Hear Me

The ones that came before me,
On ships, in steerage,
Stuck on Ellis Island with chalk marks on their backs.
Gather me up with them,
As with SarahThe first matriarch, wife of Abraham, and mother of Isaac, whom she birthed at the age of 90. Sarah, in Rabbinic tradition, is considered holy, beautiful, and hospitable. Many prayers, particularly the Amidah (the central silent prayer), refer to God as Magen Avraham – protector of Abraham. Many Jews now add: pokehd or ezrat Sarah – guardian or helper of Sarah., RachelLavan's younger daughter and Jacob's beloved wife second wife (after he is initially tricked into marrying her older sister, Leah). Rachel grieves throughout her life that she is barren while Leah is so fertile. Ultimately, Rachel gives birth to Joseph and dies in childbirth with Benjamin. Rachel is remembered as compassionate (she is said to still weep for her children), and infertile women often invoke Rachel as a kind of intercessor and visit her tomb on the road to Bethlehem., LeahThe third of the Jewish matriarchs, Lead is the eldest of Lavan's daughters and one of the wives of Jacob. She is the daughter whom Lavan tricks Jacob into marrying instead of his younger daughter Rachel, whom Jacob has requested to marry. Leah is mother to six of the the twelve tribes and to one daughter, Dinah.
And all the others in between.
My grandparents who escaped,
My grandpa’s brother, who died in a concentration camp.
He was trapped.
He lost you.

My dad told me the story of
The only time he saw his father cry:
Reading that letter from someone over there
With the news that his brother was dead. Starved, gassed,
I will never know.
My father did not know how to pray, and my grandparents refused to.
I will gather this brother close now
Hold him in my arms, as I am held up
By all of those saying these words with me.
Right now
Hold us
Lift me up
To say never again
As I hold him, as we hold him,
As we speak to you.