Category: Peace

Shabbat Shalom

The prayer, performed by Andrea Bocelli and Ilaria Della Bidia, is a wonderful way to bring in this Shabbat.  With all of the turmoil and challenges to peace here, Israel, and around the world, the Prayer is our hope for this Shabbat.

I pray you’ll be our eyes
And watch us where we go
And help us to be wise
In times when we don’t know

Let this be our prayer
When we lose our way
Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace
To a place where we’ll be safe.

I pray we’ll find your light
I pray we’ll find your light

And hold it in our hearts
And hold it in our hearts

When stars go out each night
When the stars go out each night

Remind us where you are.

Let this be our prayer
Let this be our prayer

When shadows fill our day
When shadows fill our day

Lead us to a place

Guide us with your grace

To a place where we’ll be safe.

A world where pain and
sorrow will be ended
And every heart that’s
broken will be mended
And we’ll remember we
are all God’s children
Reaching out to touch you
Reaching to the sky.

We ask that life be kind

We ask that life be kind

And watch us from above
And watch us from above

We hope each soul will find
We hope each soul will find

Another soul to love
Another soul to love.

Let this be our prayer
Let this be our prayer

Just like every child.
Just like every child.

Needs to find a place
Guide us with your grace.
With your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe

Needs to find a place

Guide us with your grace.
Give us faith so we’ll be safe

Shabbat Shalom and L’Shana Tova

Sometimes making it through a year is heroic.  The struggles of day-to-day life, frightening world crises, fraught personal relationships, and even making a living presented overwhelming challenges this the past y.ear

For me, Leonard Cohen’s Halleluyah is an anthem speaking to triumph, but like most hard-fought battles, the victorious also depart the field scarred and sometimes bloody.  Victory is bittersweet and comes at the cost of leaving us forever changed.

As we reflect on the past year, there were moments of accomplishment and hardship.  As we seek the forgiveness of others, as our tradition requires, we must remember to forgive ourselves.  We often fell short of the mark and were less than our best selves.  Understanding that and seeking to do better are the first steps to returning to a place where the Days of Awe become an opportunity to start afresh.  Forgiveness that admits our shortcomings and comforts us while encouraging us to do better gives us the strength and vision to make the new year one of hope and possibilities.

L’Shanah Tova Tikateivu, May you be inscribed in the book of life.

Shabbat Shalom

For this final Shabbat of Elul, I share Leonard Cohen’s Halleluyah, among the most moving and beautiful song poems ever written.  This version is in Hebrew.