מעשה מיץ | Maaseh Metz, a qinah after a crowd panic and deadly crush in the synagogue over Shavuot in Metz (1714)

This qinah, a variation of Maaseh Metz, was written by an unknown author and copied by Glikl into her memoirs. The text appearing here was made from that transcribed and published in Chava Turniansky’s critical edition, Glikl: Memoirs (1691-1719) (Shazar 2006), pp. 596-597, and Sara Friedman’s English translation of that edition, edited by Turniansky (Brandeis University Press 2019), pp. 306-307. . . .

Categories: Man-made Disasters

Tags: 18th century C.E., 55th century A.M., human stampedes and crowd crushes, Metz, קינות Ḳinōt

Contributor(s): Chava Turniansky (transcription), Sara Friedman (translation), Glikl bat Yehudah Leib and Unknown Author(s)

Prayer offered in response to the Great Chicago Fire, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (1 December 1871)

This prayer offered by Rabbi Sabato Morais in response to what became known as the Great Chicago Fire was offered at the end of his sermon reprinted in The Philadelphia Inquirer on the following day 1 December 1871. It was preserved by Rabbi Morais in his ledger (page 47), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.) . . .

Categories: Man-made Disasters

Tags: 19th century C.E., 57th century A.M., Chicago, English vernacular prayer, Epidemic, Great Chicago Fire of 1871, Philadeelphia, prayers for municipalities

Contributor(s): Sabato Morais and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Prayer offered in response to the Great Boston Fire of 1872, by Rabbi Sabato Morais

This prayer offered by Rabbi Sabato Morais in response to what became known as the Great Boston Fire of 1872, was recorded in an article in Philaedlphia’s Evening Telegraph, “Boston’s Fire. A Prayer by a Hebrew Minster,” reprinted from the Boston Transcript. It was preserved by Rabbi Morais in his ledger (p. 234, clipping 406), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.) . . .

Categories: Man-made Disasters

Tags: 19th century C.E., 57th century A.M., Boston, English vernacular prayer, Great Boston Fire of 1872, prayers for municipalities

Contributor(s): Sabato Morais and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

[Prayer] on the Disaster of the USS Akron, by Rabbi Norman M. Goldburg (5 April 1933)

“On the Disaster of the Akron” by Rabbi Norman Michael Goldburg, was offered before the California state legislature on 5 April 1933, and published in California Legislature 50th Session 1933: Prayers Offered at the Daily Sessions of the Assembly, pp. 61-63. . . .

Categories: Man-made Disasters, Opening Prayers for Legislative Bodies

Tags: 20th century C.E., 57th century A.M., air travel, California State Legislature, English vernacular prayer, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, קפיצת הדרך ḳfitsat haderekh, technological hubris, United States, USS Akron

Contributor(s): Norman Michael Goldburg and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Stable Link: https://opensiddur.org/index.php?cat=5736

Associated Image:

Chicago in Flames by Currier & Ives, 1871 (cropped)

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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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