off by violence,
In a rampage of aggression beyond understanding,
Targeted by vehemence and hate.
May their souls be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.
May they rest in peace.

G-d of justice and mercy,
Send healing to those wounded in this assault,
Those struck by the hand of brutality.
Remember, too, the survivors of this attack,
Witnesses of shock, horror and dismay.
Ease their suffering and release their trauma
So that they recover lives of joy and wonder.
Grant them Your shelter and solace,
Blessing and renewal.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Strength to rebuild,
Faith to mourn,
And courage to heal.

G-d of love and shelter,
Remember the families and friends
Of all the dead and the wounded
In New York, the U.S. and throughout the world.
Remember them with comfort and consolation.
Grant them Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing.

Heavenly Guide,
Put an end to anger, hatred and fear
And lead us to a time when
No one will suffer at the hand of another,
Speedily, in our day.

Photo Source: BBC News

For Manchester and England

Posted on: May 23rd, 2017 by Alden

This is prayer of hope and courage for the victims of the terrorist attack in Manchester. It’s based on a memorial prayer that I wrote for the 7 July London bombings. This prayer refers to that attack, as well as the recent attack at Westminster. Here’s a link to the original prayer “For the People of London.”

For Manchester and England
Author of life,
Grant peace and consolation
To the victims and the injured
After the attack in Manchester,
Where youths, teens and their parents were murdered
In an act of calculated terror.

Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of this attack,
Whose lives were cut off
In an act of witless aggression.
May their souls be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.
May they rest in peace.

Remember the survivors of this horror.
Grant them shelter and solace,
Comfort and consolation,
Blessing and courage.
May their healing —
And the healing of this nation —
Continue with devotion and courage.

We also remember the victims
And survivors of the 7/7 and Westminster attacks,
Praying for their souls and their healing.

Heavenly Guide,
Hand of love and shelter,
Put an end to anger and hatred,
Bigotry and fear.
Let terrorists put down their weapons
To discover a new path.
May the victims of all violence
Find hope and renewal.
Lead us to a time when no one
Suffers or dies at the hand of another.

,עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו, הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ
וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעַל כָּל יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵּבֵל, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן

Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu,
V’al kol Yisraeil, v’al kol yosh’vei teivel, V’imru, Amen.

May the One who creates harmony above, make peace for us,
For all Israel, and all who dwell on earth. And say: Amen.

Postscript: Here’s my “Liturgy after Terror Attacks.”

Photo credit: Times of Israel

Attack at Westminster: For London and England

Posted on: March 23rd, 2017 by Alden

This is prayer of hope and courage for the victims of the terrorist attack at Westminster. It’s based on a memorial prayer that I wrote for the 7 July London bombings. Here’s a link to the original prayer “For the People of London.”

Attack at Westminster: For London and England
Author of life,
Grant peace and consolation
To the victims and the injured
After the attack at Westminster,
Where the heart of a democratic nation was attacked
In an act of calculated terror.

Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of this attack,
Whose lives were cut off
In an act of witless aggression.
Remember the survivors of this horror.
Grant them shelter and solace,
Comfort and consolation,
Blessing and courage.
May their healing —
And the healing of this nation —
Continue with devotion and courage.
We also remember the victims
And survivors of the 7/7 attack,
Praying for their souls and their healing.

Postscript: Here’s my “Liturgy after Terror Attacks.”

Please check out my Meet the Author video 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 credit: WikiMedia Commons. The photo is from the 7/7 attack.

One is Everything

Posted on: December 21st, 2016 by Alden

We’re surrounded by violence. Orlando. Nice. Tel Aviv. Pittsburgh. Innocents dead at the hand of terror. In Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, France, an 84-year-old priest was murdered in his church, Fr. Jacques Hamel. It made instant world news and faded just as fast. There are so many other terror attacks. Larger attacks. More than one dead.

ADDENDUM, April 28, 2019: In memory of Lori Gilbert-Kaye, z”l, who was murdered at the Chabad center outside San Diego during services, I’ve added a new line: “A woman in prayer.” Also, in the opening stanza, I’ve added references to that attack and the Tree of Life massacre.

