Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation

Rav Gavrielle

Tisha B’Av and Purifying the Heart

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Last Sunday evening we entered Rosh Chodesh Av and the Nine Days leading to Tisha B’Av, the holy day that marks the lowest point in the Jewish calendar.  During this 9-day period, we turn our focus to the pain and suffering in this world and in our personal lives in order to acknowledge the darkness and allow ourselves space to grieve.  It is not a time to reflect on how to fix things but rather to sit in the reality of darkness and despair with compassionate curiosity. 

According to our tradition, on Tisha B’Av, which begins this Monday evening, we fast, chant from the Book of Lamentations and grieve over the destruction of the first and second temples and many other tragedies in Jewish history, and reflect on themes of exile and brokenness.  The rabbis teach us that this is a time to open the gate of tears, to cry for the suffering in the world, to really feel it.  This does not mean that we don’t feel brokenness the rest of the year, but during the first nine days of Av, and particularly on Tisha B’Av, we are called to bear witness to that brokenness and in so doing we get to know ourselves and the world better. 

The kabbalah offers us special wisdom to help us through this intense emotional journey.  During the month of Av,  kabbalists ask us to pay attention to the power of listening.  They urge us to listen spiritually, with both our hearts and our minds, in an integrated way.  We listen for what makes us feel connected and disconnected, for what distracts us and what keeps us focused and aligned with what is good and holy. We are called to listen for when the heart is open and when the heart is closed.  This is the work of purifying the heart.

לֵב טָהוֹר בְּרָא־לִי אֱלֹהִים וְרוּחַ נָכוֹן חַדֵּשׁ בְּקִרְבִּי׃

Lev tahor b’ra li Elohim v’ruach nachon chadesh b’kirbi

Fashion a pure heart for me, O God; create in me a steadfast spirit.

(Psalm 51:12)

Rabbi Jeff Roth says that it is our job to purify the heart. Part of that task is recognizing that we have the capacity, the power, to consciously fill ourselves with love. One way to do that is through deep listening with no agenda other than committing to compassionate presence without judgement.  Through deep listening we are asked to acknowledge the truth of what is unfolding.  There is no erasure, no spiritual or emotional bypassing, just presence to what is — to the horror of October 7th and the aftermath of a devastating year of war, to what is troubling us in the United States and in other places around the globe, to the climate crisis, to the challenges in our own communities and in our own lives. 

The Nine Days of Av allow us space to cry, to moan, to sigh, to grieve without apology — all acts of purifying the heart.  We do this before we take the next step on our journey through the Jewish calendar and ready ourselves for teshuvah during Elul and the High Holy Days.  The nurturing aspect of deep listening is healing to the heart; it creates softening of tension and allows more room for compassionate awareness. Our cups become full and have greater potential to even spill over with love to the point that it becomes natural for us to share our blessings with others. 

We learn this from Leviticus 7:15, which says that the “thanksgiving sacrifice of well-being shall be eaten on the day that it is offered; that none of it shall be set aside until the morning.” In his book Judaism is About Love, Rabbi Shai Held sees in this verse that “Torah implicitly requires a person who brings a thanksgiving offering to invite others to dine with them.”  In other words, what we are grateful for is to be shared.  Sharing is another pathway to purifying our hearts.

May we be gentle with ourselves as we deeply listen and express our love through compassionate presence.  May our cups runneth over with love.

B’ahavah,

Rav Gavrielle

Poem on Deep Listening:

Start Close In (David Whyte):

Songs and Niggunim on Purifying the Heart:

Pure Heart (Nava Tehilah) – Psalm 51:9:

Cosi Revayah (Shefa Gold) – “My Cup is Full,” Psalm 23:5:

My Cup Runneth Over With Love (Harvey Schmit and Tom Jones): https://youtu.be/TPlJd3m2K5Q?si=lpp-1wNeWkRgj2Q3

Chag Pesach Sameach

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Each and every Passover we are taught to see ourselves as being liberated from slavery in Miztrayim (Egypt), which in our tradition is understood as the “narrow place,” derived from the word meitzar.  Mitzrayim is not about a specific location, but rather a narrow state of mind or set of circumstances that obstructs our ability to live healthy, fulfilling, and peaceful lives. 

