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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

“have we become so familiar that we have memorized the Great Lie”

Protesters gather at night, one holding a sign reading White Silence = Violence under a tree.

“Allah, Adonai – please give ear to us”

People holding lit candles, partially shielding the flame with their hands in a dimly lit gathering.

Poem by Israeli peace activist on war with Gaza

Silhouette of a person holding a flowing scarf against a vibrant sunset sky.

Shalom, salaam – the only victory”

Silhouetted group of people holding hands together against a sunset sky.

“our eyes clouded / By rocket fire”

Skyline view of Jerusalem with the Dome of the Rock at sunset, beneath a partly cloudy sky.

“Today we pray in the name of the children”

Ancient stone castle with a tower, silhouetted against a dramatic, colorful sunset sky.

“and so we forget our own house / and walk in g-d’s”

A person walks through a dimly lit stone tunnel towards a sunlit courtyard.

Prayer for those who lost their lives in the Mount Meron stampede on Lag B’Omer, April 29, 2021

a photo of many candles

“Dear God, help us look, / look closer so that we may see / our children in their children”

Group of people holding hands in a circle outdoors, with trees and a bright sun in the background.

Prayer in response to shooting in Atlanta on March 16, 2021

A bowl of various polished stones, with the word Remember engraved on the central stone.

The Reconstructionist Network

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Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis

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