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🖖︎ Prayers & Praxes // 🌍︎ Collective Welfare // Sovereign States & Meta-national Organizations //   Contributor(s):Rabbi Dr. Reuven Kimelman notes his prayer for Israel in wartime is “refashioned from material online, especially that of Rabbi Ahud Sela.” The English version previously appeared in the article “For this unprecedented time of war and grief, new prayers for those held captive by Hamas” by Aviya Kushner (The Forward, 3 November 2023). The article notes the prayer “[acknowledges] that men, women and children are all among the abducted” and that it “expressly asks [God to] ‘comfort the families of all those murdered.'” . . . תפילה מונגשת לזמן מלחמה | A Prayer for Israel in Wartime, in simplified Hebrew (Masorti Movement in Israel 2023) Contributor(s):The Masorti Movement in Israel, in cooperation with the Israeli Institute on Cognitive Accessibility and Ami: The Association for People with Cognitive Developmental Challenges, produced this “accessible” Prayer in Times of War in simplified Hebrew with communications symbols. The prayer was offered in the spirit of the Masorti Movement’s Siddur b’khol Darkhekha (2018), designed primarily for special needs Bar/Bat Mitzvah programs. . . . בָּתֵּי תּוֹסֶפֶת לְ”אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ“ לְמִלְחֶמֶת ”חַרְבוֹת בַּרְזֶל“ | Additional Stanzas of ‘Avinu Malkeinu’ for the Ḥarvot Barzel War, by Yael Levine Contributor(s):An addendum to “Avinu Malkeinu”, which is intended for recitation following the traditional version, which is said in many synagogues now during the Ḥarvot Barzel war (“War of Iron Swords,” i.e., the 2023 Israel–Hamas war). . . . תפלת מי שברך לעת מלחמה מרחשוון תשפ״ד | Mi sheBerakh prayer for Israel at a time of War (Marḥeshvan 5784), by the Masorti Movement in Israel (2023) Contributor(s):“Prayer at a time of war (Marḥeshvan 5784)” was offered by The Masorti Movement In Israel-התנועה המסורתית בישראל and the כנסת הרבנים בישראל for use by congregations worldwide. Originally written by Rabbi Simcha Roth ז״ל, it was adapted by Ze’ev Kainan to suit the current horrors committed by Hamas. . . . Prayer for Israel, Tishrei 5784 by Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis (Office of the Chief Rabbi of the UK & the Commonwealth, 12 October 2023) Contributor(s):A prayer for Israel offered by the Office of the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, Efraim Mirvis on 12 October 2023, in the aftermath of the massacres perpetrated by HAMA”S and their allies in Gaza on the residents and citizens of the State of Israel on Shemini Atseret 5784. The prayer was originally published on the website of the Office of the Chief Rabbi and disseminated via its social media accounts. . . . A Prayer for Israel [after the war begun on Shemini Atseret 5784], by Rabbi Daniel Raphael Silverstein (10 October 2023) Contributor(s):This prayer for Israel was written by Rabbi Daniel Raphael Silverstein and first shared via his Facebook page on 10 October 2023, in the aftermath of the massacres by HAMA”S and its allies on 7 October 2023. He added, “A dear teacher of mine asked me to try and compose an appropriate prayer for this moment.” . . . תְּפִלָּה לִשְׁלוֹם הַמְּדִינָה | Prayer for the Welfare of the State of Israel [during the war begun on Shemini Atseret 5784], by Rabbi Mira Regev (HaTenuah HaReformit 2023) Contributor(s):This prayer for the welfare of the State of Israel, by Rabbi Mira Regev, was disseminated by HaTenuah HaReformit (The Israel Movement for Reform and progressive Judaism). English translation by Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman and Rabbi Efrat Rotem. . . . תְּפִלָּה לִשְׁלוֹם הַמְּדִינָה | Prayer for the Peace of the State of Israel [during the war begun on Shemini Atseret 5784], by Rabbi Ofer Sabath Beit Halachmi (2023) Contributor(s):This prayer for the State of Israel was offered by Rabbi Ofer Sabath Beit Halachmi in response to the war initiated by Hamas from Gaza on Shemini Atseret 5784. The English translation was prepared by Rabbi Dr. Rachel Sabath Beit Halachmi. . . . תפילה לתשעה באב | Prayer for the Wellbeing of the State of Israel on Tishah b’Av 5783, by Rabbi David Bigman Contributor(s):Former students felt the need for a special prayer for peace in the State of Israel in her present condition. I wrote this prayer yesterday (the eve of 7th Av 5783) and I felt as if I was praying while I wrote it. Students and friends, please send your constructive criticism. The prayer is for you to use on Tishah b’Av, on Shabbatot and in synagogues or in any other context. . . . Contributor(s):A mi sheberakh prayer for the preservation of democracy in the face of the judicial reforms of the 37th government of the State of Israel. . . . Prayer on the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of the State of Israel for North American Jews, by Rabbi Ayelet Cohen (T’ruah 2023) Contributor(s):The “Prayer for North American Jews on the 75th Anniversary of Israel’s Founding” was first published and disseminated from the website of T’ruah, via PDF here. . . . A prayer for a country