Me'ira Rakhel Pitkapaasi (translation) • the Open Siddur Project ✍ פְּרוֺיֶקְט הַסִּדּוּר הַפָּתוּחַ https://opensiddur.org/profile/meira-rakhel-pitkapaasi/ a community-grown, libre Open Access archive of Jewish prayer and liturgical resources Fri, 25 Sep 2026 17:26:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.2 https://opensiddur.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Open-Siddur-Project-Logo-2015-5509b4bdv1_site_icon-250x250.png Me'ira Rakhel Pitkapaasi (translation) • the Open Siddur Project ✍ פְּרוֺיֶקְט הַסִּדּוּר הַפָּתוּחַ https://opensiddur.org/profile/meira-rakhel-pitkapaasi/ 32 32 אַחֵֽינוּ וְאַחֱיוֹתֵנוּ | Aḥeinu v’Aḥeiyoteinu, an inclusive adaptation of the prayer for captives after 7 October 2023 by Me’ira Rakhel Pitkapaasi https://opensiddur.org/prayers/collective-welfare/trouble/captivity/aheinu-vaheyoteinu-an-inclusive-adaptation-of-the-prayer-for-captives-by-meira-rakhel-pitkapaasi/ https://opensiddur.org/prayers/collective-welfare/trouble/captivity/aheinu-vaheyoteinu-an-inclusive-adaptation-of-the-prayer-for-captives-by-meira-rakhel-pitkapaasi/#respond Mon, 29 Sep 2025 01:33:10 +0000 https://opensiddur.org/?p=63635 version composed by Abie Rotenberg. The Hebrew has been reconstructed to include both Aḥeinu (brothers) and Aḥyoteinu (sisters). ]]> My translation of Acheinu was written for the hostages taken in Israel on 7 October 2023. It was written to musically match the version composed by Abie Rotenberg. While my words are poetry, they also follow a close to linear translation of the Hebrew. It is important to note that the Hebrew has been reconstructed to include both Acheinu (brothers) and Achyoteinu (sisters).
Source (Hebrew) Transliteration (Hebrew, romanized) Translation (English)
אַחֵינוּ כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל,
אַחֵיוֹתֵנוּ כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל,
הַנְּתוּנִים בְּצָרָה, בְּצָרָה וּבַשִּׁבְיָה
הָעוֹמְדִים בֵּין בַּיָּם וּבֵין בַּיַּבָּשָׁה,
Aḥeinu kol beit Yisrael,
aḥ’yoteinu kol beit Yisrael
han’tunim b’tsarah uvashivyah,
ha’omdim bein bayam u’vein bayabashah.
Our family, the whole house of Yisrael,
Our brothers and our sisters, each and everyone
In distress, in captivity,
On dry land or on the sea
We send prayers of freedom,
Please come home everyone.
הַמָּקוֹם יְרַחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם,
וְיוֹצִיאֵם מִצָּרָה
לִרְוָחָה,
וּמֵאֲפֵלָה לְאוֹרָה,
וּמִשִּׁעְבּוּד לִגְאֻלָּה,
הַשְׁתָּא בַּעֲגָלָא
וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב.
Hamaḳom y’raḥeim aleihem
v’yotsiem mitsarah
lirvaḥah,
ume’afailah l’orah
umishibud lig’ulah,
hashta ba’agala
uvizman ḳariv.
May Raḥameem spread mercy upon you
Remove you from the Narrows,
Bring you into comfort,
From darkness into the light,
From oppression into redemption,
Swiftly, we pray that you will
Come home soon!

This adaptation and translation of the prayer “Aḥeinu” was offered by Me’ira Rakhel Pitkapaasi for the wellbeing of the hostages taken captive in the 7 October 2023 massacre.

 

Source(s)

Loading
Enter fullscreen Exit fullscreen

 

Loading
Enter fullscreen Exit fullscreen

 

]]> https://opensiddur.org/prayers/collective-welfare/trouble/captivity/aheinu-vaheyoteinu-an-inclusive-adaptation-of-the-prayer-for-captives-by-meira-rakhel-pitkapaasi/feed/ 0