Communal Tragedy

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

For Survivors of School Shootings

grief, gun violence, guns, mass shooting, Sandy Hook, suicide

A smiling woman with long hair and a man with a shaved head standing outdoors side by side in a split image.

The Presence of an Absence

Esther, fasting, gun violence, guns, mass shooting

A stone with Remember engraved on it rests on a tree stump with green moss.

And There Was Morning: A Prayer for New Zealand

gun violence, guns, mass shooting

Sunlight shining through the canopy of lush green trees in a forest, creating a serene and vibrant atmosphere.

As We Pray

gun violence, guns, mass shooting

Four people with arms around each other, facing a lake, showing unity and friendship.

Prayer for Pittsburgh

grief, gun violence, guns, mass shooting, Pittsburgh

A group of people standing in a circle with arms around each other in a wooded area.

Kaddish for the Tree of Life Synagogue

gun violence, kaddish, Pittsburgh

An elderly woman with an umbrella stands thoughtfully by a grave in a cemetery.

Prayer for the Shabbat after Pittsburgh

grief, gun violence, guns, mass shooting, Pittsburgh, violence

Two people hugging each other tightly in a room, both with eyes closed.

Tree of Life

grief, gun violence, guns, mass shooting, Pittsburgh

Four people stand in a circle outside, embracing one another closely with their arms around each other.

Ahavah Rabbah: Unending Love for Pittsburgh

“We are beautiful. / We are beloved. / We are worthy of life.”

antisemitism, grief, gun violence, guns, mass shooting, Pittsburgh, violence

group of people outside at candlelit vigil - two people shown leaning down lighting candles

Taharot in Pittsburgh

grief, gun violence, guns, mass shooting, Pittsburgh, taharah, violence

Close-up of a person holding an open book with Hebrew text, with blurred background.