One is Everything: A Meditation on Numbers and Terror
Orlando, 16 June 2016, 49 souls
Kabul, 23 July 2016, 80 souls
Nice, 14 July 2016, 84 souls
Baghdad, 3 July 2016, 325+ souls
Pittsburgh, 27 October, 2018, 11 souls
Dallas, 7 July 2016, 5 souls
Tel Aviv, 3 July 2016, 4 souls
Rouen, 26 July 2016, 1 soul
Poway, 27 April 2019, 1 soul

One soul.
Just one soul and the world moves on.
We are shocked by the scale of terror.
The 49 and the 84 and the 325
With a plus sign next to it because, well,
It’s just tough to get an accurate count
In so much death.

One is everything.
Each one a human.
Each one a life.
One is enough to cry out to heaven.

When we count the scope of terror,
The range of death,
Remember, too,
The injured and the wounded,
The witness and the bystander,
The first responder and the families.

One is 100 witnesses.
One is 1,000 mourners.
One is 10,000 traumas.
One is a soul G-d sent to this earth.
One is everything.
A priest doing holy work.
A boy studying Torah.
A girl sleeping in her bed.
A woman in prayer.
One soul. One heartbeat.
One more, too soon.

G-d of Consolation,
Every soul is Yours,
A world, unique and holy.
Let Your peace reign quickly among us.
Let violence, hatred and terror vanish.
Let Your comfort descend from heaven,
And let the righteous rest in peace.

Postscript: The list of terror attacks maintained on Wikipedia is astounding. Hundreds dead each month all over the world. One and one and one. The Talmud says that saving a life is equal to saving the world; taking a life is the equivalent of destroying the world. One is everything.

This is a modified version of an essay that first appeared on RitualWell. See also a prayer “To the Terrorist,” which is part of my “Liturgy after Terror Attacks,” originally written for my “Liturgy for 9-11.”

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.

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

15 Years: A Liturgy for 9-11

Posted on: September 7th, 2016 by Alden

It’s been 15 years. This is a 9-11 liturgy composed for the 10th anniversary of the attacks, including newer prayers written to deepen the liturgy. They were written at the request of HUC-JIR’s Tzeh U’limad editor Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder, Ph.D. Here’s a link to a video of “For 9-11 Survivors.”

For 9-11 Survivors
G-d of the survivor,
G-d of the mourner and the witness,
Grant solace and peace to those still held by physical, emotional and spiritual distress from the attacks of 9-11. Release them from visions of death and destruction, from guilt or shame, from fear or anger. Bind their wounds with Your steadfast love. Lift them on Your wings of kindness and grace.

Blessed are those who have found peace.
Blessed are those without tranquility.

Blessed are those who speak.
Blessed are those who stay silent.

Blessed are those who have healed.
Blessed are those who suffer.

Blessed are those who forgive.
Blessed are those who cannot forgive.

Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d, Source of strength for survivors of violence and tragedy in every land and in every age. Blessed are You, Rock of Israel, Source of hope and comfort.

To the Terrorist
You who would hold the sky captive,
The sea prisoner,
The land in chains…

You who hide in caves,
Retreat to the wilderness,
Disappear behind false names and forged papers…

You who smuggle guns and arms,
Hide rockets in cities and bombs in homes,
Build weapons against the innocent and the bystander…

You whose designs are destruction,
Whose plans are fear,
Whose joy is hate…

You who harden your hearts
And wrap yourselves in death…

What evil has robbed you of your love,
Your compassion,
Your goodness,
Your humanity?
What lies have invaded your minds
So that you choose to die in order to kill?

We who love our lives and liberty
Stand firm and strong against terror.
We will defend our nation and our people.
We will protect our land and our homes.
And we pray for you to find hope and comfort
In lives of peace.

