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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

For Survivors of School Shootings

  • by Alden Solovy
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

  • by Rabbi Arthur Waskow
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

  • by Hila Ratzabi
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

  • by Trisha Arlin
gun violence, guns, mass shooting
Four people with arms around each other, facing a lake, showing unity and friendship.

Prayer for Pittsburgh

  • by Marla Baker
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

  • by Eve Lyons
gun violence, kaddish, Pittsburgh
An elderly woman with an umbrella stands thoughtfully by a grave in a cemetery.

Prayer for the Shabbat after Pittsburgh

  • by Rabbi Michael Strassfeld
grief, gun violence, guns, mass shooting, Pittsburgh, violence
Two people hugging each other tightly in a room, both with eyes closed.

Tree of Life

  • by Alden Solovy
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.”
  • by Rabbi Annie Lewis
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

  • by Alden Solovy
grief, gun violence, guns, mass shooting, Pittsburgh, taharah, violence
Close-up of a person holding an open book with Hebrew text, with blurred background.
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