Meditations

Readings

ETERNAL GOD of the spirits of all flesh, You are close to the hearts of the sorrowing, to strengthen and console them with the warmth of Your love, and with the assurance that the human spirit is enduring and indestructible. Even as we pray for perfect peace for those whose lives have ended, so do we ask You to give comfort and courage to the living. May the knowledge of Your nearness give us strength, O God, for You are with us at all times: in joy and sorrow, in light and darkness, in life and also in death.

AS IN THE WORLD around us, so too in human life, darkness is followed by light, and sorrow, we pray, by comfort. Life and death are twins; grief and hope walk hand in hand. Although we cannot know what lies beyond the body’s death, let us put our trust in the undying Spirit who calls us into life and who abides to all eternity.

Remember that the companionship of time is but of short duration. It flies more quickly than the shades of evening. We are like a child that grasps in their hand a sunbeam. Immediately they open it again, but, to their amazement, find it empty, and the brightness gone.

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But what is a person? Are they simply skin, flesh, blood, veins, nerves, muscle and tissue? No! That which constitutes the essence of a person is their soul, the rest being only the garments that cover their inner essence. When we depart this earth, we leave behind our outer coverings, but our soul, which is immortal, continues to live.

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We think of those who have gone before us and journeyed from us into the everlasting life from which they came. If time has dulled our pain, it has not erased their memory. We have experienced suffering, we have seen death, and we seek God’s presence in them.
We turn to You, almighty God, merciful One, and ask You to bind us together with our loved ones into the gathering of life. In prayer we glimpse a world beyond our understanding. In You all creatures find their home and rest. Through You our troubles are stilled and our longing soul is satisfied. O life of all worlds, with You may we meet life.

Readings from ‘Mishkan T'filah, World Union Edition', CCAR, and 'Forms of Prayer: Days of Awe’, Reform Movement, UK, adapted.

Our Martyrs

May God Remember our Martyrs

We remember our six million dead and all who died when evil ruled the world. We remember those we knew and those whose very name is lost.

We mourn for all that died with them; their goodness and their wisdom, which could have saved the world and healed so many wounds. We mourn for the genius and the wit that died, the learning and the laughter that were lost. The world has become a poorer place, and our hearts grow cold as we think of the splendour that might have been.

We stand in gratitude for their example of decency and goodness. They are like candles which shine out from the darkness of those years, and in their light we know what goodness is — and evil.

We salute those men and women who were not Jews, who had the courage to stand outside the mob and suffer with us. They, too, are Your witnesses, a source of hope when we despair.

Our Pioneers

May God remember our pioneers

We thank You for those who gave their lives for the rebirth of Israel, a wonder our eyes have seen. They were the sign of hope, born out of suffering, the spring that came to the dry, sad valley; the rose that blossomed in the desert.

We are humble as we think of the riches that were left us through their sacrifice and suffering. The glory and burden of this heritage is stamped on our lives.

In silence we remember those who gave their lives for others and sanctified God’s name on earth.

Our Community

May God remember the members of our community

We remember with love the members of our community who have gone from us since the last Day of Atonement.

We thank God for their lives and all we received from them. We shall not forget them. Their good deeds are their living witness. May God remember them as we name them in our hearts.

Family & Friends

May God remember our family and friends

We remember those we knew who were dear to us, who have passed beyond the frontiers of this life.

We think of those we loved and those we could never love enough. The stillness of this day eases our pain, and its holiness purifies our memory. Eternal God, we give thanks for all You gave us through them.

They live on in us, for we are shaped by them. From their lives we learn some love and courage, and through their death we glimpse eternity.

In our hearts we name these who shine for us like the stars of heaven, parents and children, wives and husbands, relations and friends.

May God remember the souls of our dear ones who have gone to their everlasting home and dwell beneath the shelter of the Most High. Let our deeds and our prayers be their memorial, and may their goodness continue to live in us. May God reunite us in the gathering of life. The Eternal is their portion and they rest in peace. Amen.