Posts Tagged ‘Yizkor’

 

For Mother Emanuel / Church of the Multiplication: Racist Violence against Houses of Worship

Posted on: June 18th, 2015 by Alden

Emanuel African Methodist Church SteepleOn Wednesday night, nine people were killed during a shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, an historic black church in Charleston, S.C. The oldest AME church in the south, it’s referred to as “Mother Emanuel.” Across continents Thursday morning, arsonists set fire to the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fish on the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). Most of the damage occurred roof; two people suffered smoke inhalation. Given the time zone differences, these acts of violence and cowardice — the preparations, the police responses — were quite possibly playing out at the same time. Here are two prayers in response.

For Mother Emanuel: A Memorial and Healing Prayer
Author of life
Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To those who lost their lives the attack on Mother Emanuel,
Whose lives were cut off by violence,
An act of witless aggression.
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 their souls be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

G-d of justice and mercy,
Remember the survivors of this attack,
And the victims of any disaster,
Any violence, suffering or despair.
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 Mother Emanuel Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing,
And Your peace.

© 2015 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Racist Violence against Houses of Worship
Oh people of conscience,
Cry out.
Cry out against arrogance.
Cry out against hatred and anger.
Cry out against violence and oppression.
For G-d requires us to stand
In the name of justice and freedom,
For G-d requires us to oppose terror,
To muster our power and energy
Against racist aggression
And to protect all houses of prayer.

Oh G-d,
We implore You,
Look down upon the suffering
Perpetrated against churches, mosques and synagogues,
Against houses of worship in so many lands,
By the hand of wickedness,
By the hand of malevolence,
By the hand of ignorance and sin.
Today we remember, with sadness, the attacks on
Mother Emanuel and the Church of the Multiplication
And the loss of precious life.

With Your gentle and loving hand,
G-d of Shelter,
Unite all of your children
Under Your canopy of hope and love.
Bring the light of salvation and healing
To the four corners of the earth.

© 2015 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: The prayer “For Mother Emanuel” is an adaptation of “Violence in Mumbai.” The prayer “Racist Violence against Houses of Worship” is an adaptation of “For the Yazidi People.”

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Photo Source: Wikipedia

 

Yizkor after My Child’s Suicide

Posted on: January 25th, 2015 by Alden

suicide pic copyThe loss of a child to suicide is a difficult and painful journey. This is another yizkor prayer focused on the circumstances surrounding the death of a loved one. Optional language appears in [brackets]. Here’s a link to a prayer to be said by parents after a child survives a suicide attempt, called “My Child’s Suicide Attempt.” May all who struggle with thoughts of suicide find relief, speedily, and comfort in their hours of need.

Yizkor after My Child’s Suicide
Oh grief,
How deep was her/his pain,
That my child
Could take his/her own life?
God of old,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To ______________________ (name),
My son/daughter,
Whose life was cut off by sorrow,
By hopelessness, depression and despair,
Even in this darkness,
In this moment of inconceivable horror,
In this grief and void that seems beyond repair,
Help us to remember his/her wisdom, talents and skills,
Our times together,
Our joy, laughter and tears.
[Give me respite from this profound sense of guilt.]
In this hour of desolation,
Bring our family comfort and consolation
As we pray for him/her to find a new peace
In the world to come,
A peace he/she did not enjoy in this world.
May his / her soul be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

© 2017 CCAR Press from This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers For a New Day

Postscript: For those of you who don’t know me well and might worry, I write many prayers on difficult subjects that are not directly from my own experience. This is one that I have not personally experienced. My other focused yizkor prayers include: “In Memory of an Organ Donor,” “At the Hand of Violence,” “For Those Who Die Young” and “After an Accidental Death.” Here’s a link to an annotated list of memorial and yizkor prayers.

