NEW YORK (JTA) — Jewish Women International has created a misheberach prayer to raise awareness of domestic violence.
Created by JWI’s Clergy Task Force, the prayer is multidenominational and written in Hebrew and English. It directs healing specifically to the victims of domestic abuse; the misheberach prayer calls for complete healing of the body and spirit.
The new prayer is being disseminated through rabbinical bodies and other channels. It is intended to be read aloud during High Holidays services, which this year are taking place just before and during National Domestic Violence Awareness month in October.
“When rabbis mention something in public, it signals that they are approachable and available to talk about the issue,” said Rabbi Richard Hirsh, executive director of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association and co-chair of the Clergy Task Force. “It may help someone who may be ambivalent to step forward.”