On the seder nights, we are invited to draw inspiration from the Passover story and dream a journey of freedom that applies to our own lives and the societies in which we live.   Redemption is not a one-time occurrence that happened to our ancestors thousands of years ago; it is an ongoing experience that requires our utmost attention.    

Unfortunately, at this time, many of us are experiencing Mitzrayim on many fronts: the ongoing violence in Israel and Gaza, fear of further escalation of tension between Israel and Iran, worries regarding the outcome of the presidential election in November, the climate crisis, etc.  Some of us have health issues, some of us have lost loved ones recently and some of us are dealing with painful situations in our personal lives.   

These are very stressful times.  Because of that it is my wish that we all remember to take care of ourselves – physically, emotionally, and mentally.   Let us hold fast to our most loving and supportive relationships.  Let us choose to love whenever possible.   Let us choose to be grateful for the life that we have.  Let us reach out to friends, family and to those in need.  Let us enjoy what we can — the purring of a cat, the tweeting of a bird, the sprouting of seedlings, the flowering of trees, a good book, a beautiful piece of music, a prayer, a seder, the smile of a beloved, a gathering with like-minded people.     I promise that I will try to do the same.

Chag Pesach Sameach.

B’ahavah,

Rav Gavrielle

Chag Hanukkah Same’ach!

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Hanukkah begins at sundown on Thursday, December 7th and ends at sundown on Friday, December 15th.  

Image of Menorah from Billings Montana Gazette

A brief Hanukkah teaching:

According to our tradition, we light the Hanukkah menorah (Hanukkiyah) by a window as a symbolic gesture of spreading light to others.   During times of increased danger (anti-semitism) the sages say that it is okay to place the menorah on a table away from a window.  (Talmud Shabbat 21b:8)  

Project Menorah is a grassroots movement that offers another way of addressing anti-semitism during Hanukkah, that allows Jews to proudly display the menorah in public view and at the same time encourages non-Jews to place an image of a menorah, along with their other holiday decorations, in their windows during the December holiday season in fellowship with Jewish friends and neighbors. It is a simple way to show support for the Jewish community.

Watch this short video on an inspirational story of how the Billings Montana Gazette printed 50,000 images of a menorah for people to put in their windows during the holiday season to help their town defeat acts of hatred against Jews.

Blessings of love and light,

Rav Gavrielle

Links to Hanukkah Music:

Illuminating (Maccabeats) – https://youtu.be/Kd_vS0IINIE?si=iFHAHPpnz9jyIN9J

Ocho Kandelikas (by Flory Jagoda) – https://youtu.be/0fHPK6CEN1k?si=KD0tbhJOCW3rqjlL

Hanukkah O Hanukkah – https://youtu.be/fcXj8Qt76mQ?si=sHA7lEqIDKrOnAqZ

Hanerot Hallalu (Warshawsky) – https://youtu.be/3WyMN4QIbbU?si=h85FAeRCZ0Xtr2f8

Dreidl Dreidl – https://youtu.be/WKreDYVWark?si=HxFvTfApj1-oxwSB

Love Surrounds You (Ross and Rondeau) – https://youtu.be/JwTsTUs0KIY?si=qXCb9M02WkWSh5cp

Resources for the Current Situation in Israel and Gaza

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As the crisis in Israel and Gaza deepens, below are some resources which I hope you find useful, supportive and nurturing.  Please note that this post will be updated from time to time so please check back.  (Last updated: January 31, 2024)

