El Maley Rakhamim for Victims of Racial Violence

by T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights

El Maley Rakhamim is the memorial prayer recited at funerals and during Yizkor, the memorial service included in Yom KippurThe holiest day of the Jewish year and the culmination of a season of self-reflection. Jews fast, abstain from other worldly pleasures, and gather in prayers that last throughout the day. Following Ne'ilah, the final prayers, during which Jews envision the Gates of Repentance closing, the shofar is sounded in one long blast to conclude the holy day. It is customary to begin building one's sukkah as soon as the day ends. and other festival services. This version honors the memory of all those who have been murdered throughout America’s history because of their race–those who died under slavery or the Native American genocide, those lynched or bombed, those shot by police or killed through mistreatment in prisons and jails in the present day, and many more. We offer it for use during Yizkor on Yom Kippur, and in other rituals of commemoration.

God full of compassion, dwelling on High,
find perfect rest beneath the sheltering wings of Your Presence,
among the holy and the pure who shine with the light of the heavens,
for the souls of our brothers and sisters, our neighbors,
men, women, and children, who have been
killed, burned, and lynched
because of racism and baseless hate.

May the Garden of Eden be their resting place.
Oh please, Master of compassion,
keep them in the shelter of Your wings for eternity
and bind up their souls in the bond of life.
The ETERNAL is their inheritance; may they rest in peace, and let us say,

Amen.

El Maley rakhamim, shokhen bamromim, ha’m’tzey menukha n’khonah takhat kanfey hashkhinah b’ma’alot k’doshim u’t’horim k’zohar harakia mazhirim, et nishmot kol akheynu b’ney artzeynu, anashim nashim b’taf, she’ney’heyrgu, shenis’rfu, shenitlu v’nekh’n’ku mipney gizanut v’sinat khinam, b’gan eden t’hi m’nukhatam. Ana b’al harakhamim, hastireym b’seter k’nafeykha l’olamim u’tzror bitzror ha’khaim et nimoteyhem. Adonay hu nakhalatam, v’uanukhu v’shalom al mishk’voteyeyhem. V’nomar: Amen.

אֵל מָלֵא רַחֲמִים, שׁוֹכֵן בַּמְרוֹמִים, הַמְצֵא מְנוּחָה נְכוֹנָה תַחַת כַּנְפֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה בְּמַעֲלוֹת קְדוֹשִׁים וּטְהוֹרִים כְּזֹהַר הָרָקִיעַ מַזְהִירִים, אֶת נִשְׁמוֹת כָּל אַחֵינוּ בְּנֵי אַרְצֵנוּ, אֲנָשִׁים נָשִׁים וְטַף, שֶׁנֶּהֶרְגוּ, שֶׁנִשְׂרְפוּ, שֶׁנִתְלוּ וְנֶחְנְקוּ מִפְּנֵי גִזְעֲנוּת וְשִׂנְאַת חִינָם, בְּגַן עֵדֶן תְהִי מְנוּחָתָם. אָנָּא בַּעַל הָרַחֲמִים, הַסְתִּירֵם בְּסֵתֶר כְּנָפֶיךָ לְעוֹלָמִים וּצְרוֹר בִּצְרוֹר הַחַיִּים אֶת נִשְׁמוֹתֵיהֶם. ה’ הוּא נַחַלָתָם, וְיָנוּחוּ בְשָׁלוֹם עַל מִשְׁכּבוֹתֵיֶהם. וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן.