Isles Of The Forsaken (ink drawing, 2002) is intended to address the tragic situation of many Jewish women, who, abused, abandoned and wishing a divorce, are refused a get (bill of divorcement) by their husbands who may use their wives’ need for this document as a threat for ransom in obtaining custody of their children. . . .

This is an intention that I composed for the conclusion of a performance piece, Inner Fire, created and performed by my Mistabra Institute for Jewish Textual Activism at Brandeis University in 2002. It is as relevant today as ever. Please use it for inspiration when you light Ḥanuka candles. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 8 November 2001 (after 9/11). . . .

A prayer for the government and of good governance in the United States of America. . . .

“Prayer Concerning Jewish Women murdered by their Partners” by Yael Levine was originally composed in 2001 and published in collections of prayers and elsewhere. The English translation, by the author, was first prepared in 2017. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 11 July 2000. . . .

A meditation on a unique prayer heard by Rabbi Dr. David Weiss Halivni at the Rosh Hashanah services at the Wolfsberg Labor Camp in 1944. . . .

The full text of Rabbi Irving Greenberg’s invocation offered on the third day of the Democratic National Convention, August 16th, 2000. . . .

“Between the Fires: A Prayer for lighting Candles of Commitment” was composed by Rabbi Arthur Waskow, drawing on traditional midrash about the danger of a Flood of Fire, and the passage from Malachi. . . .

A supplication of a woman cutting her hair as an act of tsanua, per a contemporary custom in many Ḥaredi communities. . . .

A prayer-teaching for grounding one’s intention at the onset of the Amidah. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 5 March 1998. . . .

There is a Rabbinical tradition that the value of pi is hidden within a ktiv-kri (reading-versus-writing disparity) in I Kings 7:23. According to Hebrew scriptural tradition, the word meaning ‘line’ is written as קוה, but read as קו. . . .

An article looking at the questions of why there aren’t brakhot for ethical mitsvot, in which an approach to the function brakhot as part of a spiritual and imaginative discipline is proposed. At the same time, it is argued that all ethical practices are first exercises in listening. . . .

A comprehensive treatment on the praxis of Jewish prayer. . . .

This prayer for Jewish War Veterans was offered by Rabbi Simeon Kobrinetz, Chaplain USAF (Ret.), on Veterans Day 1996 during the Veterans’ Day Memorial Service presided by President Bill Clinton at Arlington National Cemetery. . . .

The full text of Rabbi Moshe Faskowitz’s invocation offered at the Democratic National Convention, August 27th, 1996. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 5 April 1995. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 8 March 1995. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 20 April 1994. . . .

These are the lyrics of the song, Miryam haNevi’ah, written by rabbis Leila Gal Berner and Arthur Waskow (with Hebrew by Leila Gal Berner) as found published in My People’s Prayer Book, vol. 7: Shabbat at Home, (ed. L. Hoffman, 1997), section 3, p. 189. The English lyrics are from an article published several years earlier — “Memories of a Jewish Lesbian Evening” by Roger McDougle appearing in Bridges (vol. 4:1, Winter/Spring 1994), on the top of page 58. No specific date is given for the havdalah program described in the article, alas. If you know the earliest reference for the publication or use of Miryam haNevi’ah, please contact us. . . .

Tired of people who can’t tell their ḳiddish (blessings for the Sabbath) from their ḳaddish (prayer for the dead)? Well, it sets Samuel L. Jackson off too! But he found a way of making a bracha (blessing) and mourning the dead at the same time. Now I can’t vouch for the origins of his nusaḥ (custom) but it sounds very effective! Most people haven’t noticed, the only real part from the Bible is that last section, the first part is actually his own spiel: . . .

The following is a color-coded analysis of the Shabbat morning liturgy of second generation Reconstructionist Judaism (as witnessed in the Siddur Kol Haneshama: Shabbat v’Ḥagim, Reconstructionist Press, 1994) as compared with the traditional Nusaḥ Ashkenaz (minhag Polin). . . .

A prayer for a beloved animal first compiled in English by Aharon N. Varady for Nethaniel Puzael, his family’s cat, in 1994. . . .

We call to sukkat shalom, the shelter of peace, all of our various selves To rest from the contortion of social life and the demands of others. We liberate ourselves and each other from roles and titles labels and closets positions and pretendings internalized oppressions and oppressive projections hierarchies and competition. . . .

A declaration in 1993 by Rabbi Arthur Waskow in response to the impending danger of global warming and other ecotastrophes brought about by the callous harm of human industry and land use decisions. Translated by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. . . .

A prayer for the well-being of the Navy personnel assigned to the newly built Sa’ar 5 corvette, INS Eilat, in 1993. . . .

A prayer on behalf of Canada: its government, its leaders, and its people. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 13 May 1992. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 2 April 1992. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 20 February 1992. . . .

The full text of Rabbi Jacob Goldstein’s prayer offered at the Democratic National Convention, July 14th, 1992. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 16 October 1991. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 7 November 1991. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 16 October 1991. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 12 June 1991. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 14 May 1991. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 20 March 1991. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 8 May 1991. . . .

Tu biShvat, the 15th of the month of Shevat, was designated by the Talmud as the New Year for the Trees. It was tax time for HaShem, a time of tithing for the poor. This tithing has its origin in the following Torah verse: “Every year, you shall set aside a tenth part of the yield, so that you may learn to revere your God forever.” The Kabbalists of 17th century Safed developed the model of tikkun olam that we embrace today — healing the world by gathering the scattered holy sparks. To encourage the Divine flow — shefa — and to effect Tikkun Olam, the Kabbalists of Safed (16th century) created a Tu biShvat seder loosely modeled after the Passover seder. In recent decades we have learned how the well being of trees is intimately connected to the well being of all creation. This relationship is clearly stated in the following Midrash: “If not for the trees, human life could not exist.” (Midrsh Sifre to Deut. 20:19) Today the stakes of environmental stewardship have become very high. Tu biShvat calls upon us to cry out against the enormity of destruction and degradation being inflicted upon God’s world. This degradation includes global warming, massive deforestation, the extinction of species, poisonous deposits of toxic chemicals and nuclear wastes, and exponential population growth. We are also deeply concerned that the poor suffer disproportionately from environmental degradation. Rabbi Abraham Heschel wrote: “[Human beings have] indeed become primarily tool-making animal[s], and the world is now a gigantic tool box for the satisfaction of [their] needs…” . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 19 March 1991. . . .

The unabridged edition of the Tu biShvat seder haggadah, The Trees are Davvening. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 12 September 1990. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 13 September 1990. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 8 May 1990. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 24 April 1990. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 6 September 1990. . . .

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 1 February 1990. . . .

“[I’m Spending] Hanukkah in Santa Monica” by Tom Lehrer was first written at the request of Garrison Keillor for his radio show The American Radio Company on which it was performed twice, in 1990 and 1992. The song was later released on the album, Bible & Beyond (Larry Milder, 1999). The first recording of Tom Lehrer singing his song can be heard on The Remains of Tom Lehrer (Disc 3) (2000). In 2022, Tom Lehrer gave an enormous Ḥanukkah present to the world, dedicating his entire oeuvre to the Public Domain including this song. . . .

The Megillah of Esther: An Original English Rendition (set to trop) by Ḥazzan Jack Kessler was first published in 1990. This second “version 2.0” edition was published in 2016. . . .