Reconstructing Judaism Website

Educational Resources

  • Prayers, Resources and Articles on Israel-Palestine 2023, compiled by Rabbi Shawn Zevit and Mishkan Shalom Members Reconstructionist Synagogue in Philadelphia.
  • This list of readings put together by Jewish women academics. The references aim to inform readers interested in learning about Israel, its history, and Israeli perspectives on the Israel-Hamas conflict. It includes both academic and literary titles and does not claim to be exhaustive.  It is a working document.
  • Unpacked.education – Deepening engagement about Israel and Judaism. Particularly useful resources for teens.
  • Moment Magazine interview with Fania Oz-Salzberger, coauthor of the book Jews and Words with her father Amos Oz, who talks about how she and other Israelis are coping with the dramatic upheaval since the start of the war, her personal experience, her hopes and fears for Israel, and how she is processing what she is experiencing.
  • More Books:
    • The Israel-Palestine Conflict: Contested Histories (Neil Caplan)
    • Side by Side: Parallel Histories of Israel and Palestine (Sami Adwan, Dan Bar-On, Eyal Naveh and Peach Research Institute in the Middle East, eds)
    • Struggle and Survival in Palestine/Israel (Mark LeVine and Gerson Shafir, eds)
    • End of Days Ethics, Tradition, and Power in Israel (New Perspectives in Post-Rabbinic Judaism), 2023. The book presents an argument against Israel’s occupation of the Palestinians and the suppression of their rights from the perspective of a modern Israeli religious Jew.
    • One Land, Two Stories (Shaul Gabbay and Amin M. Kazak
  • Letter from Gershon Baskin (Israeli journalist and former chair of Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information) to Ghazi Hamad (of Hamas leadership) on Wednesday November 1, 2023: Link
  • Signs of Compassion, Empathy and Hope. “Jewish Israelis and Palestinians consistently underestimate the other group’s hope for peace.” NPR piece by Ari Daniel.
  • Hope Amidst Violence and Conflict. WBI/JCC Positive Psychology Hour, Oded Adomi Leshem, Scholar at Hebrew U, discusses how hope theory can aid us at this time of collective sorrow and rage and how it can propel us into action.
  • Fighting a Just War (Shalom Hartman Institute), an interview with Tal Becker, Senior Fellow at the Hartman Institute, Legal Adviser of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a veteran member of Israeli peace negotiation teams, about the ethics of Israel’s current operation in Gaza. (Conversation on ethics of war, fighting terrorist organizations with the capacity of armies, maintaining and sowing compassion in order to avoid unbridled use of force, and the confusion created by the dissemination of misinformation.)
  • Interview of Mosab Hassan Yousef, son of Hamas founder.
  • “When Both Silence and Statement Become Complicity,” Charlotte’s Web Thoughts, a podcast episode on the complexity of taking sides.
  • “The Sermons I Needed to Hear Right Now.” Ezra Klein interview of Rabbi Sharon Brous (of Ikar), who urges us to strengthen both our tribal and universal attachments, to keep our hearts open not just for the suffering of the Israelis but to also extend our circle of care and concern to include the suffering of the Palestinians.
  • Peace in Israel/Palestine, collection of resources curated by Rabbi Irwin Keller of Ner Shalom. Note the video on the contents page – Israel And Palestine: How Did We Get Here And Where Could We Go From Here? (Jan 2022) – featuring a presentation by Rabbi Maurice Harris, Israel Affairs Specialist at Reconstructing Judaism.
  • Israel’s forgotten hostage: Avera Mengistu remains in Hamas captivity after 9 years
  • Rabbi Seth Farber discusses halakhic issues regarding burial in Jewish cemeteries of Israelis (many of them killed at the Nova party) who were not halakhically Jewish (according to Israel’s chief rabbinate), as well as current halakhic issues in Israel concerning cremation and temporary burial.
  • ‘And,’ not ‘Or’: Empathetic Complexity and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict & Efforts to Resolve It, MSU Serling Institute hosts a discussion by Director Yael Aronoff (Jewish) and Monmouth University political science professor Saliba Sarsar (Palestinian).
  • Sermon by Rabbi Sharon Brous looks to a medieval midrash to articulate the necessity of working toward bridge building in the face of deep trauma. As she states “adding grief to grief will never heal the broken heart.”
  • Analysis | Three-quarters of Palestinians Support Hamas’ Attack on October 7, Says New Poll. Why? Two new polls offer insights into the Palestinian mind-set during wartime. To understand the findings, we must consider the conceptual world of respondents who live in a society that has never been free and is invariably at war.
  • Defeat Hamas or Rescue the Hostages? (Hard Questions, Tough Answers- January 22, 2024). Yossi Alpher is an independent security analyst. He is the former director of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University, a former senior official with the Mossad, and a former IDF intelligence officer.

