Rabbi Morton Pomerantz
Sunday, Dec. 29, 2002

Typically, these clergymen pray that we will be magnanimous to our adversaries and that we will not be vengeful.

Oftentimes not a word of prayer is offered for our president or for the men and women in uniform who are defending our country in distant lands.

The thinking among the Religious Left is the thought that we had initiated this conflict by flying aircraft into the enemy's center of commerce and into the headquarters of his defense establishment.

From listening to these prayers, one would never get the feeling that America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by a foreign foe willing to strike by using airliners filled with innocent men, women and children.

As a believing Jew, I have a profound admiration for such people as Jerry Falwell. His utterances and those of others who believe in One God give me the reassuring feeling that we are all living in the same world, and that those events which I saw happen did in fact happen.

Only God is perfect. America has her shortcomings, but nothing that America is or has done justifies a cowardly attack upon her by those with whom we were at peace, especially employing commercial airliners to kill innocent people.

What, then, would be an appropriate prayer during these troubled times?

Allow me to leave you with my prayer; if you find it useful and appropriate, feel free to use it at public occasions without any attribution to me:

Almighty and merciful God, our thoughts turn to thee during this time of war and trouble.

We ask thy blessing and thy healing upon our country and for those who lost dear ones in the attack upon us on September 11. Help us all to regain our strength and our courage and to do those things that must be done.

We ask thy blessing upon President Bush, our commander in chief; upon all the officers and all the enlisted personnel of every branch of our armed forces. Guard them, shield them and protect them from all harm and injury. Help them to feel thy presence, and, after victory has been achieved, restore them in good spirits and in good health to their families, their friends and a grateful nation.

Help us to remember the heroism and the courage of those who founded this nation and those who sustained it. Help us to emulate those Americans who came before us. Always help us as individuals and as a nation to seek with all our hearts, to do thy will in all things.

God Bless America!

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