Memorial Prayer for the Munich Massacre's 40th Anniversary

I've composed a special prayer to mark the 40th anniversary of the massacre at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, which saw 11 Israeli athletes and coaches killed.

The prayer will be recited in synagogues across the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth on Shabbat, July 28 (8 Av 5772). This coincides with the start of the Olympic Games in London and is the day before Tisha B'Av, the traditional day of mourning in the Jewish calendar.

The prayer -- available to download from the my website -- includes the Hebrew memorial prayer as well as the names of the 11 murdered Israeli athletes and coaches. It is available to any other organisations which may be holding their own commemoration events.

The massacre of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich was a tragic event in the history of the Olympic Games. But for the Jewish people, Munich 1972 is more than history. It is an event forever etched into the hearts and minds of our collective Jewish memory.

History is his story -- an event that happened sometime else to someone else. Memory is my story -- something that happened to me and is part of who I am. History is information. Memory, by contrast, is part of identity.

The 11 Israeli athletes and coaches were targeted not just because of their nationality, but because they were Jews. The attack was carried out on a world stage because it had a global target: the Jewish people.

We are a people whose faith is central to our identity. It is therefore not sufficient for the Munich 11 to be remembered simply in the secular setting. It requires an expression of religious remembrance as well.

That is why I have composed a special prayer of remembrance to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the massacre and to ensure it has a place on the map of Jewish memory.

Coming at a time in the Jewish calendar when we recall the many tragedies that have befallen our people throughout history, the 40th anniversary of the Munich massacre is also a moment when we can recall how, despite the many attempts to destroy our people, our faith has remained intact and the Jewish people, together with the memory of those lost, lives on.

Prayer to Commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Massacre at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich

Almighty God: We, the members of this holy congregation,
Together with members of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth,
Join our prayers to the prayers of others throughout the world,
In remembrance of the 11 Israeli athletes Brutally murdered in an act of terrorism,
At the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich,
Because they were Israelis,
Because they were Jews.

At this time in the Jewish year,
When we remember the destructions of our holy Temples,
And the many tragedies that have befallen our people throughout history,
We mourn their loss
And continue to protest against those who hate our people.

We pray to You, O God:
Comfort the families and friends of the Israeli athletes who continue to grieve
And grant eternal life to those so cruelly robbed of life on earth.

Just as we are united in grief,
Help us stay united in hope.

As we comfort one another under the shadow of death,
Help us strengthen one another in honouring life.

The Olympic message is one of peace, of harmony and of unity,
Teach us, Almighty God, to bring reconciliation and respect between faiths,
As we pray for the peace of Israel,
And for the peace of the world.

May this be Your will and let us say: Amen

 

 

 

Comments

[Joseph Schmoe]

09:08 PM on 07/19/2012

It is bad to kill others except in self-defense.
Everything else is simply attempting to play the victim card and/or divide us and dehumanize us, thereby making it easier to kill people who don't look like us for supremely stupid reasons such as race, religion and nationality.

[pinkibus]

03:22 PM on 07/19/2012

The thing to have is a memorial prayer for the Palestinians. They were cleansed from their land, their houses seized, occupied and looted. The means used to get them to flee their land was terrorism which was used against the British who were supposed to be interim rulers of Palestine (the King David Hotel where eighty were killed) and various hundreds of villages. The Palestinians still are despised and their land is still being seized by Israel. They are imprisoned without charges anf have no chance of going to court. They are tortured and suffer from group punishment, a method used by the Nazis to stop resistance. The Palestinians suffer under military rule and settlers on the occupied West Bank burn their crops, their olive groves and harass them. The Israeli soldiers are part of the harassment. People die at the check points waiting to get through. Humiliation is a tactic to wear them down. They have rationed water, the settlers have swimming pools. Their resistance is called terrorism by the masters of terrorism.

[Meerrinhuff]

10:36 PM on 07/19/2012

As long as the Palestinian Arabs try to justify the cold blooded murder of people having a family meal at a restaurant on the weekend, or children at a day care center, (Ma Alot), or slitting the throats of a family, including a baby, asleep in their beds, or blowing up a bus full of civilians, or the massacre of athletes who just came to participate in an international friendship event, and of course we have 9/11, and try to say that this is an acceptable response to whatever legitimate grievances they have, the civilized world is not going to take their plight seriously. Just for the heck of it, you might try the example of Ghandi, or Martin Luther King. They had injustices at least as great as yours, but they never resorted to terrorist tactics, and I think you must agree that it worked out a little better. TJC

[pinkibus]

01:13 AM on 07/20/2012

Or the Zionists might have tried the ways of Ghandi and Martin Luther King. And for your info - Ghandi wasn't opposed to using violence in certain circumstances and he said his methods would not have worked if he had been dealing with any power other than the British. As to Martin Luther King - suffice to say racism is alive and well in America.

[Osbaldiston]

09:12 AM on 07/20/2012

F&F.

[Osbaldiston]

09:18 AM on 07/20/2012

The Palestinians murder hundreds and hundreds of people and so they suffer the consequences.

You want sympathy? Try NOT murdering Olympic athletes and NOT blowing up school buses with anti-tank rockets.

Or make peace. That's good too.

[pinkibus]

12:27 PM on 07/20/2012

Osbaaldiston you want sympathy try not allowing people to live on the West Bank. It is contrary to international law. And do try to understand - they want their land back. Thousands and thousands and thousands of Palestinians have died. Do you care? I mean white phosphorus is about as low as you can get unless you think of the check points and the Bantustans. Give back the land and peace will prevail.