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: Ulrica Törning, as seen on Caring for Our Children Foundation

Aux Juifs de France, Modifié

Posted on: January 11th, 2015 by Alden

Je Suis JuifThis is a prayer for the Jews of France after the terror attack on a kosher market in Paris. The prayer appears first in French followed by English. It’s an adaption of “For the Jews of France,” written in March, 2012, after the deadly anti-semitic attack in Toulouse.

Aux Juifs de France, Modifié
Auteur de la vie,
L’homme est devenu violent,
Anéantissant des vies,
Bouleversant des rêves,
Attaquant l’espoir avec la haine.

Source et Créateur,
Accorde un repos parfait sous ton tabernacle de paix
Aux victimes de Paris
Dont les vies furent interrompues par la violence,
Un acte d’aggression stupide
Et d’anti-Sémitisme calculé.
Rappelle-toi les survivants de cette atrocité,
Et les victimes de toute violence, souffrance ou désespoir.
Accorde-leur refuge et secours,
Confort et consolation,
Grâce et renouveau.
Accorde-leur l’endurance afin qu’ils survivent,
La force de reconstruire,
La foi dans le deuil,
Le courage de guérir,
Et la dévotion l’un à l’autre.

Guide divin,
Main d’amour et refuge,
Met fin à la haine et la colère,
A la peur et la bigoterie,
Et conduit-nous à ce temps,
Quand plus un ne souffre à la merci d’un autre.

Pour le bien de notre peuple,
Et pour celui de Ton Saint Nom,
Accorde aux Juifs de France Ta protection,
Ta guérison et ton intégrité,
Et accorde-leur Ta paix.

For the Jews of France, Revised
Author of life,
Man has turned violent,
Crushing lives,
Upending dreams,
Attacking hope with hatred.

Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of murder in Paris
Whose lives were cut off by violence,
An act of witless aggression
And calculated anti-Semitism.
Remember the survivors of this horror,
And the victims of any violence, suffering or despair.
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,
Put an end to anger and hatred,
Bigotry and fear,
And lead us to a time when no one
Suffers at the hand of another.

For the sake of our people,
And for the sake of Your Holy Name,
Grant the Jews of France Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing,
And Your peace.

© 2015 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: The translation is by Genevieve Begue, a woman with an amazing amount of energy and joy for living whom I met during a winter 2012 ulpan at Ben Gurion University of the Negev. My deepest thanks to Genevieve for the translation and her continuing support of my writing. Ask others to pray for the Jews of France by posting a link to this prayer on your Facebook wall or blog.

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 credit: Facebook

After an Accidental Death: A Yizkor Prayer

Posted on: December 7th, 2014 by Alden

437px-CandleThis is another in a series of focused yizkor prayers to help acknowledge particular circumstances surrounding the death of a loved one, such as: “In Memory of an Organ Donor,” “At the Hand of Violence,” “Yizkor for a Lone Soldier” and “At the Hand of Anti-Semitism.” May the memory of the righteous be a blessing.

After an Accidental Death: A Yizkor Prayer
G-d of secrets,
Source and shelter,
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 without warning,
In a moment of inconceivable horror,
Cut down [in the fullness of life / in his/her prime /before we were ready].
Even in this darkness,
Even in this grief and void that seem beyond repair,
Help us to remember his/her wisdom, talents and skills,
Our times together,
Our joy, laughter and tears.
Let our memories continue to bless us
Even as we pray for him / her to find peace
In the world to come.
May his / her soul be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

© 2014 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Here is a list of memorial and yizkor prayers, many of which appear in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

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

Yizkor for a Lone Soldier

Posted on: July 22nd, 2014 by Alden

IDF InsigniaYoung men and women from all over the world leave their families and come alone to Israel to live the dream of building lives here and serving our people in the military. The term is chayal boded – Lone Soldier – and Israel embraces them with love and care and, proudly but sadly, we also bury them with love and care. This is a new yizkor prayer for Lone Soldiers in the IDF, posted here in memory of Sgts. Nissim Sean Carmeli and Max Steinberg.

