Elokei Avraham, Elokei Yitzchak v’ Elokei Ya`akov v’ Elokei Sara, Elokei Rivka, Elokei Leah v’ Elokei Rakhel Pokeach Ivr(1)im, Oseh Shalom(2):
In this time of challenge to our unity and holiness, when we unite to seek Your Shechinah(3) in Its eternal place, we seek shleimut(4) and izun(5), and we ask for the inspiration and support of Your ruach hakodesh(6).
Grant us the wisdom to understand and appreciate ourselves and each other in the fullness of our humanity and integrity, male and female, Haredi, Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist and Jewish Renewal. All of us Jews. All of us created in Your holy image, a little less than angels, crowned with glory and honor.
Open our eyes and let us see the ruach Elokim(7 ) that endows us with holiness and unites us. Let the uniqueness in which we were each created make us more holy, more and not less, but not divide us or reduce us to anything less than our fullest human potential, the pinnacle of the miracle of life. As women and men, may we appreciate our differences but most of all, as Adam Rishon(8) in Gan Eden(9) was created both male and female, let us not magnify those differences above what we share with each other, but rather help us to attain the integration and purity of Gan Eden.
Enable us to lift our spirits and our hands to engage and joyously immerse ourselves in holy actions in Your service and bring us closer to You, in fulfillment of our heritage and traditions.
May we also find the holiness in one another, so that we need not diminish any expressions of holiness, but rather so that we are fortified to support each other to bring about connection with the Shechinah, according to the way that each of us recognizes as sacred. May all of our service be received by You with favor and bring us to further blessings.
Above all, may we always remember that Your gift to us is of love and not hate, peace and not violence, allowing us to strive for shleimut and integration, not discord.
May Your breath of life inside each of us bring us to realize our highest, holiest potential as one Jewish people and also as Jewish individuals, acting together and individually, to bring about the fulfillment of all blessings and the ultimate unity with the Source of all blessings forever.
Rabbi Iris Richman
1 The One Who opens our eyes
2 The One Who makes peace
3 The Divine Presence
4 wholeness
5 balance
6 spirit of holiness
7 Divine spirit
8 the first human, created with both genders
9 the Garden of Eden