On Rosh HaShanah It is Written…

Bill Liss-Levinson, Ph.D., These Holy Days: A High Holiday Supplement After October 7 (2024/Academy for Jewish Religion) 

On Rosh Hashanah It Is Written,

And On Yom Kippur It Will Be Sealed.

When Did I Last Believe THIS, As It Is Written?

Write…Who Writes?

What Rites?

Who is Right?

Who has Rights?

What Rights?

Left-Center-Right

Outright

Upright

Upstander

Bystander

Understander

What Do I Stand For

Responsibility For

Responsibility To

Responses To

“I’ll Give You a Piece of My Mind!”

Peace of Mind

Mindfulness

Mind Your Lessons

Lessons Learned

When Will We Ever Learn?

Nation Shall Not Lift Up Sword to Another Nation

Nor Should They Study War Any More

Wildly Unimaginable Blessings

Alden Solovy, Enter These Gates: Meditations for the Days of Awe (2024/CCAR Press)

Let us dream

Wildly unimaginable blessings . . .

Blessings so unexpected,

Blessings so beyond our hopes for this world,

Blessings so unbelievable in this era,

That their very existence

Uplifts our vision of Creation,

Our relationships to each other,

And our yearning for life itself.

Let us dream

Wildly unimaginable blessings . . .

A complete healing of mind, body, and spirit,

A complete healing for all,

The end of suffering and strife,

The end of plague and disease,

When kindness flows from the river of love,

When goodness flows from the river of grace,

Awakened in the spirit of all beings,

When God’s light,

Radiating holiness,

Is seen by everyone.

Let us pray –

With all our hearts –  

For wildly unimaginable blessings,

So that God will what the call

To open the gates of the Garden,

Seeing that we haven’t waited,

That we’ve already begun to repair the world,

Each of us becoming a blessing,

In testimony to our faith in life,

Our faith in each other,

And our faith in the Holy One,

The Source of all blessings.

Supplement to Avinu Malkeinu

Naomi Wittlin, These Holy Days: A High Holiday Supplement After October 7 (2024/Academy for Jewish Religion)

Eloheinu Shomreinu

Our God, our Protector,

Out of the depths we call to you.

Ozneinu v’Libeinu 

You are our ear and our heart, hearing our prayers.

Words elude us,

And silence is impossible.

In the quiet between our thoughts,

Help us to find solace.

Rakhum 

Compassionate One,

We stand before You

with shattered hopes and hearts.

Ease our suffering,

wipe our tears,

witness our mourning.

Mapiakh Tikvah 

Nurturing Presence

We grieve the deaths of our soldiers

and the empty seats at our tables.

Set free the remaining captives

awaiting rescue in Gaza.

Yotzer Or u’Vorei Hoshech

Author of light and darkness,

We suffer the anguish

of the hostages’ families,

the plight of the displaced.

Shine light upon us

and upon all Israel

in our valley of deepest darkness.

Maayan Bilti Nadlah

Wellspring of insight and understanding, Suddenly we see truths

that were hidden from us.

Support us to rise above tragedy upon tragedy.

Shomer haAvar v’haAtid Shelanu

Guardian of our history and our future, Where do we stand today?

Nullify the plots of those

who seek our destruction.

Grant insight to other nations

that they may understand our goodness, our struggle to be just.

Yedid Nafshoteinu

Our intimate soul-companion,

We cycle between acceptance and loneliness. Remind us that we are a family, Your people. Help us to recognize that You are within each of us.

Yesod haAkhdut

Foundation of Oneness,

Your children seek connection with You and with our heritage.

When minds and hearts disagree,

show us that our unity

is not threatened by unbridgeable political rifts.

Moshi’einu Matzileinu

Our savior and protector,

We are adrift between uncertainty and faith. Embolden the Jewish People

to find strength in You

and meaning in our trials.

V’Konei haKol

Creator of everything,

Allow our hands to build bridges

and our words to bring about healing. Help us to build a community

of holiness, fairness, and kindness.

Netzakh

Timeless Presence,

We call upon our Eternal relationship with You, O God.

