The following prayer was originally shared at the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station's 2014 Holocaust Remembrance Service by Rabbi David Katz.
Ribbono shel Olam -- Master of the Universe:
On this most solemn of occasions, we open our hearts, minds, and souls to you.
As we remember the six million, the eleven million, the indifference, and the evil;
As we honor the heroes, the martyrs, the survivors, and the victims;
We ask you to soothe our souls, to amplify our memories, to strengthen our resolve, and to hear our prayers.
We ask for your presence in our midst; for healing, light, and love to
soothe and ease our pain, as we commemorate the horrors that were
committed not long ago. Please, oh Holy One, be gentle with our souls.
We ask that you help us to forever remember the stories we hear. As
tales of the atrocities are shared, as we re-encounter the unthinkable,
we ask that these memories be strengthened and never fade, in the hope
that those who remember the mistakes of the past will not repeat them.
Please, oh Holy One, amplify our ability to remember.
We ask that you strengthen our will, that you help us to ensure that
the world does not again see such monstrosities. We say "never again"
and we dedicate ourselves to this principle, to the idea that justice
does not allow persecution, that genocide shall not be repeated, and
that vigilance is the responsibility of freedom, at all costs. Please,
oh Holy One, make manifest our resolve that these horrors remain but
memories.
We ask that you answer our prayers. We pray that the call of evil falls
on deaf ears, that those who fight for freedom and justice always
prevail, that those who need protection do not become victims. We pray
that the lessons we learn from this darkest hour allow all humankind to
better itself, and to truly and nobly embody the idea that we are each
made in Your image. We pray for the souls of the millions and millions
of victims of this brutality; we pray that we honor their lives and
their memories by observing this day, and by doing everything in our
power and beyond to make sure that no such shadow again darkens our
world.
Above all, we pray for shalom -- for wholeness and peace -- to
be in our midst, now and forever. Please, oh Holy One, answer our
prayers and bring us a world devoid of hatred, filled instead with
peace.
Ken yehi ratzon -- may this be God's will. And may we all say together, Amen.
The Nazi persecution of the Jews began with hateful words, escalated to
discrimination and dehumanization, and culminated in genocide. The
consequences for the Jewish people were horrific, but suffering and death was not
limited to them. Millions of others were victimized, displaced, forced
into slave labor, and murdered. The Holocaust shows us that when one group
is targeted, all people are vulnerable.
This is a lesson that is important to remember today when we see the rise of political and social discrimination and dehumanization of our fellow human beings online and in the real world. The dangers and the consequences are very real. Six million of our fellow human beings are a testament to this. Men, women, and children, all of whom had a name, had dreams, had family -- who mattered as much as anyone else living today. May we never forget their memories.
NEVER AGAIN!
In Jesus name, Amen!
