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a community-grown, libre Open Access archive of Jewish prayer and liturgical resources — for those crafting their own prayerbooks and sharing the content of their practice
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a community-grown, libre Open Access archive of Jewish prayer and liturgical resources — for those crafting their own prayerbooks and sharing the content of their practice
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Prayers as poems —⟶ tag: Prayers as poems Sorted Chronologically (old to new). Sort most recent first? Modeled after Gil Scott Heron’s “The Revolution Will Not be Televised,” written for Passover during the pandemic (April 2020). A prayer-poem by Rabbi Arthur Waskow reflecting on our difficulty breathing, as a society, as humanity, and as a interconnected, interbreathing biosphere. Categories: Tags: 2020 coronavirus pandemic, 2020 United States racial reckoning, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., אלהי נשמה Elohai neshamah, English vernacular prayer, paraliturgical elohai neshamah, paraliturgical nishmat kol ḥai, Prayers as poems, September 2020 Western United States wildfires Contributor(s): A playful, powerful, passionate reading for Passover seder or any time. Can be chanted to the traditional Ashkenazi lilt for the Four Questions. Categories: Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., Black Lives Matter, English vernacular prayer, מה נשתנה Mah Nishtanah, Passover seder, Prayers as poems Contributor(s): A poem-blessing for trailblazers of many kinds, to honor everyday courage and to inspire trust and self-compassion. A blessing for announcing the new moon of Adar, for Rosh Ḥodesh Adar, and for the whole month. Categories: Tags: Contributor(s): A blessing for announcing the new moon of Shevat, for Rosh Ḥodesh Shevat, and for the whole month. Categories: Tags: Contributor(s): This poem was composed at the end of August 2020 / Elul 5780 as part of Rabbi Katy Allen’s Earth Etudes for Elul 5780. A blessing for growth in springtime Categories: Tags: Contributor(s): A prayer-poem by Rabbi Arthur Waskow in 2021 reflecting on our difficulty breathing, as a society, as humanity, and as a interconnected, interbreathing biosphere. Categories: Tags: 2020 coronavirus pandemic, 2020 United States racial reckoning, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., אלהי נשמה Elohai neshamah, English vernacular prayer, paraliturgical elohai neshamah, paraliturgical nishmat kol ḥai, Prayers as poems, September 2020 Western United States wildfires, State v. Chauvin Contributor(s): “A Prayer for Ukraine” was first published by Chaya Kaplan Lester on her Facebook page. Categories: Tags: 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., Chess, English vernacular prayer, Prayers as poems Contributor(s): “Perhaps: A Prayer with God for the World” by Rabbi Menachem Creditor was first published by the author on 8 July 2022 on his blog and on his Facebook page and shared through the Open Siddur Project Discussion Group (also on Facebook). Categories: Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, Prayers as poems, תקון עולם tiqqun olam Contributor(s): This piece emerged in February 2023 upon realizing that instead of reading ים סוף as Yam Suf (generally understood at the Sea of Reeds), it could be read as Yam Sof: Sea of End[ing]. It was apparent to me that we may have approached this sea (escaping from slavery) thinking that it would be the end of us. It was not. But it was the end of *something*. “Comfort in Ruin: Tishah b’Av” was written by Rabbi Menachem Creditor and shared by the author via the Open Siddur Project Discussion Group on Facebook, 27 July 2023. Categories: Tags: Contributor(s): While we focus on the Temple’s destruction and all that is related to the ninth of Av I believe that our internal work reflects how we see and perceive the external. Categories: Tags: Contributor(s): This prayer/poem [‘Call of the Shema’] came out of Rabbi Greene’s (Rabbi of Cong. Har Hashem in Boulder, Colarado) sermon this past Friday and our Torah Study discussion Saturday morning on Parashat Eikev. Categories: Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, כוונות kavvanot, Prayers as poems, שמע shemaŋ Contributor(s): I tried to look at different aspects of what we as Jews contemplate and think about as we move towards the High Holy Days. God’s view of what we did out of fear and loneliness and perhaps why we can never see God’s face and for us to reflect on how we act in the world and what God has asked us of in this lifetime. This poem/prayer is perhaps a little rough, that was intentional. Rather than being a true historical commentary on Elul, I tried to tell a little story about it. Categories: Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., במדבר Bamidbar, אלול elul, English vernacular prayer, Prayers as poems, זמן תשובה Zman teshuvah Contributor(s): “An infinity of amens” was written by Hanna Yerushalmi on 15 October 2023 in the aftermath of the massacres on Shemini Atseret 5784. Categories: Tags: 2023-2025 Israel–Hamas war, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, Prayers as poems, קינות Ḳinōt Contributor(s): “An important message, November 2023” is a shipping notice from God and a meditation on parochial empathy. “Upon My Heart” was offered by Rabbi Menachem Creditor and shared via the Open Siddur Project discussion group on 20 November 2023. The added hashtag “#bringthemhomenow” helps to contextualize the prayer-poem, as written to express the yearning for the return of the captives taken hostage during the 7 October massacres by HAMA”S and its allies. Categories: Tags: 2023-2025 Israel–Hamas war, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., captives, English vernacular prayer, North American Jewry, Prayers as poems Contributor(s): | ||
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“Avinu Malkeinu,” dvar tefillah by Rabbi David Seidenberg (neohasid·org)
The words of Avinu Malkeinu are a little different from the standard translation. It doesn’t say in Hebrew, “we have no good deeds” (ein lanu ma’asim tovim), but rather, “there are no deeds in us” (ein banu ma’asim). The p’shat (literal meaning) implies that whatever we have done in the past does not have to live inside of us — we can release our deeds and be released from them, fully, to start over, like a newborn, to become whoever we need to become.