On the Anniversary of Oct.7

For All Our Sins

Al het shehetanu

 For the babies in their beds

For the toddlers with their toys

For the families in their safe rooms

For the kibbutzniks in their courtyards

For the farmers in their fields

For the dancers in the desert

For the maimed and the mutilated

For the abducted and the abused

For the famished and the starved

For the guards in their gatehouses

For the police at their posts

For the soldiers in their barracks

For all these fallen Sons of Israel

For all these darkened Stars of David

For all these exhausted Lions of Judah

salach lanu; machal lanu; kaper lanu

For not protecting the innocent;

And for not prosecuting the guilty.

For not freeing the captives;

And for not comforting the bereaved.

For not calling out the antisemites who masquerade as anti-Zionists;

And for not calling out the anti-Zionists who masquerade as anti-colonialists.

For underestimating the hate of our enemies;

And for overestimating the love of our friends.

For thinking that by dividing we could conquer;

And for thinking that by ignoring we could prosper.

For delaying accountability

And for evading responsibility.

 For criticizing only the far-right or the far-left;

And for criticizing only this party or that party.

 For loving our own comforts too much;

And for loving our own countries too little.

For all these, salach lanu; machal lanu; kaper lanu

May we repent and may we be forgiven.