At the Hand of Terror: A 9-11 Yizkor Prayer
Creator of all,
Source and shelter,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To ______________________ (name in Hebrew or your native tongue),
My [ father / mother / sister / brother / child / wife / dear one/ friend ]
Who died [ in / during / because of ]
The 9-11 attacks on the United States.
Remember the works of his/her hands
And the message of his/her heart
Remember all those who were lost in the terror of that day.
Grant their families peace and comfort for Your name’s sake
And for the sake of those who perished.
Bring an end to violence and terror,
Speedily, in our days.
May the memory of _____________________ be sanctified with joy and love.
May his/her soul be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

____________________

At the Hand of Terror II: A 9-11 Memorial Prayer
Creator of all,
Source and shelter,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To those who died in the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
Remember the works of their hands
And the message of their hearts.
Grant their families peace and comfort for Your name’s sake
And for the sake of those who perished.
Bring an end to violence and terror,
Speedily, in our days.
May their memories be sanctified with joy and love.
May their souls be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

Memorial Prayer for 9-11 First Responders

G-d of the selfless,
G-d of the strong and the brave,
Grant a perfect rest among the souls of the righteous
To those who died in service to others because of
The 9/11 attacks on the Unites States.
May their dedication to protecting life serve as a shining lamp of love
And the works of their hands bring us all merit in heaven.
Bless the souls of all who have died to save others,
Civilians and professionals,
The trained and the untrained,
In every age and in every land,
Men and women who answered the call of honor, duty and service.
May their memories be sanctified with joy and love.
May their souls be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

____________________

Yizkor for First Responders
G-d of the selfless,
G-d of the strong and the brave,
Grant a perfect rest among the souls of the righteous
To ______________________ (name in Hebrew or your native tongue),
My [ father / mother / sister / brother / child / wife / dear one/ friend ]
Who died in service to others [ in / during / because of ]
_________________________________________________ [name of event such as:
[the 9/11 attacks on the Unites States, the Mount Carmel forest fire, etc.].
May his/her dedication to protecting life serve as a shining lamp of love
And the works of his/her hands bring us all merit in heaven.
Bless the souls of all who have died to save others,
Civilians and professionals,
The trained and the untrained,
In every age and in every land,
Men and women who answered the call of honor, duty and service.
May the memory of _____________________ be sanctified with joy and love.
May his/her soul be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

Other prayers that may be useful in developing a 9-11 commemoration are:

“Against Tyranny” – A prayer against oppressive regimes
“At the Hand of Violence: A Yizkor Prayer” – For those who died by violence
“For Bereaved Children” – A prayer of mourning and hope for children who’ve lost parents
“For the Bereaved” – A prayer of mourning for all
“After Shiva” – When the shiva is over, what next?

Postscript: Special thanks to my sister Mara Lund for her insightful comments on drafts of these prayers. Thanks also to Rabbi Ruth for the invitation to write.

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. Connect with To Bend Light on Facebook and on Twitter.

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

For Nice

Posted on: July 15th, 2016 by Alden

A prayer of solidarity and healing after Thursday night’s Bastille Day truck attack in Nice. Sadly for the people of France, it’s in large part the same prayer I wrote “For Paris” after last year’s attacks, simply switching Nice for Paris, adding mention of children and removing reference to the coordinated nature of those attacks. The closing stanza is in French. A full French version follows.

For Nice
Author of life,
Man has turned violent,
Killing our children,
Killing our brothers and sisters,
Crushing lives,
Upending dreams,
Attacking the heart of a democratic nation
With vitriol and hatred.

Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of terror in Nice,
Innocents murdered and wounded,
Men and women whose lives were cut off by witless aggression.

Remember the survivors of this horror.
Grant them shelter and solace,
Comfort and consolation,
Blessing and renewal.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Strength to rebuild,
Faith to mourn,
Courage to heal,
And devotion to each other.

Heavenly Guide,
Hand of love and shelter,
Grant the people of Nice Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing,
And Your peace.

Guide divin,
Main d’amour et refuge,
Accorde aux peuple de Niça Ta protection,
Ta guérison et ton intégrité,
Et accorde-leur Ta paix.

Pour Niça
Auteur de la vie,
L’homme s’est tourné vers la violence,
Tuer nos enfants,
Tuer nos frères et sœurs,
Ecrasant des vies,
Bouleversant des rêves,
Attaquant le cœur d’une nation démocratique
Avec vitriol et haine.