Anti-Semitism

  • Resources and tools for addressing anti-semitism
  • Incidents of anti-semitism (compiled by ADL) since October 7, 2023.
  • Articles from the Shalom Hartman Institute.
  • Why Israel, a blog created after October 7, 2023, by a Jewish Canadian historian who is currently living in Israel.
  • Clip from an interview of Merav Michaeli, leader of Israel’s Labor party, on Irish radio in response to being asked repeatedly about Palestinian suffering only, without any mention or acknowledgement of Israeli suffering.
  • Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Special Envoy for Combatting Antisemitism, gives a speech at the UN on the ever-mutating virus of antisemitism. In her words, “never again is right now.”
  • Website on transcending Jewish trauma. Take a look at the map of internalized anti-semitism of Ashkenazi Jews in the US. The map is meant to be used as a tool for healing and collective transformation. Click on this article which offers writer, editor, and democracy activist Micah Sifry’s perspective on trauma-based reactions to the Israel-Gaza war.
  • Shine a Light, a website with educational resources and articles on anti-semitism.

Jewish-Palestinian Dialogue and Bridge Building

  • Interview of two Dartmouth proessors — Susannah Heschel, chair of Jewish studies, and Tarek El-Ariss, chair of Middle Eastern studies — set out to create a forum for students to discuss their thoughts in a respectful non-polarized manner.

Where to Donate

Resources for Talking to Children about the Crisis

Resources for Spiritual and Emotional Support:

  • 101 Healthy and Productive Ways to Respond to the War
  • Hashpa’ah (Spiritual Direction): Hashpa’ah is a traditional Jewish term for the relationship with a Jewish spiritual director/companion or mashpia/h (in Hebrew). The Mashpia/h offers guidance and support on matters of faith and practice, relationship with the Divine and meaning, calling and purpose of life itself.  To learn more about haspa’ah: Evolve. To find a spiritual director:
  • Moving the Body:
    • walking in nature, exercise, dance, yoga, tai chi, chi kung
    • Walking Minyan – Community prayer in nature (can also be a solo practice).  Please contact rabbi@aarecon.org for more info.
  • Prayer
    • Shabbat and Kabbalat Shabbat Services
    • Praying for Israel
    • Meditation (various techniques and traditions including mindfulness and focusing on the breath). 
    • Song Circles – Forming a group to sing niggunim for peace and healing.
    • Tehillim (Psalms) Circle – It is customary to say Psalms for people who are sick or in distress.  In a Tehillim circle, the entire book of Psalms is read on a given day.  Individuals within the circle are assigned specific psalms to recite.  The number of psalms depends on the number of people in the group.  If people are interested in this practice, please contact me at rabbi@aarecon.org.  This is also an opportunity to invite participation from the wider Jewish community. 
  • Shabbat Practice
    • Take the opportunity to rest.
    • Turn off devices and especially refrain from continual checking of the news and political discourse.
    • Organize a shabbat dinner with family and friends.  Try to avoid talking about politics or the latest news.
    • Go for a long walk in nature with family, friends or on your own.
  • Mishpocha Groups: Many of our members have formed mishpocha groups during the early part of the pandemic.  During this time of crisis, your mishpocha group can be a source of support and healing.  You may want to open or close your meetings with a prayer for healing, a prayer for peace or a moment of silence to allow space for individual prayer.
  • Reaching Out to Friends and Family: Looking for opportunities to be with people you love and care about can be a tremendous source of comfort and healing.  Tell people how much you care about them.  When physical contact is understood as mutually safe and appropriate, being with loved ones is an opportunity to be nurtured by hugs.

