Sacred Space

The most direct way to attach ourselves to God in this material world is
through music and song. Even if you can’t sing well, sing. Sing to yourself.
Sing in the privacy of your home. But sing.
--Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav (1772-1811)

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 Olam Chesed
lyrics based on Psalm 89:3, music by Menachem Creditor

‫ֶה‬ð ָ‫עוֹ ָלם חֶ סֶ ד יִבּ‬

Olam chesed yibaneh…tai dai (4x)

I will build this world from love…tai dai dai

And you must build this world from love…tai dai
And if we build this world from love…tai dai dai
Then God will build this world from love…tai dai dai

Modeh Ani

Mo-deh ani l’fa-ne-cha, Me-lech chai v’ka-yam,

She-he-che-zar-ta bee nish-ma-ti b’chem-lah ra-bah e-mu-na-te-cha

I am grateful to You, living, enduring Ruler, for restoring my soul to

me in compassion. You are faithful beyond measure.

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 Shavuot Poem
by Philip Namanworth

We were slaves in Egypt

Now we are free
HaShem took us out
Now it’s up to you and me
To refine our character
And make each moment count
Redefine our purpose
As we head to the mount

Work hard, rebuild, dig deep

Transform to reach our goal
In fifty days
Those fifty gates of heaven
Gonna burn into our soul

First thing we see is desert

A spiritual wilderness
Its emptiness and loneliness
We wind up feeling ownerless
And at that point
We’re open to receive
With love and awe
G-d’s Holy Torah
Life’s blueprint
Cosmic Living law

With blessings that you

receive the Torah on Shavuos
with joy and inwardness

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 Elohai N’shamah
text from the Siddur, words and music by Casey Prusher

E-lo-hai n’sha-mah, she-na-ta-ta bee, she-na-ta-ta bee (2x)

T’ho-rah hee (3x)
You created me, you shaped me, you breathed me into life (2x)
Atah v’ra-tah, Atah y’tza-rtah, Atah n’fach-tah bee

The soul which You have given me, O God, is a pure one. You have
created and formed it, breathed it into me, and within me You
sustain it. So long as I have breath, therefore, I will give thanks to
You, Adonai, my God, my ancestors’ God, Sovereign of all creation,
Source of all who breathe. Blessed is Adonai, in whose hands are
the souls of all the living and spirits of all flesh.

Birchot HaShachar

Baruch Atah Adonai Elo-hei-nu M-elech ha-olam…

(Thank you, Adonai our God, Source of blessing,)
for this new day,
for making me free,
for opening my eyes,
for giving me strength,
for giving me courage,
for giving me hope,
for restoring my energy,
for guiding my path,
for ____________________.
For all these, and so much more, we thank You.

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 The Season of Counting
by Alden Solovy

This is the season of counting:

Of counting days and nights,
Of counting the space between slavery of the body
And freedom of the soul.

This is a season of seeing:

Of seeing earth and sky,
Of seeing renewal in the land
And renewal in our hearts.

This is a season of journey:

Of inner journeys and outer journeys
Taking us places that need us,
Places that we need.

This is the season of counting,

The season of joyous anticipation,
Of wondrous waiting,
In devotion and awe,
For our most precious gift,
The gift that binds our hearts to each other across the millennia,
The gift that binds our souls to G-d’s Holy Word.

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 Help Me, O God
Help me, O God, to find still moment,
quiet spaces within to refresh my soul;
Cease my questions, my inner debates,
and let me meditate on Your goodness.

Help me, O God, to nurture my courage,

Recalling moments of strength.
Let me remember days of fortitude
and the certainty of your regard.

Help me, O God, to turn to the light,

to feel the warmth of Your touch,
my own face and fingers outstretched
alive, alive in Your sight.

Or Chadash
music by Beth Schafer

Or Cha-dash al Tzi-yon ta-ir, v’niz-keh chu-la-nu m’hei-ra l’oro

Ba-ruch Atah Adonai, yo-tzer ha’m'-o-rot.

Blessed are You, Source
of Blessing, Who creates new light.

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 We All Stood Together
for Rachel Adler by Merle Feld

My brother and I were at Sinai.

He kept a journal
of what he saw,
of what he heard,
of what it all meant to him.
I wish I had such a record
of what happened to me there.
It seems like every time I want to write
I can't –
I'm always holding a baby,
one of my own,
or one for a friend,
always holding a baby,
so my hands are never free
to write things down.
And then
as time passes,
the particulars,
the hard data,
the who what when where why,
slip away from me,
and all I'm left with is
the feeling.
But feelings are just sounds
the vowel barking of a mute.
My brother is so sure of what he heard –
after all he's got a record of it –
consonant after consonant after consonant.
If we remembered it together
we could recreate holy time
sparks flying.