Source et Créateur,
Accorde un repos parfait sous ton tabernacle de la paix
Pour les victimes de la terreur à Niça,
Innocents tués et blessés,
Hommes et femmes dont les vies ont été tragiquement écourtées.

Rappelle-toi des survivants de cette horreur.
Accorde-leur un abri et du soulagement,
Du réconfort et de la consolation,
Une bénédiction et un renouvellement.
Accorde-leur l’endurance de survivre,
La force de reconstruire,
La foi pour se lamenter,
Le courage de guérir,
Et la dévotion à l’autre.

Guide divin,
Main d’amour et refuge,
Accorde aux peuple de Niça Ta protection,
Ta guérison et ton intégrité,
Et accorde-leur Ta paix.

Postscript: The original translation was created by Gary Goldman and sent to me by friend Cantor Sheri Allen. In order to get this out quickly, I’ve taken the risk of using Google Translate for the two additional lines “Killing our children / Killing our brothers and sisters.” I also removed a line of French. Any errors in the French version are my own. My prayer “For the Jews of France,” written in March, 2012, after the deadly anti-semitic attack in Toulouse, has also been translated into French.

Photo credit: Buvizia

A Liturgy after Terror Attacks

Posted on: March 29th, 2016 by Alden

This is a four-prayer liturgy to be used after terror strikes. “For Terror Survivors” and “To the Terrorist” are from “A Liturgy for 9-11.” “Let Tranquility Reign” is based on Psalms 120-122. Options are shown with [brackets]; word choices with a slash (/). This liturgy also appears on ReformJudaism.org.

After a Terror Attack
Author of life,
Humanity has turned violent,
Crushing lives,
Upending dreams,
Attacking the heart of another city/nation
With vitriol and hatred
In (an act/coordinated acts) of calculated terror.

Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of terror throughout the world,
Men and women whose lives were cut off by witless aggression.
Today we (add/once again add) ______________ [insert city name]
To the list of places where innocents have been murdered and wounded.

Remember with love
The survivors of these horrors
Throughout the world.
Grant them shelter and solace,
Comfort and consolation,
Blessing and renewal.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Strength to rebuild,
Faith to mourn,
Courage to heal,
And devotion to each other.

Heavenly Guide,
Hand of love and shelter,
Grant the victims of terror Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing,
And Your peace.

For Terror Survivors
G-d of the survivor,
G-d of the mourner and the witness,
Grant solace and peace to those still held by physical, emotional and spiritual distress from acts of terror.

Remember now those who are suffering from trauma after the attack in ___________ [add the location].

Release them from visions of death and destruction.
Release them from guilt or shame, from fear or anger.
Bind their wounds with Your steadfast love.
Lift them on Your wings of kindness and grace.

Blessed are those who have found peace.
Blessed are those without tranquility.
Blessed are those who speak.
Blessed are those who stay silent.
Blessed are those who have healed.
Blessed are those who suffer.
Blessed are those who forgive.
Blessed are those who cannot forgive.

Blessed are You, G-d of healing, Source of strength for survivors of violence and tragedy in every land and in every age. Blessed are You, Source of hope and comfort.

To the Terrorist
You who would hold the sky captive,
The sea prisoner,
The land in chains…

You who hide in caves,
Retreat to the wilderness,
Disappear behind false names and forged papers…

You who smuggle guns and arms,
Hide rockets in cities and bombs in homes,
Build weapons against the innocent and the bystander…

You whose designs are destruction,
Whose plans are fear,
Whose joy is hate…

You who harden your hearts
And wrap yourselves in death…
What evil has robbed you of your love,
Your compassion,
Your goodness,
Your humanity?
What lies have invaded your minds
So that you choose to die in order to kill?

Let Tranquility Reign
Some days,
Ancient One,
Some days the prayers
Of Your people
Are so close
We can hold them in our hands,
Feel them with our eyes,
Taste them with our breath.
They surround our hearts
To become our yearning.
They surround our song,
To become our grieving.
They surround our souls,
To become our pleading.

