One of the elements of our communal prayers that bears the most potential for connection or disconnection are the Prayers for Israel and Prayers for our Country. With the right words, the feelings of solidarity and hope can bring a community together, and with the wrong words, they can lead to disconnection from the service and painful feelings of alienation.
Moreover, as Rabbenu Bachya ibn Paquda (d.1120) teaches: “The main thing, my sibling, is the purity of soul and intent of heart while you are offering up the prayer…Let not your tongue hurry before your heart, for a little of it with your heart in it is better than a lot of it with the swift movements of your tongue and a heart empty of it.” (Chovot haLevavot 6:33)
In that spirit, these prayers offer a variety of styles and emphases to supplement the more traditional prayers found in our siddurim and align the intent of our hearts with our words.
Prayers for the State of Israel
- Rabbi Ayelet Cohen’s prayer for Israel, written in advance of the 75th anniversary of Israel’s founding, is a call for both peace and to manifest all Israel can be.
- Rabbi Hannah Ellenson’s prayer for Israel encompasses a wish for the safety of Israel, those who defend it, all its inhabitants, the hostages, and expresses a powerful yearning for divine peace and justice.
- Rav David Bigman composed this prayer for Tisha B’av 2023, in response to his former students’ desire for a prayer for peace that reflected their current circumstance as Israelis.
- Rabbis Felicia Sol and Roly Matalon wrote this powerful prayer for the people of Gaza and for the preservation of our humanity in the wake of the Israel-Hamas War.
Prayers for Our Country
- Rabbi Seth Goldstein composed a new prayer for our country after President Trump’s second inauguration in 2025, as he pondered what he feared awaited us.
- Written in 1927, Rabbi Dr. Louis Ginzberg’s prayer for the United States remains a powerful vision for this country and its highest ideals.
- Finally, this prayer for our country, composed for use at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, beautifully centers the virtues and values we pray for when we pray for America.