Israeli Independence Day: Yom Ha'Atzmaut

On the fifth day of the month of Iyar, Israeli Independence Day celebrates the founding of the State of Israel. Originally corresponding to the date May 14, 1948, Yom Ha’Atzmaut commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Tel Aviv. Many rituals and prayers have been added to traditional liturgy to mark this historic occasion, including the Prayer for the State of Israel and the Prayer for Peace. As Israel’s sovereignty did not come without a cost, Yom Ha’Atzmaut is celebrated the day after Yom Ha’Zikaron (Israeli Memorial Day), which honors those who lost their lives for the establishment of the Jewish state. Today, as tension and unrest continue to define the state of affairs between Israelis and Palestinians, we turn to ritual, prayer, and poetry as a container for our hopes and dreams for peace and safety.

Latest Rituals

“The stones are full of mystical light”
view of jerusalem western wall sunlit day with blue sky
“Open our hearts and minds as wide as canyons”
Bridge to Peace

Prayer for Israeli leaders to work toward peace

A Prayer for the Leadership of Israel

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

No Pain Like My Pain

“My body, this wall of Herodian stone …”

Overlooking Jerusalem

Prayer for peace and acknowledgment of the suffering of Palestinians

A Jewish Prayer for Nakba Day

Praying for a peaceful and just future for the world

A Prayer for Reparation and Restoration

“the map is the shape of our children”

Middle Eastern Geography: A Prayer for the Cessation of Annexation

“May this prayer help open hearts and bring down walls of oppression for all humanity”

A Prayer for the Palestinian People

The Reconstructionist Network

Jewish Art as
Self-Defense

Join Black, Queer Jewish artist Ayeola Omolara Kaplan for a deep dive into creating artwork informed by Jewish social justice work. 

Four sessions, starting Feb. 28th

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