Patriot Day 2011: A Shofar Commemoration

Friends: The items marked “reader” are parts to be distributed.  The items marked “reading” are read in unison.  

Greeetings and Introduction

Reader 1:  The World Trade Center, Manhattan

8:46:26: Flight 11 crashes into the north face of the North Tower (1 WTC)

9:02:59: Flight 175 crashes into the south face of the South Tower (2 WTC)

Dead are 76 passengers and 11 crew members aboard American Airlines Flight 11and 49 passengers and 11 crew members aboard United Airlines Flight 175; 2,606 innocents are murdered in New York City in the towers and on the ground

Community Reading:  Psalm 121 original translation by Rabbi David Greenspoon

A Going-Up Song:
I lift up my eyes to the mountains, what is the source of my help?
My help comes from Adonai, Creator of Heaven and Earth.
God will not let your legs falter, never napping is your Guardian.
Behold! Never napping and sleepless is the Guardian of IsraelLit. ''the one who struggles with God.'' Israel means many things. It is first used with reference to Jacob, whose name is changed to Israel (Genesis 32:29), the one who struggles with God. Jacob's children, the Jewish people, become B'nai Israel, the children of Israel. The name also refers to the land of Israel and the State of Israel..
Adonai guards you; Adonai protects you with the strong right hand.
The sun will not beat you by day, nor the moon by night.
Adonai guards you from all evil; God will preserve your life.
Adonai guards your leavings and your comings from now throughout eternity.

 Tekiyah:  The Call of Alarm

Reader 2:  The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia

9:37:46: Flight 77 crashes into the western side of the Pentagon carrying 53 passengers and 6 crew members aboard; 125 Pentagon personnel are killed.  That section of the building was recently renovated, and large areas were vacant, sparing the lives of untold hundreds others.

Community Reading: A Prayer for Servicemembers and their Loved Ones  by Rabbi David Greenspoon

Maker of Peace in Your heavens, our country and her allies have men and women engaged in war, and in service and sacrifice even beyond the fields of battle.  Be with all those who serve, and protect them body and soul.  May their sacrifices for the sake of peace be of enduring effect.  Bring under the wings of Your Presence the souls of all those service men and women who die in the service of their country.  Comfort those wounded by battle and by the loss of their comrades.  Send your love and support to those who await their return with longing and hope; extend your grace and solace to those bereaved families who will forever leave an empty chair at their family table to match the empty places in their hearts.  Maker of Peace, extend your heaven’s peace to our place here on earth so the experience of war will no longer be a reality for any of your children. May this peace come soon.  Amen.

Shevarim:  The Call of Brokenness

Reader 3: Flight 93, Somerset County, Pennsylvania

10:03:11: United Airlines Flight 93 is crashed by its hijackers and passengers, due to fighting in the cockpit 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. 33 passengers and 7 crew members sacrifice their lives, heroically staving off an attack against the United States Capital Building or the White House.

Community Reading: I Believe  Written in Cologne, Germany by a Jew hiding from Nazi persecution

“I believe in the sun,
even when it is not shining.
I believe in love,
even when I don’t feel it.
I believe in God,
even when there is silence.”

Truah:  The Call of Wailing

Reader 4: First Responders

The attacks against the World Trade Center claimed the lives of 343 New York City Fire Departmentfirefighters including one FDNY Fire Chaplain, Franciscan Fr. Mychal Judge, 23 New York City Police Departmentofficers, 37 Port Authority Police Departmentofficers, 15 EMTsand 3 Court Officers. Approximately 2,000 first responders were also injured in the New York attacks. 

Community Reading:  The First Responders Prayer   By Rev. Robert A. Crutchfield, Katy, TX

Father in Heaven,
Please make me strong when others are weak, brave when others are afraid,
and vigilant when others are distracted by the chaos. 
Provide comfort and companionship to my family when I must be away.
Serve beside me and protect me, as I seek to protect others.
Amen 

Tekiyah:  The Call of Wholeness

Reader 5: The Human Family

Three hundred and seventy two foreign nationals were killed in the 9/11 attacks.  The victims came from every continent of the planet, from nearly every religious tradition, and across the generations. 

Community Reading: Everyone has a name by Zelda, © Marcia Falk

Everyone has a name
given to him by God
and given to him by his parents
Everyone has a name
given to him by his stature
and the way he smiles
and given to him by his clothing
Everyone has a name
given to him by the mountains
and given to him by the walls
Everyone has a name
given to him by the stars
and given to him by his neighbors
Everyone has a name
given to him by his sins
and given to him by his longing
Everyone has a name
given to him by his enemies
and given to him by his love
Everyone has a name
given to him by his holidays
and given to him by his work
Everyone has a name
given to him by the seasons
and given to him by his blindness
Everyone has a name
given to him by the sea and
given to him
by his death.

Reading 5a:  Mourner’s KaddishThe Aramaic memorial prayer for the dead. Mourners recite this prayer at every service, every day, in the presence of a minyan (prayer quorum) over the course of a year (for a parent) or thirty days (for a sibling or offspring). The prayer actually makes no mention of the dead, but rather prays for the sanctification and magnification of God's name.

Transliteration:

Yitgadal v’yitkadash sh’mei raba b’alma di-v’ra chirutei, v’yamlich malchutei b’chayeichon uvyomeichon uvchayei d’chol beit yisrael, ba’agala uvizman kariv, v’im’ru: “amen.”

Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu v’al kol-yisrael, v’imru: “amen.” 

Translation:

Glorified and sanctified be God’s great name throughout the world
which He has created according to His will.

May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and during your days,
and within the life of the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon;
and say, Amen.

May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.

Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored,
adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He,
beyond all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that
are ever spoken in the world; and say, Amen.

May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us
and for all Israel; and say, Amen.

He who creates peace in His celestial heights,
may He create peace for us and for all Israel;
and say, Amen.