Like many of you, we felt paralyzed with grief yesterday as the reality of the Uvalde tragedy sunk in. Rabbi Naomi Levy shared the following prayer with our Rabbi Judith Beiner. May it bring some comfort for you.

A Prayer for the Children and The Teachers,

Victims of the School Shooting at Robb Elementary School,

Uvalde, Texas

by Rabbi Naomi Levy

Our hearts are breaking, God,

As our we mourn

innocent children

and their teachers.

The loss is overwhelming.

Send comfort and strength, God,

to grieving parents,

To siblings, family and friends

in this time of shock and mourning.

Shield them from despair.

Send healing to the schoolchildren who are lost and frightened

Whose eyes witnessed unfathomable horrors.

Ease their pain, God,

Let their fears give way to hope.

Let their cries give way once more

to laughter.

Bless us, God,

Work through us.

Turn our helplessness into action.

Teach us to believe that we can rise up from this tragedy

With a renewed faith

in the goodness of our society.

Shield us from indifference

And from our tendency to forget.

Open our hearts, open our hands.

Innocent blood is calling out to us

to act and pass the laws

that will stop gun violence.

Remind us that we must commit ourselves to prevent further bloodshed

With all our hearts and souls.

Teach us perseverance and dedication.

Let us rise up as one

in a time of soul-searching and repair

So that all children can go to school

in peace, God,

Let them be safe.

God of the brokenhearted,

God of the living, God of the dead,

Gather the souls of the victims

Into Your eternal shelter.

Let them find peace in Your presence, God.

Their lives have ended

But their lights can never be extinguished.

May they shine on us always

And illuminate our way.

Amen.

Rabbi Naomi Levy

Founder of Nashuva

Author of Einstein and the Rabbi