God of the selfless,
God of the strong and the brave,
Grant a perfect rest among the souls of the righteous
To those who died in service to others during the
_________________________________________________ [add name of event such as: the 9/11 attacks, the Mount Carmel fire, the Yarnell fire, etc.].
May their dedication to protecting life serve as a shining lamp of love
And the works of their hands bring us all merit in heaven.
Bless the souls of all who have died to save others,
Civilians and professionals,
The trained and the untrained,
In every age and in every land,
Men and women who answered the call of honor, duty and service.
May their memories be sanctified with joy and love.
May their souls be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.
Alden Solovy is a liturgist, poet, teacher, editor and writing coach, as well as an award-winning essayist and journalist. He's written for the secular and Jewish Press. Before making aliyah six months ago, Alden was a member of Beth Emet-The Free Synagogue, Evanston, Ill., and a regular participant in worship at BJBE, Deerfield, Ill. His work will appear in the forthcoming CCAR Press book, Mishkan R'fuah: Where Healing Resides.
© 2011 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, visit To Bend Light and see " Share the Prayer!"
