Communal Tragedy

Memorial wall with photos and plaques honoring Yitzhak Rabin at Tel Aviv assassination site.

As individuals, we all know pain and loss. It is the rare person who escapes sorrow. But when one of us hurts, others are there to offer comfort. Communal tragedy is different. When something bad happens to us as a community—whether that is a school, a town, a people, or a country—we struggle to figure out how to tend to our own wounds while taking care of each other. Drawing on compassion, empathy, justice, and love, we can bring out the best in each other, and perhaps, find a theology of hope in the midst of despair.

Latest Rituals

“We are looking for you. / We will not let you go.”
A woman's silhouette in the window
This new poem honors the complex feeling of Hanukkah this year, 2023/5784.
a silver and blue dreidl
“How do we choose who will live or who will die, what measure do we use / to free them and ourselves from this nightmare…”
Two hands held open together, palms up, against a soft, blurred outdoor sky background.
“How can a body survive so much spilled blood?”
a rose against blackness
“As Eccesiastics cracked open / the chests of us all / as we watched Sukkot burn…”
light coming through trees
“Blessed are You, Creator of the Universe, who frees the bound.”
A row of tall, slender trees stands on a green, hilly landscape with dense vegetation.
“She’s 19 years old, / younger than my children, / older than my grandchildren: Noa Marciano…”
a photo of many candles
“we remind ourselves / of eternal light at the core / of the universe”
view of earth from space
“Can we fill ourselves with breath / of kindness, breath of calm?”
birds fly towards each other against a blue sky
This poem is dedicated to dedicated to Vivian Silver, z”l, and her vision for peace
a protest for peace

The Reconstructionist Network

Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement

Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis

Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues

Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives

Discover how Jewish folklore and personal memory can spark new poetry—join this creative immersion with poet Susan Comninos. 

Give voice to your own stories through the timeless power of myth and writing.

Get the latest from Ritualwell

Subscribe for the latest rituals, online learning opportunities, and unique Judaica finds from our store.

The Reconstructionist Network