Praying for Israel

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(Note: this post will be continually updated with additional prayers. Last updated October 24, 2023)

Dear Ones,

As we are reeling from the shock of the attacks on Israel, some of us are also wrestling with the complexity of our emotions relating to our varied dreams of pathways to peace in the region. No matter what our political leanings are, my hope is that we agree that now is the time for prayer. There are captives, casualties; many are wounded and traumatized, and sadly, the situation is likely to get much worse for both civilians and combatants. Let us pray for them all, and at the same time, let us pray for peace, as remote as that possibility seems right now. Below is a selection of prayers for the State of Israel and the Middle East, for the hostages, and for peace and justice for the Israelis and Palestinians.

May we know peace in our times.

With love,

Rav Gavrielle

Prayer for Peace in the Middle East
(Kol Haneshamah for Shabbat & Chagim, pp. 421-420)

Rock and Champion of Israel, please bless the State of Israel, first fruit of the flourishing of the fruit of our redemption. Guard it in the abundance of your love. Spread over it the shelter of your peace. Send forth your light and truth to those who lead and judge it, and to those who hold elective office. Establish in them, through your presence, wise counsel, that they might walk in the way of justice, freedom and integrity. Strengthen the hands of those who guard our holy land. Let them inherit salvation and life. And give peace to the land, and perpetual joy to its inhabitants. Appoint for a blessing all our kindred of the house of Israel in all the lands of their dispersion. Plant in their hearts a love of Zion. And for all our people everywhere, may God be with them, and may they have the opportunity to go up to the land. Cause your spirit’s influence to emanate upon all dwellers of our holy land. Remove from their midst hatred and enmity, jealousy and wickedness. Plant in their hearts love and kinship, peace and friendship. And soon fulfill the vision of your prophet Nathan: “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation. Let them no longer learn ways of war.”
And let us say: Amen.

Prayer for Peace in Israel During Wartime
(by Rabbi Ron Aigen)

Rock and Redeemer of the People of Israel, Guardian of the Covenant —
bless and protect the State of Israel and all of her inhabitants.
Guard this good land established with liberty, justice, and peace
as conceived by the Prophets of Israel.
Open the hearts and minds
of all the leaders of the nation, her sons and her daughters,
to guide them in the paths of peace and justice with true strength and wisdom.
Strengthen the hands of those who defend and protect our holy land,
and crown their efforts with success
that they might establish your reign of righteousness,
free from all oppression and fear.
May the work of their hands be established
and the words of Your prophets be fulfilled:
“And they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks:
nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor shall they learn war anymore.”
Amen.

Prayer for the Middle East
by Rabbi Sheil Peltz Weinberg

Two people, one land, Three faiths, one root, One earth, one mother, One sky, one beginning, one future, one destiny, one broken heart, One God.
We pray to You: Grant us a vision of unity.
May we see the many in the one and the one in the many.
May you, Life of All the Worlds, Source of All Amazing Differences, Help us to see clearly.
Guide us gently and firmly toward each other. Toward Peace.

Prayer for the State of Israel
Siddur Mishkan Tefilah, p. 377

O Heavenly One, Protector and Redeemer of Israel, bless the State of Israel which marks the dawning of hope for all who seek peace. Shield it beneath the wings of Your love; spread over it the canopy of Your Peace; send Your light and truth to all who lead and advise, guiding them with Your good counsel. Establish peace in the land and fullness of joy for all who dwell there. Amein.


Prayer for the Land and State of Israel
by David Seidenberg

Our father, our source in heaven and on Earth, Rock of Israel and its redeemer, bless the state of Israel, so that she may become the beginning of the flowering of our redemption.

Shield her with Your embrace of love and spread over her Your sukkah-shelter of peace, and send Your light and Your righteousness to her heads, ministers, advisers, and to the nation that elects them, and to her judges, may they be stalwart to bring Justice, and strengthen the voice of those who support democracy. Align them all with the spirit of justice from You, as it says, Zion through justice will be redeemed and her captives through righteousness (Is. 1:27).