Yizkor for a Lone Soldier
G-d of the selfless,
G-d of the strong and the brave,
Grant a perfect rest among the souls of the righteous
To ______________________ [full name],
A chayal boded who died in service to Israel.
May his / her dedication serve as a shining lamp of courage and love.
Bless the souls of all who have died in the name of our safety and security,
Fighting violence and terror in the name of our people.
Men and women who,
Like ______________________ [first name],
Answered the call of honor and duty.
Grant him / her a share in the world to come.
Bless his / her family with solace.
Ease their minds and console their hearts.
We stand with the defenders of Israel.
We honor the guardians of Zion.
We hold dear the sentries of Am Kadosh.
And we stand with their bravery and their sacrifice.
May his / her memory be sanctified with joy and love.
May his / her soul be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

© 2014 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript:  Here’s a link to more prayers for Israel.

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: WikiMedia Commons

After a Deadly Anti-Semitic Attack

Posted on: May 27th, 2014 by Alden

Graffiti_in_VenezuelaThis prayer is a response to Saturday’s anti-Semitic terror attack at the Jewish Museum in Brussels. Again, Israelis and Jews targeted and dead. This is an adaptation of a prayer “For the Jews of France,” which I also recently adapted “For the People of Kansas City.” Both were tailored to the situation, much like the two prayers I posted after the 2012 terrorist attack on Israelis in Bourgas, Bulgaria. It seems, at this point, that we need a general use prayer, one with a fill-in-the-blank line so it can be available immediately after an attack. See also: “At the Hand of Anti-Semitism: A Yizkor Prayer.”

After a Deadly Anti-Semitic Attack
Author of life,
Man has turned violent,
Cutting down innocents
Crushing lives,
Upending dreams,
Attacking hope with hatred.

Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of murder in
______________________ (name of city and country)
Whose lives were cut off by violence,
An act of witless aggression
And calculated anti-Semitism.
Remember the survivors of this horror,
And the victims of any violence, suffering or despair.
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,
Put an end to anger and hatred,
Bigotry and fear,
And lead us to a time when no one
Suffers at the hand of another.

For the sake of our people,
And for the sake of Your Holy Name,
Grant the Jews of
______________________ (name of country)
Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing,
And Your peace.

© 2014 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: The prayer “For the Jews of France” is an adaptation of prayers I wrote in response to violence in Norway and attacks in Mumbai, which were based on two of my other prayers, “At the Hand of Violence” and “In Devastation.” Find related prayers in 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

For the People of Kansas City

Posted on: April 14th, 2014 by Alden

Fatal-Shooting-KansasA prayer for the people of Kansas City and the Jewish community after yesterday’s deadly violence targeting the Overland Park JCC and Village Shalom assisted living home. Here are links to two prayers for individual victims: “At the Hand of Anti-Semitism: A Yizkor Prayer” and “At the Hand of Violence.”

For the People of Kansas City
Author of life,
Man has turned violent,
Cutting down young and old
In Kansas City,
Grandparents and grandchildren,
Our brothers and sisters,
Crushing lives,
Upending dreams,
Attacking love with hatred.

Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of murder in Kansas City
Whose lives were cut off by violence,
An act of witless aggression
And calculated anti-Semitism.
Remember the survivors of this horror,
And the victims of any violence, suffering or despair.
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,
Put an end to anger and hatred,
Bigotry and fear,
And lead us to a time when no one
Suffers at the hand of another.
For the sake of the Jewish people,
For the sake of all people,
And for the sake of Your Holy Name,
Let the community of all faiths rally
In Your Holy Name.
Grant the people of Kansas City Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing,
And Your peace.

© 2014 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Ask others to pray for the people of Kansas City by posting a link to this prayer on Facebook, Twitter or your blog. “At the Hand of Anti-Semitism: A Yizkor Prayer” and “At the Hand of Violence” appear in my new book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. This prayer is adapted from one I wrote “For the Jews of France” after the 2012 attack in Toulouse, which has been translated into French. That, in turn, was an adaptation of prayers I wrote in response to violence in Norway and attacks in Mumbai, which were based on two of my other prayers, “At the Hand of Violence” and “In Devastation.” Find related prayers in my “Liturgy for 9-11.”

