Earthquakes & Tsunamis • the Open Siddur Project ✍ פְּרוֺיֶּקט הַסִּדּוּר הַפָּתוּחַ

This is an archive of prayers in the event of an earthquake causing the collapse of buildings and infrastructure near fault lines, or a tsunami causing sudden devastating inundation flooding, endangering life along coasts, estuaries, and outflowing rivers.
Click here to contribute a prayer you have written, or a transcription and/or translation of a relevant historic prayer, in the event of an earthquake or tsunami.
Looking for something else?
For prayers composed in anticipation of or response to man-made disasters, go here.
For prayers composed in anticipation of or response to dangerous storms, go here.
For prayers composed in anticipation of or response to ecotastrophes, go here.

מי שברך לאסונות טבע | Mi sheBerakh for Natural Disasters, by Isaac Gantwerk-Mayer

Contributor(s):

Isaac Gantwerk Mayer

Categories:

After the Aliyot, Dangerous Storms & Floods, Drought & Wildfire, Earthquakes & Tsunamis

Tags:

North America, מי שברך mi sheberakh, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., Natural Disasters

A Mi Sheberakh prayer for those affected by natural disasters. This prayer uses many standard liturgical phrases in a new context to stress that God, while full of great power, is not a God of destruction but one of peace and life. Quoting the famous vision of Elijah at Ḥorev, this prayer is for those who seek comfort and tranquility from their God. . . .

אחרי הצונמי | Prayer in the Wake of the Tsunami, by Rabbi Shai Held (2004)

Contributor(s):

Shai Held

Categories:

Dangerous Storms & Floods, Earthquakes & Tsunamis

Tags:

58th century A.M., 2004 Asian Tsunami, tsunami, disaster, ocean, catastrophe, הדר Hadar, Floods, 21st century C.E., Needing Vocalization

A prayer composed by Rabbi Shai Held in the aftermath of the devastating 2004 Asian Tsunami. . . .

[Prayer] on the Los Angeles Earthquake, by Rabbi Norman M. Goldburg (12 March 1933)

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (transcription) and Norman Michael Goldburg

Categories:

Earthquakes & Tsunamis, Opening Prayers for Legislative Bodies

Tags:

1933 Long Beach earthquake, 20th century C.E., United States, 57th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, Los Angeles, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, California State Legislature

“On the Los Angeles Earthquake” by Rabbi Norman Michael Goldburg, was offered before the California state legislature on 12 March 1933, and published in California Legislature 50th Session 1933: Prayers Offered at the Daily Sessions of the Assembly, pp. 44-45. The earthquake, now known as the 1933 Long Beach earthquake, registered 6.4 on the Richter scale. . . .