Rescue all of Your land, from the Jordan River to the sea, from the spilling of blood, and all of her inhabitants, under every government, from haters without and hatred within, and grant peace in the land, and secure calm to her defenders, lasting joy to all her inhabitants, and true hope for all her peoples.

And let us say: Amen.

Prayers for the Hostages:

  1. Acheinu (Prayer for the Captives)

(Music by Abie Rotenberg)

Acheinu kol beit yisrael, ha-n’tunim b’tzarah u-vashivyah,
ha-omdim bein ba-yam u-vein ba-yabashah,
ha-makom y’raḥeim aleihem, v’yotzi∙eim mi-tzarah lirvaḥah,
u-mei∙afeilah l’orah, u-mi-shibud lig’ullah,
hashta ba-agala u-vizman kariv, v’nomar amen.

For all our family of the House of Israel, who face anguish and captivity, whether on sea or on land: May the Divine have compassion upon them, and bring them from distress to relief, from darkness to light, from subjugation to redemption, now, speedily, soon, and let us say: Amen

2. Psalm 142 & Special Mi Shebeirach

Psalm 142

מַשְׂכִּיל לְדָוִד
בִּהְיוֹתוֹ בַמְּעָרָה תְפִלָּה׃
קוֹלִי אֶל יְהוָה אֶזְעָק,
קוֹלִי אֶל יְהוָה אֶתְחַנָּן׃
אֶשְׁפֹּךְ לְפָנָיו שִׂיחִי,
צָרָתִי לְפָנָיו אַגִּיד׃
בְּהִתְעַטֵּף עָלַי רוּחִי וְאַתָּה יָדַֽעְתָּ נְתִיבָתִי,
בְּאֹֽרַח זוּ אֲהַלֵּךְ טָמְנוּ פַח לִי׃
הַבֵּיט יָמִין וּרְאֵה וְאֵין לִי מַכִּיר,
אָבַד מָנוֹס מִמֶּֽנִּי אֵין דּוֹרֵשׁ לְנַפְשִׁי׃
זָעַקְתִּי אֵלֶֽיךָ יְהוָה אָמַֽרְתִּי אַתָּה מַחְסִי,
חֶלְקִי בְּאֶֽרֶץ הַחַיִּֽים׃
הַקְשִֽׁיבָה אֶל רִנָּתִי כִּי דַלּֽוֹתִי מְאֹד,
הַצִּילֵֽנִי מֵרֹדְפַי כִּי אָמְצוּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃
הוֹצִֽיאָה מִמַּסְגֵּר נַפְשִׁי לְהוֹדוֹת אֶת שְׁמֶֽךָ,
בִּי יַכְתִּֽרוּ צַדִּיקִים
כִּי תִגְמֹל עָלָי׃		A prayer by David at a time of enlightenment,
written when he was hiding in the cave.
My voice calls out to YHVH,
my voice begs my YHVH to listen.
I pour out my words before Hashem
to tell of all my troubles.
When my soul wraps itself around me protectively,
you know my path – on every road I take they lay traps for me.
Look to the right and see – I don’t recognize anyone;
I have lost all avenues of escape, no one is looking for me.
I call out to you, YHVH, I say you are my protector,
my portion is still in the land of the living.
Listen to my prayer for my calamity is boundless;
rescue me from my pursuers who are so much mightier than me.
Take my soul out of bondage so that it can thank your name;
the righteous will crown themselves with me
when you act with benevolence towards me.