poised between demise and rebirth, by Rabbi Daniel Raphael Silverstein (Applied Jewish Spirituality 2023) Contributor(s):Written on 6 Nisan 5783, 27 March 2023 (after nightfall), in response to the Israeli people’s spontaneous demonstrations against the government’s attempts to amass virtually unchecked power. . . . תְּפִלָּה לִשְׁלוֹם הַמְּדִינָה | Prayer for the Peace of the State of Israel, by Rabbi David Seidenberg (neohasid.org 2018) Contributor(s):The familiar prayer for the State of Israel, which is more literally titled “a Prayer for Peace for the State” tefilah lish’lom hamedinah, was written in 1948 by Rabbi Yitsḥak haLevi Hertzog (edited by S.Y. Agnon) in what had up until then been Palestine, in a time of war. The state was under direct attack by the Arab armies, and there was little distinction between peace, survival, and victory. As we approach Israel’s 70th birthday, it is time to make such distinctions. Israel and the Jewish people live in a much more complex reality today, where the triumph of one political party or set of goals can radically change the outlook for peace, and the possibility of justice. In our time, praying for peace for the state of Israel mist include praying for the rectification of its relationships with neighboring countries and with the Palestinian people, some of whom are Israeli citizens, and most of whom are in some way under Israel’s control. This prayer assumes that the best reality for the Jewish state is also the best reality for all of her citizens and for everyone who lives “in the land,” no matter where they are in relation to the Green Line or Areas A, B and C. . . . Contributor(s):On 29 September 2017 IfNotNow Chicago writes, “Tonight begins Yom Kippur. We are asking our community, when you say the prayer for Israel this Kol Nidre, will you say it for all the people that live in Israel and Palestine? Will you stand for freedom and dignity for all Palestinians and Israelis? Our members have re-imagined the Prayer for the State of Israel. We hope you use this New Prayer for Israel and Palestine, and share it with your own community.” . . . הרחמן הוא ישבור עול כיבוש | Prayer to the Compassionate One for the Peace of Two States for Two Peoples (for Inclusion in the Birkat Hamazon) by Ira Tick (2014) Contributor(s):A prayer for the peaceful resolution of Israel’s conflicts with her neighbors and a mutually agreeable end to her dominion over the Palestinians, in Hebrew and in English, appropriate for inserting in the Birkat HaMazon especially on Shabbat and Festivals, or for reciting at any time. . . . תפילה לשלום ופיוס לישראלים ולפלסטינים ולכל העם | A Prayer for Peace and Reconciliation for Israelis, Palestinians, and all People by Rabbi Samuel Feinsmith (2014) Contributor(s):Master of compassion and forgiveness, Cosmic Majesty Who is peace— Teach us Your ways, Show us the path that preserves life. Take note, Lord, for we are suffering deeply. Our guts are wrenched, Our hearts are turning within us. Violence has devoured outside, and inside it feels deathly. When enemies rose up against us to kill our babes, Courageous, precious boys, full of the light of life, shining like the radiance of the sky, Our hearts became angry, our vision lost its strength, and our spirits sunk. And still we turn to you— . . . תפילה לשלום המדינה בזמן מלחמה | Prayer for the Welfare of Israel in Wartime, by Rabbi Ron Aigen (2014) Contributor(s):A prayer for the welfare of Israel composed during the 2014 Israel-Gaza Conflict. . . . Contributor(s):A prayer for Israel which reserves the right to criticize its moral failings. . . . Contributor(s):The prayer for the State of Israel, composed May 2008/lyyar 5768 on the 60th Anniversary of the State of Israel, was first shared on the web on May 7th, 2008 here and published on paper and PDF on May 8th, 2008 in an event organized by Rabbis for Human Rights-North America, “Embracing Justice: An Alternative Celebration and Learning for Yom Ha’Atzma’ut/Israel’s 60th Independence Day.” . . . פתח לנו שער בעת נעילת שער | Open for us a gate at the closing of a gate, by Rabbi Dr. Dalia Marx (2005) Contributor(s):A prayer for the State of Israel during conflicts over sovereignty and dispossession. . . . Contributor(s):This prayer for Israel was written by Rabbi Naḥum Waldman (1931-2004) for T’ruah: the Rabbinic Call for Human Rights. T’ruah works to ensure that Israel remains a safe and secure home for Jews and a place that lives up to the ideal stated in the State of Israel’s 1948 Declaration of Independence that Israel “will foster the development of the country for all of its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice, and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex.” . . . Contributor(s):My heart, my heart goes out to you Zion Tears, jubilation, celebration, grieving Did we not dream a dream that came to be? And here it is—both song and lament. . . . Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Laurence A. Kotok on 2 May 1979 Contributor(s):The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 2 May 1979 in the event of the 31st anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel. . . . Contributor(s):“Land of Hope and Promise” was published in Gates of Prayer: The New Union Prayerbook (CCAR 1975), pp. 240-241. In 1984, it was proved as the “Prayer for Israel” in the Prayerbook for Jewish Personnel in the Armed Forces of the United States (Jewish Welfare Board 1984), p. 436. The work appears to have been adapted from a much earlier paraliturgical hashkivenu prayer offered in the Evening Service for the Sabbath from the Union Prayer Book Newly Revised (CCAR 1924) to be said by the Reader between the Shema and the Amidah in a version (№5) of the Friday night service, pp. 68-69. . . . Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Saul Israel Wisemon on 2 May 1968 Contributor(s):The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 2 May 1968 in the event of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel. . . . Contributor(s):The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 2 May 1968 on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel. . . . Contributor(s):The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 6 May 1965 on the occasion of the 17th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel. . . . Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Karl Applbaum on 29 April 1963 Contributor(s):The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 29 April 1963 in the event of the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel. . . . Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Israel Goldstein on 23 April 1958 Contributor(s):The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 23 April 1958 on the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel. . . . Contributor(s):The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 23 April 1958 on the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel. . . . Contributor(s):In September 1948, while editing Rabbi Yitshak haLevi Hertzog’s new Prayer for the Welfare of the State of Israel, S.Y. Agnon (1888-1970) drafted this adaptation. . . . תפילה לשלום מדינת ישראל | Prayer for the Welfare of the State of Israel, by Rabbi Yitsḥak haLevi Hertzog (1948) Contributor(s):The Prayer for the Welfare of the State of Israel was composed by Rabbi Yitsḥak haLevi Hertzog, edited by S.Y. Agnon, and first published in the newspaper Ha-Tsofeh on 20 September 1948. . . . Prayer for the Success of the Conference on Palestine Convened by His Majesty’s Government (Office of the Chief Rabbi of the British Empire, 19 February 1939) Contributor(s):A prayer for the success of the London Conference of 1939 which ultimately resulted in the publication of the 1939 White Paper. . . . Contributor(s):This is an untitled prayer offered in the Evening Service for the Sabbath from the Union Prayer Book Newly Revised (CCAR 1924), pp. 68-69, as a reading between the Shema and the Amidah. As a prayer for protection it fits as a paraliturgical haskivenu, and in New York City, it makes sense in the context of the terrifying news of mass-murder, rape, and genocide being reported from Ukraine at the time. (Find Nokhem Shtif’s “פּאָגראָמען אין אוקראַיִנע : די צײַט פֿון דער פֿרײַװיליקער אַרמײ (The Pogroms in Ukraine: the Period of the Volunteer Army)” (1923) offered in Yiddish and in English translation at In Geveb.) The Ukrainian context of this prayer is further underscored in that the prayer is not found in the 1918 revised Union Prayer Book, but in the later 1924 edition. It may have been unique to Congregation Emanu-El in New York City, who compiled this version of the Union Prayer Book for radio listeners joining their service. . . . Contributor(s):A religious Zionist national anthem composed by Rav Kook in response to the secular Zionist Hatikvah. . . . כַּוָּנָה לִפְנֵי עֲבוֹדָה בְּאַדְמַת הַקֹּדֶשׁ | Kavvanah before working with the holy soil of Erets Yisrael, by Rabbi Shalom Ḥayyim Sharabi (ca. 1911) Contributor(s):A kavvanah for focusing one’s intention before working with the soil of Erets Yisrael. . . . Contributor(s):The poem, Hatiḳvah, in its original composition by Naphtali Herz Imber, later chosen and adapted to become the national anthem of the State of Israel, with a full English translation, and the earliest, albeit abbreviated, Yiddish translation . . .
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The Open Siddur Project is a volunteer-driven, non-profit, non-denominational, non-prescriptive, gratis & libre Open Access archive of contemplative praxes, liturgical readings, and Jewish prayer literature (historic and contemporary, familiar and obscure) composed in every era, region, and language Jews have ever prayed. Our goal is to provide a platform for sharing open-source resources, tools, and content for individuals and communities crafting their own prayerbook (siddur). Through this we hope to empower personal autonomy, preserve customs, and foster creativity in religious culture. If you like what you've found here, please help keep our project alive and online with your financial contribution.
ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." –Psalms 90:17
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