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: KSHB41 Action News

Resources for 9/11

Posted on: September 7th, 2013 by tobendlight

Tribute in LightIndividuals and clergy members continue to look for meaningful prayers and meditations to use to commemorate the attacks of September 11, 2001. Here’s an annotated list of prayers suitable for public and private memorials, including “A Liturgy for 9-11,” written for the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the U.S. Please email this page to anyone who may be in need of a memorial prayer or a prayer for healing.

Memorial Prayers

For Survivors

Prayers for a Better World

The original four prayers in “A Liturgy for 9-11” were written to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the attack. See that post to read the story of how and why I wrote these prayers. The response to the original post was overwhelming. Here’s a link to an overview of some of the ways these prayers were used as part of 10th commemoration activities.

All of these works are © 2011-2013 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

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, the “Tribute in Light” memorial is composed of two banks of high wattage spotlights that point straight up from a lot next to Ground Zero. The photo was taken from Liberty State Park, N.J., on the five-year anniversary of 9/11.

Memorial Prayer for First Responders

Posted on: July 1st, 2013 by tobendlight

fire_smallThis is a memorial prayer for first responders, posted today for the fire fighters who lost their lives battling the Yarnell Hill fire. It’s group prayer for those who have lost their lives responding to specific emergencies. It’s modified from “Yizkor for First Responders,” a prayer for individual first responders that I first posted as part of “A Liturgy for 9-11.” I previously posted a specific version of this prayer for 9/11 first responders. For those of you with family and friends who serve in this capacity, here’s a prayer “For First Responders” as they head off into service to others.

Memorial Prayer 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 those who died in service to others during the
_________________________________________________ [ add name of event such as: the 9/11 attacks, the Mount Carmel fire, the Yarnell fire, etc.].
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.

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

Postscript: Here’s a link to “A Liturgy for 9-11” and a prayer “For First Responders” as they head off into service to others.

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: NOAA

For the People of the United States, From Israel

Posted on: April 19th, 2013 by tobendlight

Breaking News BostonAs events unfold in Greater Boston, here’s a new prayer for the people of the United States, written from Israel. Although this prayer is aimed at the immediate wound of the Boston Marathon bombings, it carries a sensitivity toward other violence and tragedy. Here are two prayers which I previously posted in the wake of the bombings: “Bombing at the Boston Marathon” and “For Terror Survivors.”

For the People of the United States, From Israel
Ancient One,
Source and Creator,
Grant the people of the United States,
The citizens of Massachusetts,
And the greater community of Boston
Safety and shelter,
In these hours and days of fear and dread.
We, too, know the sound of gun fire,
The echo of explosions,
The terror and pain,
The loss and dismay,
The long wait for news
And long journey to heal.

As we remember the victims and survivors of this horror,
We also remember the suffering and despair that has
Wounded the nation:
School shootings,
Factory explosions,
Coal mine disasters,
Domestic terror,
Family violence and
International terror.

Renew this land, G-d of Old.
Protect the residents from physical harm.

Restore this people, G-d of Justice.
Shield them from emotional pain.

Heal this nation, G-d of Mercy.
Bind these wounds with your steadfast love.

Heavenly Guide,
Hand of consolation and shelter,
Grant the people of the United States Your protection
Your wholeness and peace.

© 2013 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com All rights reserved.

Postscript: Click here to read the entire Liturgy for 9-11, including an overview of concerns that emerged in developing these prayers. It also includes suggestions for other prayers that fit with the themes of 9-11. Here are links to “To the Terrorist” and “Memorial Prayer for 9-11 First Responders.”

If you use this prayer, please click “like” on this page and subscribe. Please take a moment to post a link to your Facebook page, your blog or mention it in a tweet. Thanks. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!”

Photo Credit: TV image from a Facebook post

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