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Military Personnel & Veterans

This is an archive of prayers composed for the well-being and safety of active and veteran military personnel.

If you have composed a prayer for military personnel, please share it here.

Sorted Chronologically (old to new). Sort most recent first?

Prayer for the Jewish Militiamen of Suriname, by David Hizkiahu Baruch Louzada (ca. 1806)

This is a prayer composed by David Hizkiahu Baruch Louzada (1750–1825) for Jewish Militiamen in Suriname mustered in the event of Maroon attacks. . . .

Categories:

After the Aliyot, Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

19th century C.E., 56th century A.M., Dutch Jewry, מי שברך mi sheberakh, slavery, South America, Spanish-Portuguese, Suriname

Contributor(s):

David Hizkiahu Baruch Louzada, Aharon N. Varady (transcription) and Aharon N. Varady (translation)

Gebet einer Mutter deren Sohn in Militär⸗Diensten steht | Prayer of a mother whose son is in military service, a teḥinah by Max Emanuel Stern (1841)

“Gebet einer Mutter deren Sohn in Militär⸗Diensten steht” was written by Max Emanuel Stern and published in Die fromme Zionstochter (1841), pp. 159-161. In its 1846 printing, the prayer is found on pp. 178-179. . . .

Categories:

Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

19th century C.E., 57th century A.M., Austrian Empire, Austrian Jewry, German vernacular prayer, Jewish Women's Prayers, תחינות teḥinot

Contributor(s):

Menaḥem Mendel Stern and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Kossuth imája | Prayer for the Fallen Heroes of the Battle of Kápolna, by István Roboz (1849)

This is a prayer for those fallen in the battle of Kápolna, a decisive battle during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, written by István Roboz (1826-1916). Translated into numerous languages, the prayer was widely misattributed to enlightened president of Hungary, Lajos Kossuth. Circulated in translation and attributed to Kossuth, the prayer helped to cement his popularity among Jews worldwide praying for liberty from despotic regimes inclined for various reasons towards Jew hatred. . . .

Categories:

Mourning, 🇭🇺 Hungary, Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

19th century C.E., 57th century A.M., Battle of Kápolna, Emancipation, Hungarian Revolution of 1848, Kingdom of Hungary, Lajos Kossuth, Magyar vernacular prayer, military, Revolutions of 1848

Contributor(s):

Unknown (translation), István Roboz and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Gebet einer Mutter, deren Sohn In Militärdiensten stehet | Prayer of a mother whose son is in military service, a teḥinah by Fanny Neuda (1855)

“Gebet einer Mutter, deren Sohn In Militärdiensten stehet” by Fanny Neuda was first published in her collection of teḥinot, Stunden der Andacht. ein Gebet⸗ und Erbauungs-buch für Israels Frauen und Jungfrauen (1855), pp. 91-92. In the 1864 Judeo-German edition, it is found on pp. 116-117. . . .

Categories:

Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

19th century C.E., 57th century A.M., Austrian Empire, Austrian Jewry, German vernacular prayer, Jewish Women's Prayers, תחינות teḥinot, Teḥinot in German

Contributor(s):

Fanny Schmiedl-Neuda and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Prayer of the Confederate States Soldiers, by Rabbi Max Michelbacher (ca. 1861)

This “Prayer of the C.S. Soldiers” was written by Max Michelbacher of Congregation Beth Ahabah, Richmond, Virginia, and distributed to Jewish soldiers in the Confederate armed forces during the Slaveholders’ Rebellion (1861-1865). While this prayer is undated, we have tentatively given the date ca. 1861 given the proximity of Richmond, Virginia to the First Battle of Bull Run. . . .

Categories:

War, 🇺🇸 United States of America, Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

19th century C.E., 57th century A.M., Slaveholders' Rebellion (1861-1865), Confederate States of America, English vernacular prayer, Problematic prayers

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (transcription) and Maximilian Joseph Michelbacher

Prayer for Military Personnel on Active Service (Office of the Chief Rabbi of the British Empire 1940)

“Prayer for Men on Active Service” is the opening prayer in the Prayer Book of Jewish Members of H.M. Forces (Office of the Chief Rabbi 1940), p. 4. . . .

