Collected Item: “Y'hi Ratzon -- Safe Together Apart”
Title
Y'hi Ratzon -- Safe Together Apart
Narrative or description
I am Cantor at a Conservative synagogue (Jewish) in Columbus, Ohio.
I wrote this song/prayer shortly after the arrival of what was first called Coronavirus, then Covid-19 -- before the word pandemic was being commonly used.
The song/prayer had coalesced by March 20.
It is based on a somewhat obscure passage in the weekday Torah service (the Torah is read every Monday and Thursday) -- a passage theoretically recited between raising the Torah and returning it to the Ark.
The original prayer asks God (our Father) to protect us from desolation and pestilence. I broadened it -- both in Hebrew and in English -- to think of God as both Father and Mother -- and to ask for protection for all of us (not just "b'nei Yisrael" -- the children of Israel) -- brothers and sisters in this country and around the world -- and to keep us Safe Together Apart -- which is the unique challenge to us in these times.
I typically do either the Hebrew or the English (generally not both) between various services -- or in the midst of some services -- probably about 5x per week.
As we still follow our basic traditional rituals, it hasn't altered the prayers that we do. . . it just gets added here and there.
And I share it with other cantors, other Jewish spiritual leaders, and leaders of other faiths, at all appropriate opportunities.
I wrote this song/prayer shortly after the arrival of what was first called Coronavirus, then Covid-19 -- before the word pandemic was being commonly used.
The song/prayer had coalesced by March 20.
It is based on a somewhat obscure passage in the weekday Torah service (the Torah is read every Monday and Thursday) -- a passage theoretically recited between raising the Torah and returning it to the Ark.
The original prayer asks God (our Father) to protect us from desolation and pestilence. I broadened it -- both in Hebrew and in English -- to think of God as both Father and Mother -- and to ask for protection for all of us (not just "b'nei Yisrael" -- the children of Israel) -- brothers and sisters in this country and around the world -- and to keep us Safe Together Apart -- which is the unique challenge to us in these times.
I typically do either the Hebrew or the English (generally not both) between various services -- or in the midst of some services -- probably about 5x per week.
As we still follow our basic traditional rituals, it hasn't altered the prayers that we do. . . it just gets added here and there.
And I share it with other cantors, other Jewish spiritual leaders, and leaders of other faiths, at all appropriate opportunities.
Date
2020-03-20
Community
Congregation Tifereth Israel, Columbus OH
Denomination or tradition
Conservative Jewish
State or territory
Ohio
Name
[private]
Do you agree?
Yes