Shelter us in place, shelter us in peace, Shelter us in love, shelter us in love. הַשְׁכִּיבֵנוּ ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ לְשָּׁלוֹם Hashkiveinu Adonai Eloheinu. hashkiveinu l'shalom.
Since we were shaken with the news of last night’s strategic, preemptive strikes on the Republic of Iran, I have been praying these words shared above on repeat in my head and in my heart (lyrics written by Eliana Light, adapted from the Hashkivenu prayer in our evening service). Allow us and our families, Adonai our God, to lie down in peace. We pray for the safety of all our families in Israel, including many of our children who have traveled there recently and now tether themselves to shelters. We pray for a Shabbat of peace and quiet in Israel as we wait on edge for what could be coming.
We hold one another in prayer and in love: Adonai our God, we pray for protection and courage for the many IDF soldiers who have been called to duty. We pray that all in our community here in America and across the world may know that we are a connected and resilient people. We pray for comfort to all who are on edge, worrying about their loved ones. We pray for our community members with family in Israel. We pray for the safety of all people and, most importantly, we pray for peace.
Please reach out to Rabbi Shulman for support and know that we have a team of social workers as part of our congregation who are here to help. Our security team is on high alert for all upcoming HEA programs and at the HEA preschool. Our staff are working in close communication with the Security Communities Network and our partners in the city of Denver.
May we all find connection, shelter, and love in community at this time.