Special Mi Shebeirach

מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ
אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב
יוֹסֵף מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן
דָּוִד וּשְׁלֹמֹה
הוּא יְבָרֵךְ וְיִשְׁמֹר וְיִנְצֹר אֶת הַשְּׁבוּיִים׃
(שמות של השבויים)
בְּתוךְ שְׁאָר אֲחֵינוּ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנְּתוּנִים בְּצָרָה וּבְשִׁבְיָה.		The One who blessed our forefathers,
Avraham, Yitsḥak, and Yaakov,
Yosef, Moshe, and Aharon,
David and Shlomo,
may they bless and safeguard and preserve the captives:
(name of captive(s))
among their brethren in the House of Yisrael in trouble and captivity.
בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהַקָּהָל מִתְפַּלֵּל בַּעֲבוּרָם,
הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִמָּלֵא רַחֲמִים עֲלֵיהֶם,
וְיוֹצִיאֵם מֵחֹשֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָוֶת,
וּמוֹסְרוֹתֵיהֶם יְנַתֵּק,
וּמִמְּצוּקוֹתֵיהֶם יוֹשִׁיעֵם,
וִישִׁיבֵם מְהֵרָה לְחֵיק מִשְׁפְּחוֹתֵיהֶם.‏		In the merit of the prayers of this holy assemblage who pray for them,
may the blessed Holy One shower compassion over them,
and deliver them from darkness and strife,
remove their bondage,
deliver them from their afflictions,
and return them speedily to their families.
”יוֹדוּ לַה׳ חַסְדּוֹ
וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו לִבְנֵי אָדָם“ (תהלים קז:לא)‏		Let them give thanks to YHVH for his lovingkindness,
and for his miracles to the children of Adam.
וִיקֻיַּם בָּהֶם מִקְרָא שֶׁכָּתוּב:
”וּפְדוּיֵי ה׳ יְשׁוּבוּן
וּבָאוּ צִיּוֹן בְּרִנָּה
וְשִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם עַל רֹאשָׁם שָׂשׂוֹן
וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּ
וְנָסוּ יָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה“ (ישעיהו לה:י)‏
וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן.‏		And establish for them that what is written,
“And the ransomed of YHVH shall return,
and come with singing unto Tsiyon,
and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
They shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”[2]
and let us say, Amen.

Mi Shebeirach

(Debbie Friedman)

Mi shebeirach avoteinu
M’kor hab’racha l’imoteinu
May the source of strength
Who blessed the ones before us
Help us find the courage to make our lives a blessing
And let us say Amen

Mi shebeirach imoteinu
M’kor habrachah l’avoteinu
Bless those in need of healing with r’fuah sh’leimah
The renewal of body, the renewal of spirit
And let us say Amen

Healing Prayer from Torah

(Numbers 12:13, Yedid Nefesh)

אָנָּא אֵל נָא רְפָא נָא לָהּ

Ana El na refa na la, “God please heal her.”

Link to musical setting by Nava Tehilah:

Prayers for Peace:

Oseh Shalom

Oseh shalom bimromav
Hu Ya’aseh shalom aleinu
Ve’al kol Yisrael, v’al kol yoshvei tevel
Ve’imru, imru, Amen.

“Maker of Peace on high, make peace upon us, on all of Israel and all the inhabitants of Earth, and let us say, Amen.”

See various musical settings of Oseh Shalom below:

Brit (Covenant) – Hosea 2:20:

וְכָרַתִּי לָהֶם בְּרִית בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא עִם־חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה וְעִם־עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וְרֶמֶשׂ הָאֲדָמָה וְקֶשֶׁת וְחֶרֶב וּמִלְחָמָה אֶשְׁבּוֹר מִן־הָאָרֶץ וְהִשְׁכַּבְתִּים לָבֶטַח׃

V’charati lahem brit bayom hahu im chayat hasadeh v’im of hashamayim v’remes ha’adamah v’keshet v’cherev u’milchamah eshbor min ha’aretz v’hishkavtim lavetach

“On that day, I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground; I will also banish bow, sword, and war from the land. Thus I will let them lie down in safety.”

 

Rabbi Nachman’s Prayer for Peace

May it be Your will,
Holy One, our God, our ancestors’ God,
that you erase war and bloodshed from the world
and in its place draw down
a great and glorious peace
so that nation shall not lift up sword against nation
neither shall they learn war any more.

Rather, may all the inhabitants of the earth
recognize and deeply know
this great truth:
that we have not come into this world
for strife and division
nor for hatred and rage,
nor provocation and bloodshed.

