Prayer and Ritual

May the One who blessed our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah— Who was with our brother Joseph in the pit and in prison, and with Miriam when she was isolated from the camp for seven days— bless and heal all those who are engaged in hunger strikes against torture and...

An introduction to the Book of Ruth that sees the faces of African asylum seekers in the family of Elimelekh and Naomi, who seek refuge in a foreign land.

In 2016/5776, T’ruah gathered in front of the Israeli Consulate in New York City to celebrate Yom HaAtzma’ut. The core of the service was a series of 19 blessings for the State of Israel, modeled on the weekday Amidah that Jews traditionally recite three times a day. Each blessing was written by a rabbi, cantor, or...

A prayer for survivors of human trafficking that can be said during the Torah service, after the prayer (Mi Sheberach) for healing.

Ribbono Shel Olam, Master of the Universe — Shekhinah, Whose wings shelter creation — Once our people wandered the desert sands. Now we merely vacation in rootlessness While our Bedouin neighbors perch Without permission, their goats forbidden to graze. Time after time the bulldozers tear down homes And playgrounds, uprooting spindly olive trees To make...

This prayer for human rights by Rabbi David Freidenreich incorporates traditional themes about the creation of every person b’tzelem elohim, in God’s image.