תְּפִלָּה לְשׂוֹרְדֵי הַשּׁוֹאָה | Mi sheBerakh for Survivors of the Holocaust, by Rabbi Avi Baumol (2021) • the Open Siddur Project

Categories: 🌐 Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27th), During the Aliyot, 🌐 Holocaust Survivor Day (4 June)

Tags: English vernacular prayer, free translation, Hebrew translation, needing translation (into Polish), the Holocaust, מי שברך mi sheberakh

Excerpt: "Holocaust Survivor Prayer" was written in English by Rabbi Avi Baumol in 2021 upon the establishment of Holocaust Survivor Day by the JCC of Krakow, Poland. The prayer was first published at the website of Holocaust Survivor Day. . . .

Content:

In 2021, Holocaust Survivor Day was established by the JCC in Krakow, Poland. Celebrated annually on the 4th of June, the day celebrates all Holocaust survivors around the world. It has been supported by almost every major Jewish organization and continues to show our gratitude to these heroic souls who persevered the worst and taught us to be the best. I composed a prayer for this day and two young Israeli men (Naftali Statman and David Rokman) have translated it into Hebrew.

Translation (Hebrew)	Source (English)
מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְאִמּוֹתֵינוּ אַבְרָהָם, יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, שָׂרָה, רִבְקָה, רָחֵל וְלֵאָה הוּא יְבָרֵךְ וְיִשְׁמֹר אֶת [פְּלוֹנִי.ת בֵּן.ת אַלְמוֹנִי וְאַלְמוֹנִית] בְּתוֹךְ שְׁאַר הַקְּדוֹשִׁים, שׂוֹרְדֵי הַשּׁוֹאָה הָאֲיֻמָּה.	May God who blessed our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Leah, bless and protect, guide and continue to inspire the holy souls who survived the Holocaust in particular, (insert name of survivor______ben/bat________).
חָזֵק אֶת יְדֵי אֲשֶׁר קָמוּ מֵאֵפֶר לְכוֹנֵן עוֹלָם וּלְהַחֲיוֹת הַעַם, וְהַנְחִילֵם אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְשׁוּעָה וְנָחַת וּבְרָכָה. שְׁלַח לָהֶם אוֹרְךָ וַאֲמִתְךָ וּפְתַח לָהֶם שַׁעֲרֵי נְחָמָה וְאַהֲבָה בַּחֲסָדֶךָ לְהַמְשִׁיךְ בְּאוֹר חַיֵּיהֶם — כִּי בְּאוֹרְךָ נִרְאֶה אוֹר.	They, who have lived through the greatest darkness yet succeeded in rebuilding their lives and restoring light to the world — please bestow upon them your own hallowed light, envelop them in your lovingkindness, and grant them continued long and meaningful life.
אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם תָּבוֹא לְפָנֶיךָ אֶנְקַת אָסִיר כְּגֹדֶל זַרְעֲךָ שְׁמַע וְהַשָּׁמַע קוֹלָם לִתְמֹךְ שׂוֹרְדֵינוּ. פְּתַח אֶת לִבֵּנוּ לִשְׁמֹעַ לְקָחָם וְהוֹדַע בָּעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ אֶת קוֹל הַתִּקְוָה וְהַהִתְחַדְּשׁוּת שֶׁל הַמְּקִימִי מֵעָפָר דַּל. גִּבֹּרֵי כֹחַ עֹשֵׂי דְבָרוֹ, מְרִימֵי קַרְנָהּ שֶׁל תִּקְוָה וּתְשׁוּבָה, יַנְחוּנוּ הַדֶּרֶךְ לֵילֵךְ בָּהּ.	O God, please give us the strength and means to support our survivors; allow us to hear their message of resilience and hope; they, our greatest heroes, our lodestar, our vision of holiness.
נְטַע בָּנוּ אֶת רוּחָם לִבְחֹר בַּחַיִּים, וְאֹמֶץ לִבָּם יַעֲמֹד לְנֶגֶד עֵינֵנוּ תָּמִיד, וּלְנֶגֶד צֶאֱצָאֵינוּ עַד לְסוֹף כָּל הַיָּמִים וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן.	May we be imbued with their spirit, carry on their life-force, and teach their lessons of love and courage to the next generations. [And let us say, Amen.]

“Holocaust Survivor Prayer” was written in English by Rabbi Avi Baumol in 2021 upon the establishment of Holocaust Survivor Day by the JCC of Krakow, Poland. The prayer was first published at the website of Holocaust Survivor Day. The Hebrew translation prepared by Naftali Statman and David Rokman does not correspond exactly to the English source and should be considered paraphrastic.

Featured Image:

Title: A Group of Orphan Holocaust Survivors, 14 July 1944 (Kluger Zoltan)
Caption: A Group of Orphan Holocaust Survivors, 14 July 1944 (credit: Kluger Zoltan)