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 Listen Israel, Adonai, Our God, is One!

Shema Yis-ra-el Adonai Elo-hei-nu Adonai E-chad

Baruch Shem K'vod Mal-chu-to L’o-lam Va-ed.

Weeks
by Rabbi Jennifer Singer

Day upon day and suddenly

week upon week I am redeemed
Trudging like the booklets
of green stamp
Desert sand my mother collected
in my shoes
in my nostrils I chose a bicycle
she chose
Mountains loom an electric hand mixer
Closer which I have to this day,
Clouds congealing
Into rock Like the
Commandments
We see thunder themselves,
Hear lightening It stands ready
Earth shakes Waiting
We fall on our faces for me to return.
Deafened
Blinded

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 Oh God
words and music by Debbie Friedman

Oh God, as I stand before you

I ask for strength and for courage
As I take time to look at myself
May I open my lips in prayer
And God, as I stand alone
I pray my heart will sing out to you
So many thoughts and fears that I have
May I open my lips in prayer.
Ya, la, la, la, la, la
Ya, la, la, la, la, la, la
‫ָי ְשׂפ ַָתי ִתּפְ ָתּח וּפִ י יַגִּ יד ְתּ ִהלּ ֶ ָֽת‬ð‫אֲ ֹד‬
Adonai s’fa-tai tif-tach u’fi ya-gid t’hi-la-te-cha

Healing Song
by Hazzan Mike Stein

R’fa-ay-nu Adonai v’nay-ra-fay

God only you
Can bring true healing
And so we pray
Baruch Atah Adonai
Ro-fay cho-ley a-mo Yisrael
Blessed are you Shechina who
Restores our loved ones
Heal our people
Speedily in our day
V’no’mar (And let us say) Amen

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 Broken Hearted
words based on Psalm 147, music by Shir Yaakov Feit

:‫בוֹתם‬ ֽ ָ ְ‫וּמחַ בֵּ שׁ ְלעַ צּ‬

ְ ‫בוּרי לֵב‬
ֵ ‫הָ רוּפֵא ל ְִשׁ‬
:‫ֶה ִמ ְס ָפּר לַכּוֹכָ בִ ים ְל ֻכלָּם שֵׁ מוֹת י ְִק ָ ֽרא‬ð‫מוֹ‬
Ha·ro·fei lish·vu·rei lev, um·cha·besh le·'atz·vo·tam.
Mo·neh mis·par la·ko·cha·vim, le·chu·lam she·mot yik·ra

Healer of the broken-hearted

Binder of their wounds
Counter of uncountable stars
You know where they are
Healer of the broken-hearted
Binder of our wounds
Counter of uncountable stars
You know who we are

‫ ַ ֽהלְלוּיָ ֽהּ‬,‫ַ ֽהלְלוּיָ ֽהּ‬

Ha·le·lu YAH Ha·le·lu YAH x2

Misheberach
by Debbie Friedman

Mi-shei-bei-rach A-vo-tei-nu
M’kor ha-bra-chah L’I-mo-tei-nu
May the Source of Strength
Who blessed the ones before us
Help us find the courage
To make our lives a blessing
And let us say, Amen
Mi-she-bei-rach I-mo-tei-nu
M’kor ha-bra-chah la-Avo-teinu
Bless those in need of healing
With r’fu-ah sh’lei-ma
The renewal of body
The renewal of spirit
And let us say, Amen
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 Hashiveinu
text: Eicha 5:21, music by Netanel Goldberg

‫הויה‬
Ha-shi-vei-nu Havaya ei-le-cha v’na-shu-vah,
cha-desh ya-mei-nu k’ke-dem

Turn us back, O God to You

and we will return, renew us as in days of old.

Revelation
by Rabbi Sheryl Lewart z’l

May you slow down long enough to notice

what your daily life reveals
May someone close to you offer help
so that things might be better for you
as Yitro revealed to Moses.
May you let down your defenses
and take to heart
the wisdom and advice from even
the most unlikely angel.
May you be inspired
to make changes
and feel yourself lifted up
as if on eagle’s wings,
protected and supported
as you integrate today’s
insights and revelations.

