UJF Rally for Israel --- Prayer for Peace
The lands of the Middle East are roiling again as wanton, misguided zealots intent on peddling terrorism and a sovereign government intent on protecting her people and the security they prize pursue respective, diametrically opposed agenda. The lands of the Middle East are turbulent & the people of the Middle East are in pain.
This moment is not a time for words of justification, nor for citing precedent nor for appealing to history. For those who care deeply about human suffering, this rally – even as it brings our community together in solidarity with the people and land & leaders of the State of Israel – also evokes tears of sadness, heart-felt pangs of empathy, and no small amount of anger at how little the world seems to have learned from the past.
In this moment of resolve and heartache, we turn our thoughts from the immediate pain our brothers and sisters and even our enemies and our families suffer in the wake of the events taking place in Israel’s, north and in the south of Lebanon, along Israel’s border with Gaza and in the homes of all those whose sons and daughters stand in harm’s way – and here and now, we call to mind the timeless and eternal hope – the prayer our people has ever embodied – for peace...
Adonai Eloheinu, V’elohei Avoteinu v’Imoteinu ....
Eternal God, Source of All Blessings, Source of All Peace, as warfare rages anew and bloodshed, fear and destruction again embroils our brethren and family in the Land of Israel (and in the communities to her north) we pray for the welfare of the Israeli soldiers taken hostage in recent days.
We think now of Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev – and we add, too, the names of all the children of Israel who are in uniform who, in a fight for Israeli independence from fear and terror, stand in harm’s way.
May God grant to all who are unwittingly on the front lines of this battle – each and every citizen of our Israeli home who today lives in fear and terror of an unprovoked onslaught that again comes from the North –
A refuah shelemah – a complete healing of spirit and a complete healing of body, strengthening their hearts, fortifying their courage, and soon letting them enjoy gladness and peace again.
May God have compassion upon each of them. And grant, O God, to all who are far from loved ones a speedy and safe return to their families and their homes, that all will soon know again the normal and natural rhythms of life.
Eternal God, Source of All Blessings, Source of All Peace, we pray that, we will soon see the day when those who are the children of Isaac and those who are the children of Ishmael will again join hands to make the world shalem – to make the world complete.
May peace come speedily to the Land of Israel – to all who are Ohavei Yisrael – Lovers of the Land and People of Israel – and to those of all lands ... that soon shall come the day when “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, and neither shall war be taught to children anymore.”
For in making peace, the broken becomes whole. In the pursuit of peace we sanctify God’s holy name.
And we say together: Amen.
