Before Jemma and I wrote the prayer for peace she prayed during this morning’s Shabbat services, I asked her to think about the war in Israel and Gaza and the West Bank specifically. I asked her to think about young Palestinian and Jewish people her age in the Land. I asked her what images came to mind. She spoke. I took notes. She had questions. We talked about them. Over the next few months, she created an art piece, we wordsmithed, we read it out loud and to ourselves. We considered every word. This is the powerful prayer that came into the world this morning, born of our collaboration.
Read MoreSharing the poetry and prayer I’ve published on Ritualwell.
Read MoreYotzer Or
by Rabbi Amy Josefa Ariel
for Trans Day of Visibility, March 31, 2024
with gratitude to Rabbi Ariel Tovlev
One Sunday in January I asked our minyan members for the words and phrases and ideas and feelings on their hearts as we turned to praying for the hostages held in Gaza, the people of Gaza, Israelis, Jews, Palestinians, and everyone in the Land. Within moments words began to populate the chat - words that held pain and hope and despair and questions. So many questions. I asked, and I told them I asked, with the intention of taking the words and thoughts and adding my own and crafting a prayer. I wrote Anu Korim.
Read MoreWhen I come in contact with something, touch something, or someone, it’s my skin-and-bone self touching and it’s also that deep, personal Self. When someone touches me, the me they are touching is also both my skin-and-bone self and that deep, personal Self. I am a whole being: Skin and bone and soul.
Read MoreA few years ago, I wanted a prayer, a reflection, for before the Amidah.
So I wrote one.
I would love to know what you’d add.
Or better yet, I’d love to know what prayer or reflection you would write.
Happy Juneteenth.
This Tent, Our Tent
A Prayer for Minyan