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We are Loved by an Unending Love

We are loved by an unending love,

We are embraced by arms that find us
Even when we are hidden from ourselves.
We are touched by fingers that soothe us even when
We are too proud for soothing.
We are counseled by voices that guide us
Even when we are too embittered to hear.
We are loved by an unending love.
We are supported by hands that uplift us
Even in the midst of a fall.
We are urged on by eyes that meet us
Even when we are too weak for meeting.
We are loved by an unending love.
Embraced, touched, soothed, and counseled…
Ours are the arms, the fingers, the voices;
Ours are the hands, the eyes, the smiles;
We are loved by an unending love.
-Rabbi Rami M. Shapiro

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 Mourner’s Kaddish
Mourners and those observing Yahrzeit:

Yit-ga-dal v’yit-ka-dash sh’mei ra-ba. B’al-ma di v’ra chi-r’u-tei,

v’yam-lich mal-chu-tei--b’cha-yei-chon u-v’yo-mei-chon u-v’cha-yei
d’chol Beit Yis-ra-el; ba’a-ga-la u-vi-z’man ka-riv, v’im-ru Amen.
Congregation and mourners:

Y’hei sh’mei ra-ba m’va-rach, l’a-lam u-l’al-mei al-ma-ya.

Mourners:

Yit-ba-rach v’yish-ta-bach v’yit-pa’ar v’yit-ro-mam v’yit-na-sei; v’yit-hadar v’yit-

aleh v’yit-ha-lal sh’mei d’ku-d’sha, b’rich Hu. L’ei-la min kol bir-cha-ta v’shi-
rata, tush-b’cha-ta v’ne-che-mata da-a-miran b’al-ma, v’im-ru, Amen.
Y’hei sh’la-ma ra-ba min sh’ma-ya v’cha-yim ale-inu v’al kol Yisrael, v’imru,
Amen.
O-seh sha-lom bi-m’ro-mav, hu ya’a-seh sha-lom a-lei-nu v’al kol Yis-ra-el,
v’im-ru, Amen

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 Let Torah
By Alden Solovy

Let Torah hold your moments

Carry your days,
Lift your years.
Let Torah fill your hands,
Nourish your breath,
Refresh your heart.
Let Torah sustain your words,
Enliven your deeds
Lead you home.
For Torah is in each life and each generation,
In the yearning for God and in God’s yearning for us,
The flow of secrets from Sinai,
Divine guidance and grace,
Calling out to you dear sisters and brothers:
‘Awake you slumberers!
Awake you who wander empty and lonely without wonder and awe.
Have you forgotten this precious gift?
Have you forsaken your past and your future?
Have you traded your birthright for empty promises?’
This, then, is God’s command:
Let Torah hold you,
Fill you,
Sustain you.
Let Torah guide you into radiance and mystery.
Study and learn,
Question and seek,
Hear and grow,
Lifting your life in sacred service.
Let Torah be your breath and your heartbeat.
Blessed are You, Source of Torah.

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 Etz Chayim Hi

‫יה‬
ָ ‫ ְדּ ָר ֶ ֽכ‬.‫ וְ ת ְֹמ ֶ ֽכיהָ ְמאֻ שָּׁ ר‬,‫יקים בָּ הּ‬ ִ ִ‫עֵ ץ חַ יִּים ִהיא לַמַּ חֲ ז‬
‫וּ ְי ָי ֵא ֶ ֽלי‬ð‫יב‬
ֽ ֵ ‫ הֲ ִשׁ‬.‫יבוֹתיהָ שָׁ לוֹם‬ ֽ ֶ ‫ ְִת‬ð ‫ וְ כָל‬,‫עַ ם‬ðֹ ֽ ‫דַ ְרכֵי‬
.‫וּ כְּ ֶ ֽק ֶדם‬ð‫ ָֽשׁוּבָ ה חַ דֵּ שׁ י ֵ ָֽמי‬ð ְ‫ו‬
Etz hayim hi la-mahazikim bah v'tomkheha m'ushar.
D'ra-che-ha dar-chei no-am, v'chawl n'ti-vo-te-cha sha-lom.
Ha-shi-vei-nu Adonai ei-le-cha v'na-shu-va, cha-deish ya-mei-nu k'ke-
dem.

This is Torah
by Rabbi Rami Shapiro

Our sages said:

Whatever a faithful student will receive and transmit;
this is Torah.
However we find ourselves addressed
by the Shofar blast of Truth;
this is Torah.
Whenever we stand humbled by Eternity,
our hearts filled with love,
our arms outstretched
to lift the fallen,
free from the captive,
embrace the lost-
this, too, is Torah.

Sinai is ever present.

Wherever we gather to seek Wisdom;
However we struggle to renew the covenant,
to discover the Way;
Whenever we listen and hear;
receive, and transmit;
we stand at Sinai.
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