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a community-grown, libre Open Access archive of Jewish prayer and liturgical resources — for those crafting their own prayerbooks and sharing the content of their practice
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tag: liberation Sorted Chronologically (old to new). Sort most recent first? יחץ (מנהג גרבא) | Liturgical Additions for Yaḥats, in the practice of the Jewish community of DjerbaIn many communities, the practice of Yaḥats, or breaking the matsah before maggid, is done with liturgical and ritual additions. The additions included here are one practice out of many variants as found in the practice of Djerba, the island off the coast of Tunisia. Categories: Tags: Contributor(s): The complete qedushta cycle for Shabbat HaḤodesh by Qallir, including all the catenae of verses, repeated refrains, and additional rahitin often skipped in Ashkenazi practice. Alphabetical texts are translated with alphabetical acrostics. Categories: Tags: 45th century A.M., 7th century C.E., acrostic, Alphabetic Acrostic, alphabetic acrostic translation, עמידה amidah, four special parashot, קרובות ḳerovot, liberation, פיוטים piyyuṭim, Public Amidah, שבת החודש Shabbat haḤodesh Contributor(s): Born into Judaism, Paul Christian Kirchner was baptized a Christian in 1713. In 1717, he first published the word “Jüdisches Ceremoniel” or “Jewish Ceremony,” for which he is most well known — a firsthand recollection (and, to be honest, criticism) of Jewish practices throughout the year and life cycle. While the work is written by an apostate for a Christian audience, and thus it is certainly not an unbiased source — and it had been almost a decade since he left the community so some of his memories are a bit muddled — it is still a fascinating work if only for its depiction of Jewish practices otherwise forgotten. In this portion of Kirchner’s description of the Seder night, he describes a ritual somewhat similar to the one still practiced in many North African communities to this day along with six — count ’em, six! — questions asked by the eldest (‽) child to the father. Categories: Tags: 18th century C.E., 56th century A.M., Christian Hebraism, Four Questions, German vernacular prayer, haggadah supplements, liberation, paraliturgical Contributor(s): The megillah for Plum-Jam Purim or Powidlpurim, a family Purim celebrated by the Brandeis family of Bumsla, Bohemia (Czech: Mladá Boleslav; German: Jungbunzlau) on 10 Adar to commemorate David Brandeis’ liberation from prison on trumped-up charges of poisoning. First published along with a German translation and some genealogical notes in Magazin für die Wissenschaft des Judenthums, vol. 15, 1888. According to Chef/Rabbi Gil Marks z”l, the celebration of Plum-Jam Purim was the origin of prune hamantaschen as a concept — prior to 1731 all hamantaschen had a poppy seed filling! Categories: Tags: 18th century C.E., 55th century A.M., Bohemian Jewry, German translation, liberation, salvation, Slavery & Captivity Contributor(s): In 1785 Friedrich Schiller wrote his ‘An die Freude an ode ‘To Joy’, describing his ideal of an equal society united in joy and friendship. Numerous copies and adaptations attest to its popularity at the time. The slightly altered 1803 edition was set to music not only by Ludwig van Beethoven in his Ninth Symphony but also by other composers such as Franz Schubert and Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Hs. Ros. PL B-57 contains a Hebrew translation of the first edition of the ode (apparently rendered before the 1803 alteration), revealing that the spirit of the age even managed to reach the Jewish community in the Netherlands. Whereas the imagery of Schiller’s original is drawn from Greek mythology, the author of the שִׁיר לְשִׂמְחָה relies on the Bible as a source. In fact, he not only utilises Biblical imagery, but successfully avoids any allusion to Hellenistic ideas whatsoever. Categories: 🇪🇺 European Union, 🇺🇸 National Brotherhood Week, 🌐 Day of Democracy (September 15th), Rosh Ḥodesh Adar (אַדָר) Alef & Bet Tags: 18th century C.E., 56th century A.M., civil declarations and charters, Emancipation, the Enlightenment, euphoria, Felix Libertate, German vernacular prayer, Hebrew translation, liberation, national anthems, Needing Proofreading, Ode to Joy Contributor(s): A teachable moment in the life of Emma Goldman to reflect upon whether our practice is liberating or in need of liberation. Judy Gumbo co-authored this Al Ḥeit with her partner Stew Albert, ז״ל, before his passing in 2006. This Al Ḥeit was most recently used as part of Yom Kippur Kol Nidre services across the country in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street 5772. Categories: Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., על חטא Al Ḥeyt, English vernacular prayer, liberation, North America, סליחות səliḥot, וידוי vidui Contributor(s): It’s always a real struggle for the Left to successfully tackle oppression within its own ranks. But when we do it, our movements gain, every time, from the deeper understandings that emerge. To start the process this time, we need some basic information about what anti-Jewish oppression is and how to counter it. But it has to come from a perspective of justice for all people, not from opportunistic attempts to slander or censor social justice efforts that are gaining strength. As we move not just toward a new “year” (shanah) but toward a moment when repetition (sheni) becomes transformation (shinui), I hope we will remember the roots of Jewish renewal in the upheavals of the 1960s as well as the upheavals of the 1760s, the roots of Judaism in the great “political” speeches of the Prophets, and the teachings of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, who said that in a great civil rights march his legs were praying, and who argued again and again that “spirituality” and “politics” cannot be severed. As Heschel also said, “Prayer is meaningless unless it is subversive.” Categories: Tags: 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., interpretive translation, Isaiah, Isaiah 57, Isaiah 58, Jewish Renewal, liberation, Midrashic interpretation Contributor(s): Aware of the willow [aravah], we awaken our “mouths,” our ability to communicate by voice, hand or type; we acknowledge the precious gift of communications from others, the 99% and the 1%, about their circumstances, their needs, offerings and hopes. Aware of the palm branch [lulav], we awaken our “spines,” our central strength; we acknowledge fellow citizens who take a stand, whether we agree with their stand or not, toward a vision of common good. Aware of the myrtle [hadas], we awaken our “eyes,” our ability to receive through whichever channels are available to us; we acknowledge our responsibility to remain open to others’ thoughts and experiences while also exercising discernment. Aware of the citron [etrog], we awaken our “hearts,” our source of connection; we acknowledge our inter-dependence and the importance of standing, expressing ourselves and learning from others. Modeled after Gil Scott Heron’s “The Revolution Will Not be Televised,” written for Passover during the pandemic (April 2020). A Passover adaptation of “Marching through Georgia” by Henry Clay Work (1832-1884). Categories: Tags: English vernacular prayer, Freedom, haggadah supplements, Jewish liberation, liberation, liberation from mitsrayim, Slaveholders' Rebellion (1861-1865), זמירות zemirot Contributor(s): A poem / blessing made for the 2026 Pittsburgh Dyke March, framed with a Hebrew blessing for Lesbian Pride written by Rabbi Robin Podolsky. Categories: Tags: Contributor(s): | ||
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