:רַבַּת שָׁכְנָה-לָּהּ נַפְשִׁי, עִם שׂוֹנֵא שָׁלוֹם
:אֲנִי-שָׁלוֹם וְכִי אֲדַבֵּר, הֵמָּה לַמִּלְחָמָה

“My soul has dwelled too long
Among those who hate peace.
I am for peace, but when I speak of it
They are for war.”

When will peace come,
Source of Peace,
When will sorrow be vanquished?
When will tranquility reign?

:יְהוָה יִשְׁמָרְךָ מִכָּל-רָע, יִשְׁמֹר אֶת-נַפְשֶׁךָ
:יְהוָה יִשְׁמָר-צֵאתְךָ וּבוֹאֶךָ, מֵעַתָּה וְעַד-עוֹלָם

“Adonai will guard you from all harm;
G-d will guard your soul.
Adonai will guard your going and coming;
Now and evermore.”

For You are our Hope.
Our Comfort.
Our Blessing.
Let those who cherish life
Bless this day and every day.

:לְמַעַן אַחַי וְרֵעָי, אֲדַבְּרָה-נָּא שָׁלוֹם בָּךְ
:לְמַעַן בֵּית-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, אֲבַקְשָׁה טוֹב לָךְ

“For the sake of my comrades and companions,
I shall say: ‘Peace be within you.’
For the sake of the House of Adonai our God
I will seek your good.”

Let these prayers ascend
To the lofty heights,
So that the nations,
And peoples of the earth,
Will rejoice in holiness,
Will rejoice in splendor,
And will rejoice, together, in righteousness.

“After a Terror Attack” is © 2016 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved. “Let Tranquility Reign” is © 2015 Alden Solovy andtobendlight.com. All rights reserved. “For Terror Survivors” and “To the Terrorist” are © 2011 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: “After a Terror Attack” is an adaptation of “For Brussels.” “Let Tranquility Reign” first appeared on this site January 18, 2015. “For Terror Survivors” and “To the Terrorist” first appeared on this site on April 28, 2o11, as part of my “Liturgy for 9-11.”

Photo Source: Spiritual Networks

For Brussels

Posted on: March 23rd, 2016 by Alden

A prayer of solidarity and healing after the terror attacks in Brussels. The closing stanza is written in English and the three official languages of Belgium: Dutch, German and French.

For Brussels
Author of life,
Man has turned violent,
Crushing lives,
Upending dreams,
Attacking the heart of a democratic nation
With vitriol and hatred
In coordinated acts of calculated terror.

Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of terror in Belgium,
Innocents murdered and wounded,
Men and women whose lives were cut off by witless aggression.

Heavenly Guide,
Hand of love and shelter,
Grant the people of Brussels Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing,
And Your peace.

Guide divin,
Main d’amour et refuge,
Accorde aux peuple de Bruxelles Ta protection,
Ta guérison,
Et ton intégrité,
Et accorde-leur Ta paix.

Himmlischer Vater,
Hand voller Liebe und Geborgenheit,
Gib den Menschen in Bruessel Deine Vollkommenheit,
Deinen Schutz,
Deine Kraft zu heilen,
Und Deinen Frieden.

Hemelse Gids,
Hand van de liefde en onderdak,
Verleen de Brusselaars Uw bescherming,
Uw toewijding,
Uw genezing,
En Uw vrede.

Postscript: This is based on my prayer “For Paris,” which is why I selected this image to illustrate the prayer. It was tweeted by Le Monde’s veteran cartoonist, Jean Plantureux, better known as Plantu. Thank you to my friends who translated the closing verse: Carolin Melamed, German; Genevieve Begue, French; and the Dutch by a friend who asked to remain anonymous.

Photo credit: Jean Plantureux as shown in The Guardian

Posts Tagged ‘terror’

A Dream of Columbine: Psalm of Protest 13

For the Sufis of the Sinai

For Manhattan, New York

For Manchester and England

Attack at Westminster: For London and England

One is Everything

15 Years: A Liturgy for 9-11

For Nice

A Liturgy after Terror Attacks

For Brussels

“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.