One Family Sick With Worry – A Prayer for Gilad, Naftali, and Ayal

by Rabbi Judy Schindler

To be Jewish is to be part of a big family, thirteen million strong.

To be Jewish is to be part of a small family. Apart from being in Israel, we are a minority.

To be Jewish is to be part of one family. To be Jewish means that when we awoke last Friday morning to the news that three teens were kidnapped (likely by terrorists) our stomachs were sick with fear.

Gilad Shaar (16), Naftali Fraenkel (16) and Ayal Yifrach (19) are not only their parents’ children, they are Israel’s children, and they are our children.

Every minute of every day, hundreds of soldiers are using every measure to search every dunam of land.

Every night Psalms are being recited in synagogues across the globe.

Before three nights, 25,000 gathered at the Western Wall in prayer.

Gilad, Naftali, and Ayal are not soldiers, they are students.

Gilad, Naftali, and Ayal are not terrorists, they are teens with mothers and fathers waiting at home weeping and praying for their return.

Eloheinu v’elohei avoteinu v’imoteinu, our God and God of our fathers and mothers, may the hour soon come when Gilad, Naftali and Ayal will feel their parents’ warm embrace.

Eloheinu v’elohei avoteinu v’imoteinu, our God and God of our fathers and mothers, may the day soon come when no parent will fear war and the enemy stealing their child’s innocence, body, or soul.

Eloheinu b’elohei avoteinu v’imoteinu, our God and God of fathers and mothers, may the time soon come when our children and Palestinian children and all children will know peace.