Prayer — Words of Torah (my blog!) — Rabbi Amy Josefa Ariel (she/her)

Posts tagged Prayer

War: A Prayer for Peace

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.

B'Mitzvah, PrayerAmy ArielSeptember 13, 2025Prayer, Prayer for Israel, Prayer for Peace, Prayer for Gaza, Peace Prayer, Peace Comment

Poetry and Prayer on Ritualwell

Sharing the poetry and prayer I’ve published on Ritualwell.

PrayerAmy ArielApril 2, 2025Ritualwell, Poetry, PrayerComment

The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party: Another Prayer for Israel

I woke up this morning with another prayer for Israel swimming around in my mind.
As I prepared to lead minyan, I wrote a draft and impulsively shared it after our misheberach (prayers for healing) - in the space we typically offer prayers for Israel and the hostages and Gaza and the West Bank and everyone in the Land.

This is the third draft.
It may continue to evolve, but also, it says what I need to say right now.

IsraelAmy ArielJanuary 5, 2025prayer for Israel, Another Prayer for Israel, Mad Hatter's Tea Party, Poem, Prayer Comments

Juneteenth Reflection Before the Amidah

A 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.

PrayerAmy ArielJune 19, 2023Amidah, Prayer, Juneteenth Comment

In BeJEWcy, my middle grade Jewish book club, when we talked about Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang’s book Not Your All-American Girl we began by asking:

What does it mean to be “all-American”?

For the book’s main character Lauren Horowitz, a sixth grader who’s both Jewish and Chinese, the answer turns out to be a lot more complicated — and personal — than she expected.