Benching Gomel

Perhaps it is the most mumbled prayer in shuls - by both the person who says it and the jumbled, awkward response that is beyond the normative "amen".  Birkat HaGomel is recited on various conditions explained here, one of which is by someone who has be released from prison. You can watch and read here about Gilad Shalit's recent recitation of birkat hagomel for the first time since his release from captivity - consider the importance of context in all of our tefillot and how when a prayer is said in the right way by the right person, it can really take your breath away.

Answering Prayers

On October 5th, 75 Jewish Schools from around the world participated in the Tefilla for Gilad program. A little more than a week later, Gilad Shalit walked into the embrace of his parents in Israel. Several educators that I bumped into the over the past week mentioned how their students felt as if their tefilla really made a difference.

While the adults I spoke to were happy with the overall result - Gilad's freedom - several had not considered in their prayers the costs associated to a negotiated deal with warring parties. Everyone, at least I think, has conceptually experimented with the tefilla for a snow day before a test in school or to win the lottery, usually with negative results. My friend's grandmother is known to dutifully pray for a certain political party to lose elections to prevent them from gaining power.

How often does one actually see tangible results to prayer? Again, for many of the educators that I spoke to (after the release) were excited for their students to see the follow up to this special prayer forum. Is tefilla just an abstract exercise, a philosophical statement, or something transformational?

Tefilla for Gilad

I feel obliged to share the link for Tefilla for Gilad - which will be held on October 5th, 7PM Israel time, 1 PM Eastern Standard time, and 10 AM Pacific Coast time and you can join via video conference into your classroom.

The event is being organized with the support of the Shalit family.

If there is something that pulls my heart and propels my davening each day - it is the need for humanity to scream out for Gilad Shalit's release. It is the feeling I have when I close my eyes and hear Achenu being sung.