We have come here only
to encounter You,
eternally blessed One.

And so,
we ask your compassion upon us;
raise up, by us, what is written:

I shall place peace upon the earth
and you shall lie down safe and undisturbed
and I shall banish evil beasts from the earth
and the sword shall not pass through your land.
but let justice come in waves like water
and righteousness flow like a river,
for the earth shall be full
of the knowledge of the Holy One
as the waters cover the sea.

So may it be.
And we say:
Amen.

A Prayer for Compassion (by Trisha Arlin)

Blessed One-ness, Blessed Connection,

Kadosh Baruch Hu:

We pray for all who are in pain

And all who cause pain.

We pray for those of us

Who are so angry

That we have lost compassion for the suffering

Of anyone who is not a member of our group.

And we pray for those of us

Who cannot see the suffering

Behind the loss of that compassion.

We pray for the strength

To resist the urge to inhumanity

That we feel in times of fear and mourning.

We pray for the courage

To resist the calls to inhumanity

That others may make upon us in times of crisis.

Blessed One-ness, Blessed Connection,

Kadosh Baruch Hu:

May we find relief from our hurts and fears

And may we not, in our pain,

Lose our empathy

For the hurts and fears of others.

We pray for all who are in pain

And all who cause pain.

Amen

A Prayer for this Moment

By Dr. Melila Hellner-Eshed

God of the spirit of all flesh,

Here we are before You, broken spirits, torn by grief;

have mercy on us, mortals created in your Image.

Watch over us in a time of destruction and tragedy, terror, death and panic.

Please, please:

may our compassion be revealed, may the love within us

overwhelm the harsh judgment, vengeance and evil within us.

Behold: fierce, burning pain cries out, seeking revenge, not comfort.

Watch over us, Shekhinah, our strength,

over our scorched spirits, our terrified souls,

over our completely infuriated flesh.

May the Divine Image rise, shining like the dawn,

from our crushed hearts.

May we have faith that we will merit

to witness the goodness of the Holy One,

the goodness of humankind,

in the land of the living.

Amen

A Prayer for Israel in this Time of War

By Rabbi Naomi Levy

God, our Strength and Protection, we pray for the State of Israel in this devastating time of war, shock and grief. Our hearts are breaking. We pray for the lives of the civilians and soldiers who have been heartlessly Kidnapped by Hamas. Watch over them, shelter them, bring them home.

We pray for the souls of the innocent victims who were brutally murdered. Send comfort and strength, God, to the grieving. Send healing to the injured, and strength and wisdom to their doctors and nurses. We pray for all our family in Israel in this time of tragedy and crisis.

Watch over Israel, God, spread Your shelter of peace over the land and over all our siblings who live there. Shine Your light upon Israel’s leaders, officers and advisers, that they may overcome divisiveness and act with clarity. Protect those who defend Israel, let them be safe and victorious over those who attacked our people. May they root out terrorists while preserving the lives of innocent civilians in Gaza, and create a pathway toward true and lasting peace. Bring peace, God. Let it rain down from the heavens like a mighty storm. Let it wash away all hatred and bloodshed

Peace, God, please, God.

God of the brokenhearted, God of the living, God of the dead, gather the souls of the victims into Your eternal shelter. Let them find peace in Your presence. Their lives have ended, but their lights can never be extinguished. May they shine on us always and illuminate our way. Amen.

Greetings from Rav Gavrielle

by

Dear AARC Community,

I want to wish you all a happy and meaningful Elul journey and let you know how excited I am to be serving as your rabbi. Since starting this position in July, I continue to be truly touched by how warm, welcoming and helpful people are. Your willingness to collaborate and volunteer your time, heart and soul, and share your remarkable gifts is truly inspiring. It has been a true joy getting to know those of you who have come to services, Elul classes, the picnic and other gatherings.

I look forward to meeting more of you at the Havdalah Selichot service on September 9th and during the High Holy Days and embrace the opportunity to build meaningful relationships, and support and enrich your experience of Jewish life.

Brachot,

Rav Gavrielle