Categories:

Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., British Jewry, English vernacular prayer, military, World War Ⅱ

Contributor(s):

Joseph Herman Hertz, Mark Gollop, Office of the Chief Rabbi of the UHC of the UK & the Commonwealth and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Prayer Before a Battle (Office of the Chief Rabbi of the British Empire 1940)

“Prayer Before a Battle” appears at the start of Prayer Book of Jewish Members of H.M. Forces (Office of the Chief Rabbi 1940), p. 5. . . .

Categories:

Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., British Jewry, English vernacular prayer, military, World War Ⅱ

Contributor(s):

Joseph Herman Hertz, Office of the Chief Rabbi of the UHC of the UK & the Commonwealth and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Prayer [of Military Personnel] for Home (National Jewish Welfare Board 1941)

This “Prayer for Home” can be found in the Abridged Prayer Book for the Jews in the Armed Forces of the United States (Jewish Welfare Board 1941), p. 119. . . .

Categories:

War, Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, World War Ⅱ

Contributor(s):

David de Sola Pool, Eugene Kohn, Solomon B. Freehof, the National Jewish Welfare Board and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Prayer [for Military Personnel] in Temptation (National Jewish Welfare Board 1941)

This “Prayer in Temptation” can be found in the Abridged Prayer Book for the Jews in the Armed Forces of the United States (Jewish Welfare Board 1941), p. 120. As far as we know, this prayer is unique to this prayerbook, although the text recalls the waking prayer “Elohai Neshama.” . . .

Categories:

War, Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., אלהי נשמה Elohai neshamah, English vernacular prayer, sexual conduct, World War Ⅱ, יצר הרע yetser hara

Contributor(s):

David de Sola Pool, Eugene Kohn, Solomon B. Freehof, the National Jewish Welfare Board and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Special Prayer for Our Soldiers and Sailors, edited by Rabbi Aaron Dym (1943)

This “Special Prayer for Our Soldiers and Sailors” edited by Rabbi Aaron Dym is found just after the preface to the siddur, סדור תפלת ישראל: כולל כל התפלות לכל השנה (Ziegelheim: 1943). . . .

Categories:

Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, military, United States, World War Ⅱ

Contributor(s):

Aaron Dym and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Prayer for Armed Forces in Combat, by Rabbi Dr. Philip S. Bernstein (1951)

This prayer by Rabbi Philip S. Bernstein, then President of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, was included in the anthology, The Prayer Book of the Armed Forces (ed. Daniel A. Poling, 1951), p. 11. . . .

Categories:

War, Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., Cold War (1947–1953), English vernacular prayer, United States in the Korean War

Contributor(s):

Philip S. Bernstein and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Prayer for Armed Forces in Combat, by Rabbi Dr. Edgar Magnin (1951)

This prayer by Rabbi Dr. Edgar Magnin, then serving as rabbi of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles, was included in the anthology, The Prayer Book of the Armed Forces (ed. Daniel A. Poling, 1951), p. 51. . . .

Categories:

War, Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., Cold War (1947–1953), English vernacular prayer, United States in the Korean War

Contributor(s):

Edgar Magnin and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Prayer for Armed Forces in Combat, by Rabbi Dr. David de Sola Pool (1951)

This prayer by Rabbi Dr. David de Sola Pool was included in the anthology, The Prayer Book of the Armed Forces (ed. Daniel A. Poling, 1951), pp. 72-73. . . .

Categories:

War, Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., Cold War (1947–1953), English vernacular prayer, paraliturgical elohai neshamah, United States in the Korean War

Contributor(s):

David de Sola Pool and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Prayer of Parents for a Son or Daughter in the Armed Forces, by Rabbi Max Klein (1951)

A prayer offered for parents praying for the safety and welfare of their adult children entering the armed forces. . . .

