This Shabbat we continue to pray for peace.
My friend and colleague, Cantor Jennifer Duretz Peled, shared this prayer, Ein Milim- There are no words, hoping that the hostages will come home so they would enjoy the peace we envision every Shabbat.
Shabbat Shalom
To all of my friends and family in Israel, I wish you safety.
We all understand the certainty of this uncertain situation. Iran’s response to the Haniyeh assassination could be on Tisha B’Av, or it could be tomorrow, but regardless of the date, it will be.
May you be protected by the IDF and all the defensive systems. May the United States stand shoulder to shoulder, and may many others seeking to limit the destruction also step into the breach.
This is a difficult time, and I wish I could do more than pray, but that is what I have to offer for now.
Chazak v’umatz
May the Divine spread Your canopy of Peace over us, over all the people Israel, and over Jerusalem
Baruch atah Adonai, ha-poreis sukkat shalom aleinu v’al kol amo Yisrael, v’al Yerushalayim
Israel made it clear that it was prepared to engage in a broader war. Targeted attacks, particularly the one that assassinated Haniyeh in Tehran, sent an unambiguous message.
The recent barrage from Iran in the conflict’s latest phase serves as a stark reminder that Iran and its allies are equally committed to intensifying the fight.
We sit on the edge. The words of reprisal portend a substantial response intended to be punishing.
Despite the current turmoil, the potential for peace is not lost. Coexistence, though distant, is not unattainable.
As we enter Shabbat, let us find solace in this sacred moment and fervently pray for the peace of Shabbat to soon embrace us all.
Shabbat Shalom
Erev Shel Shoshanim-Evening of the Lillies is a song of love poetry, a way to understand the beauty of Shabbat. This version is Jane Bordeaux’s.
We welcome Shabbat. As tensions run high and hot, we are praying for peace.
Shabbat Shalom
In preparation for the Amidah, we share V’Shamru.
The Wilson Thicket Band shared this version at Temple Israel, West Bloomfield Mi.
Wishing everyone Shabbat Shalom.
And pray to #Bring Them Home!
This Shabbat, peace seems as elusive as ever.
We pray for peace for all seekers of peace and to bring the captives home.
Oseh Shalom bimromav Hu ya’aseh Shalom Aleinu v’al kol Yisrael v’al kol yoshvei teiveil, v’imru Amen.
Shabbat Shalom
Especially in times like these, we must embrace the hope of peace.
Bring them home
Shabbat Shalom
Where there is love; Something different for this Shabbat, an upbeat song from Playing For Change in Dayton,OH.
Where there is love, let love be.
Where there is hate, let love grow.
Shabbat Shalom
Cantor Azi Schwartz and Bat Ella join to bring us “Little Gifts,” the special small things that make life worthy of our gratitude and, of course, Shabbat.
Shabbat Shalom
Jews are using the phrase “we are the canary in the coal mine” as a warning that
anti-Semitism signals growing hatred of all groups in our nation. This idea is profoundly flawed, ironically counterproductive, and requires immediate redress.
The phrase is a desperate appeal to others that they must fight anti-Semitism as it inevitably will lead to hatred against them—that tactic won’t work. People will stand against anti-Semitism because it is wrong. And if they can rationalize anti-Semitism, they won’t care about Jews, canaries, or anyone else. Besides, there is another group that already experiences an institutional brand of hatred: black people and others of color.
People of color have been experiencing hatred and systemic racism for as long as any of us have come to these shores. When we think of Jews as the ones on the front line, we negate the experience of the black community. That is egotistical and shameful and ironically belies the idea embodied in the Canary Phrase. We should be aware of this hatred and align with those others who experience it.
I am not a canary, and I am not in a coal mine. Despite the alarming sharp increase in public displays of anti-Semitism, we live well, thoroughly enjoying so many blessings of this place. We have the power and the means to defend ourselves. And we are. Others do not, and we must help them.
Let us stand against hatred in all its forms besides every one of goodwill. We denounce hatred of any group and work together to fight it on the streets, in the courts, and our hearts. So our country may live up to its aspirations.
We are not birds; we are American Jews standing tall for the values we believe in, and together, we will prevail.
