10 Ways to Welcome Teens at the High Holidays
Looking for innovative opportunities to engage your teens around the High Holidays? These 10 ideas come directly from the source – youth professionals across North America.
“Sing with Liberty,” a Prayer of Immigration and Welcoming
This prayer/song is based on “New Colossus,” the sonnet by Emma Lazarus appearing on a plaque inside the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. Those familiar with the sonnet will recognize the images and phrases reflected here; it was written as an antidote to attempted hijackings of the message of the Lazarus poem.
Gratitude for Work
This is a simple prayer of gratitude for having a job. It can be easy to take for granted at times, especially with a challenging job or a difficult boss.
This prayer appears in the Labor Day section of This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day, along with a social justice prayer "Against Worker Exploitation," also very appropriate for this day.” Optional language appears in [brackets].
Prayer for Safety During a Hurricane
This is a prayer for safety to be said as a hurricane approaches, as well as during the storm. It includes additional options for customizing the prayer, which are shown in [brackets], and does not include references to any particular storm.
A Rosh HaShanah Prayer for Our Clergy
As the New Year approaches, let it be our job to feed our clergy with love and care. Let it be our sacred calling to lift them up as they lift us.
Cry No More, a Prayer for Yom Kippur
This prayer is about having compassion for ourselves while repairing the damage we’ve done to self and others. I wrote it after my first Yom Kippur in Jerusalem, my first in Israel as an oleh chadash (a new immigrant).
An Alternate Un’taneh Tokef
Rabbi Joseph Meszler offers a new take on an old prayer for these Days of Awe.
A Prayer for the Shabbat before Mother's Day
A prayer for all types of mothers, to say on the Shabbat before Mother's Day (or anytime).
5 Things to Avoid on Yom Kippur in Favor of a Spiritual Workout
To devote ourselves to an accurate accounting of the soul, it is customary to refrain from five specific activities related to our bodies on Yom Kippur.
A New Beginning and a Chance to Become Our Better Selves
During the 10 days of repentance and especially on Yom Kippur, we struggle with ourselves, shedding our flaws and the parts of our spirit that detract from our holiness.