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As we mourn lives lost and those lives changed forever by terror, we pray for the victims and for the future of our country. Here are a few prayers (including transliteration) and poems to help us find the right words to speak to God about our grief.
- Mourner’s Kaddish: This ancient prayer has been on the lips of Jewish mourners around the world for centuries.
- Songs for Healing: Compiled by Cantor Rosalie Will, this playlist of songs, both Jewish and otherwise, can be used in gatherings of healing and hope for all faiths who want to stand together against violence and hate.
- Liturgical and Support Resources: The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) shares a number of beautiful prayers of healing. Download the PDF to print in whole or in part, dependent on your needs.
- “A Kaddish after Gun Violence, for When Humanity Fails Itself”: Rabbi Paul Kipnes of Congregation Or Ami in Calabasas, CA, wrote this powerful original prayer in the immediate wake of the shootings in Las Vegas.
- A Liturgy after Terror Attacks: This four-piece liturgy from Jerusalem-based writer Alden Solovy includes “After a Terror Attack,” “To Terror Survivors,” “To the Terrorists,” and “Let Tranquility Reign.”
- “After a Deadly Anti-Semitic Attack”: This prayer was also written by Alden Solovy and can be customized to address the aftermath of individual attacks and events.
- “Havdalah with a Gun: A Poem after Violence”: Reform Jewish poet Stacey Zisook Robinson wrote this piece to help cope with the ongoing tragedies of mass shootings and acts of gun violence.