Categories:

Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., American Jewry of the United States, English vernacular prayer, military, Parents blessing children, תחינות teḥinot, teḥinot in English

Contributor(s):

Max D. Klein and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

מי שברך לחיילי צה״ל | Mi sheBerakh for the Welfare of Israel Defense Forces Soldiers, by Rabbi Shlomo Goren (1956)

The mi sheberakh for the IDF composed by Rabbi Shlomo Goren in the context of the Suez Crisis and Israel-Egypt conflict of 1956. . . .

Categories:

🇮🇱 Medinat Yisra'el (the State of Israel), Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., Egypt–Israel relations, צה״ל IDF, Religious Zionism, religious Zionist prayers, Suez Crisis

Contributor(s):

Shlomo Goren, Aharon N. Varady (transcription) and Aharon N. Varady (translation)

תְּפִלַּת הַדֶּרֶךְ לְצַנְחָן | Traveler’s Prayer of a Paratrooper, by Rabbi Shlomo Goren (IDF, 1963)

“Tefilat haDerekh l’Tsanḥan,” a prayer by Rabbi Shlomo Goren for missions of paratroopers in the service of the IDF was first published in his Siddur Tefilot l’Ḥayyal (p. 75 in the 1963 printing). . . .

Categories:

Travel, Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., air travel, צה״ל IDF, מדינת ישראל Medinat Yisrael, תפילת הדרך tefilat haderekh

Contributor(s):

Abe Katz (translation), Shlomo Goren, Tsva ha-Haganah l'Yisrael and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

תְּפִלַּת הַדֶּרֶךְ לְטַיָּס | Traveler’s Prayer of a Fighter Pilot, by Rabbi Shlomo Goren (IDF, 1963)

“Tefilat haDerekh l’Tayas,” a prayer for sorties by military aviators in the service of the IDF by Rabbi Shlomo Goren was first published in his Siddur Tefilot l’Ḥayyal. . . .

Categories:

Travel, Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., air travel, צה״ל IDF, מדינת ישראל Medinat Yisrael, תפילת הדרך tefilat haderekh

Contributor(s):

Abe Katz (translation), Shlomo Goren, Tsva ha-Haganah l'Yisrael and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

תְּפִלָּה לִפְנֵי יְצִיאָה לַקְרָב | Prayer Before Setting Off to Battle, by Rabbi Shlomo Goren (IDF, 1963)

Rabbi Shlomo Goren’s “Tefilah Lifnei Yetsiah laQrav,” a prayer for IDF soldiers before embarking on a combat mission was first published in his Siddur Tefilot l’Ḥayyal (pp. 72-73 in the 1963 printing). . . .

Categories:

War, Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., צה״ל IDF, מדינת ישראל Medinat Yisrael

Contributor(s):

Abe Katz (translation), Shlomo Goren, Tsva ha-Haganah l'Yisrael and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

תְּפִלַּת הַדֶּרֶךְ לְצֶוֶת הַצּוֹלְלוֹת | Traveler’s Prayer for a Submarine Crew, by Rabbi Shlomo Goren (IDF, 1963)

“Tefilat haDerekh l’Tsevet haTsolelot,” a prayer by Rabbi Shlomo Goren for missions of submariners in the service of the IDF was first published in his Siddur Tefilot l’Ḥayyal (p. 76 in the 1963 printing). . . .

Categories:

Travel, Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., צה״ל IDF, מדינת ישראל Medinat Yisrael, ocean, prayers on ships, תפילת הדרך tefilat haderekh

Contributor(s):

Abe Katz (translation), Shlomo Goren, Tsva ha-Haganah l'Yisrael and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

תפילה לשלום צוות אח״י אילת | Prayers for the Welfare of the Navy Personnel of the “INS Eilat,” by rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau & Arnold Resnicoff (1993)

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

Categories:

Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., dedications and consecrations, צה״ל IDF, prayers of military chaplains

Contributor(s):

Arnold E. Resnicoff, Yisrael Meir Lau and Aharon N. Varady (translation)

Stable Link: https://opensiddur.org/index.php?cat=1257

Associated Image:

IDF forces prepare themselves before entering Gaza, 2014 (IDF)

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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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