May the merits of our ancestors  

provide roots to our present

and hope for what is yet to come.

Kol haOtzma v’haRipui (haRefuah)

Voice of strength and healing,

Answer us, for we are in great distress. Help us to turn our anxiety into joy, to cleanse our garments of war

and bathe in Your light

so we may act with sacred intention and restored strength.

Mekor haBrachah 

Source of blessing,

Draw close to us,

that we may understand

Your great mystery.

Show us that the road

to somewhere better

is never blocked.

Eloheinu Magineinu

Our God, our Protector,

Remember us favorably

and inscribe us in the Book of Life.

A Prayer for Israel – Hannah Ellenson

אלוהינו ואלוהי אמותינו ואבותינו

Eloheinu v’elohei imoteinu v’avoteinu,

Our God and God of our ancestors,

We ask your blessing for the State of Israel

 and for all of Israel’s inhabitants.

מקור חיים

Mekor chayim, Source of Life, bless and strengthen those who defend the land and ensure their safe and speedy return home.

Protect them and guide them.

הקדוש ברוך הוא

HaKadosh Barukh Hu, Holy and Blessed One, show Israel’s leaders your path so they may act with wisdom, courage, and dedication and that they may be unwavering in their pursuit of peace. Strengthen their hearts, but keep them from hardening.

מתיר אסורים

Matir asurim, Freer of the Captives, return all those who are kidnapped safe and sound to their homes, without the spilling of more innocent blood, without any more souls being tarnished by horrific acts.

בעל הרחמים,

Ba’al rachamim, Master of Compassion, help us hold the humanity and the heartache of the Jewish people while also holding the humanity and the dignity of the Palestinian people.

As we are made in your image, remind us of your ways. Spread over us your shelter of peace and fulfill the vision of your prophets:

“They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not take up sword against nation; they shall never again know war.”

Together, we say: Amen

A Prayer for Our Country – Rabbi Ayelet Cohen

Our God and God of our ancestors, bless this country and all who dwell within it.
Help us to experience the blessings of our lives and circumstances
To be vigilant, compassionate, and brave
Strengthen us when we are afraid
Help us to channel our anger
So that it motivates us to action
Help us to feel our fear
So that we do not become numb
Help us to be generous with others
So that we raise each other up
Help us to be humble in our fear, knowing that as vulnerable as we feel there are those at greater risk,
And that it is our holy work to stand with them
Help us to taste the sweetness of liberty
To not take for granted the freedoms won in generations past or in recent days
To heal and nourish our democracy, that it may be like a tree planted by the water whose roots reach down to the stream
It need not fear drought when it comes, its leaves are always green.
Source of all Life,
Guide our leaders with righteousness
Strengthen their hearts but keep them from hardening
That they may use their influence and authority to speak truth and act for justice.
May all who dwell in this country share in its bounty, enjoy its freedoms and be protected by its laws.
May this nation use its power and wealth to be a voice for justice, peace and equality for all who dwell on earth.
May we be strong and have courage
To be bold in our action and deep in our compassion
To discern when we must listen and when we must act
To uproot bigotry, intolerance, misogyny, racism, discrimination and violence in all its forms
To celebrate the many faces of God reflected in the wondrous diversity of humanity
To welcome the stranger and the immigrant and to honor the gifts of those who seek refuge and possibility here,
As they have since before this nation was born
Let justice well up like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream
(Jeremiah 17:8; Isaiah 16:3–5; Amos 5:24)

©Rabbi Ayelet Cohen. This prayer was originally commissioned for Congregation Beit Simchat Torah in New York, New York.

Unetaneh Tokef

Julie Brandon, These Holy Days: A High Holiday Supplement After October 7 (2024/Academy for Jewish Religion)

Will it be me

Will it be you

As we listen for the still, small voice

One that utters dire pronouncements that may

come true

Or possibly not

Trembling in fear wondering, waiting

Has the time come

will the gates close, leaving us outside

shut out

the final separation from the Divine

or perhaps we’ll squeeze through

safe for another year

the sound of the shofar echoing in our hearts

reminds us of the impermanence of life

and the importance of living our lives as though

the gates remain open