Eleven Days in September (2002)

By Rabbi Arthur Waskow*
(Written on Sept.12, 2001).

When the Jewish community celebrates the harvest festival, we build “sukkot.”

What is a “sukkah”? Just a fragile hut with a leafy roof, the most vulnerable of houses. Vulnerable in time, where it lasts for only a week each year. Vulnerable in space, where its roof must be not only leafy but leaky — letting in the starlight, and gusts of wind and rain.

In the evening prayers, we plead with God — “Ufros alenu sukkat shlomekha” — “Spread over all of us Your sukkah of shalom.”

Why a sukkah?— Why does the prayer plead to God for a “sukkah of shalom” rather than God’s “tent” or “house” or “palace” of peace?   Read more »

Marge Piercy, the Prophet Ezekiel, "Ashes & Stone", 9/8/2003

We are making available three passages of liturgy/ poetry/ prophecy that you might find useful in memorials for the dead of 9/11 — and those who are still dying .

(According to recent news reports, delays and falsehoods by the Environmental Protection Agency about environmental dangers in the pulverized dust from the Twin Towers has probably condemned hundreds or thousands of others, and their children, to illnesses and deaths that are still unfolding.)

The poet and novelist Marge Piercy did us the great honor of sending THE SHALOM REPORT a memorial poem for us to circulate to you. We invite you to use it, as part of your own memorial.

Below Piercy's poem we have emplaced two other passages you might want to use for memorials: a "Litany of Dust and Ashes" and a pasaage from the prophet Ezekiel.

Al three serve well to encourage reflection on what happened and why, rather than mere reaction. Reflection that helps, like our reflection in a mirror, to let us look within our selves.

Shalom,

Arthur   Read more »

Marge Piercy, 9/7/2003

Dear Friends,

The poet and novelist Marge Piercy did us the great honor of sending THE SHALOM REPORT this memorial poem for us to circulate to you. We invite you to use it, as part of your own memorial. It serves well to encourage reflection, not mere reaction.

Shalom,

Arthur   Read more »

By Rabbi Arthur Waskow*

New Yorkers and Americans have still not decided what should be built where stood the tall Twin Towers. Perhaps the answer is simple, and leafy, and leaky, and shaky. Perhaps we should build there simply a sukkah.   Read more »

By Arthur Waskow*

This September 11, we can once more pour out our tears upon the blood of our dead — and yet learn nothing, grow nowhere.

Or we can reflect upon what happened, assess our own responsibility for creating the conditions in which terrorism festered, and learn how to prevent the deaths of others. We can grow to new dignity and wisdom as a society.   Read more »

Ched Myers

"Are they bombing Disneyland?": The Children's Truth

By Ched Myer

A friend of mine who teaches in the local public school reported that this was the first question asked her by third graders the morning of September 11th, as the news of the terrorist attacks filtered out across the social landscape of America.

Reflecting on that throughout the following days, I concluded that once again the children have pointed us to the truth.   Read more »

Congressman Ron Paul, Scott Ritter, Richard Falk

Commemorating 9/11: War in Iraq — Rushing or Reflecting?

"Eleven Days in September" is focused on the need to remember, reflect, and renew. If we seek to encourage reflection on the meaning of 9/11 and the place of America in the world, one issue that would seem important to reflect on is the possibility of a US war with Iraq.   Read more »

Rev. Patricia Pierce

Casting Stones and Ashes:

In Memory of the Dead of 9/11/01
And All Victims of War and Terrorism

For vibrant lives suddenly and shamelessly sacrificed we lift up the ashes of our loss, O God.

For the lives that continue, haunted forever by the pain of absence we lift up the ashes of our remorse, O God.

For the conflagration of flames and nightmare images forever seared into our memories we lift up the ashes of our pain, O God.

For the charred visions of peace and the dry taste of fear we lift up the ashes of our grief, O God.   Read more »

Brad Rubin

Choosing Life that You and All Seeds Shall Live: Renewing the Covenant after September 11

By Brad Rubin

[This essay was spoken as a d'var Torah, an interpretation of Torah, at Congregation Adas Israel in Washington, DC, on Shabbat Nitzavim, September 15.]

Shabbat Shalom. First and foremost, let me begin by thanking God that all of us in this room are alive, and I hope against hope that at least no one here lost family or close friends in any of the week's tragic events. If you did, my heart goes out to you, as I think everyone else's does. . . .   Read more »

Tehilla Ruth   Read more »