Prayer on the Tenth Anniversary of the attacks on 9/11/2001 - 09112011

Avinu Malkeinu/Parent and Sovereign of All:

As we mark a decade since September 11, 2001, we turn to You for guidance 

and support. Help us:

• To remember the individuals who died in the murderous attacks who had names and dreams, life stories and loved ones-- each of them an Image of God, a unique individual, an entire universe.
• To recall with profound gratitude the heroism of first responders, their bravery and caring devotion to society-- as well as the compassion and chesed of ordinary citizens who turned to help both strangers and friends.
• To restore the unity of the human family, which more than ever must manifest the kinship of humanity and interdependence.
• To reject prejudice, hatred, and violence -- in words and in deeds --countering them with a vision of pluralism, mutual dignity, and respect.
• To relate to survivors of terror worldwide, with deepened understanding and support, and extend our open hearts and outstretched arms, to be as helpful and possible.
• To reprioritize, on the basis of many faith traditions, the allocation of resources, especially during challenging economic times so that health, safety, housing, education, and other basic needs are protected.
• To continue to honor and support those who have bravely served in our country’s defense
• To reinvest in programs and services that aid the indigent, the suffering, and the traumatized, and build ever-stronger bridges of civil discourse and positive intergroup relations.
• To rekindle Hope and Trust -- especially but not only in our young people – in a caring community, and in a just and merciful society.
• To replace hateful tribalism with constructive community, xenophobic exclusion with principled outreach, so that the social contract is enhanced and the bond of all humanity deepened.
• To respond to this and every anniversary of 9/11 by building a better life, of health, happiness, justice, and peace, repairing our broken world through Torah, learning, contemplation, and deeds of lovingkindness. 

So may we do – let us say amen.