A Prayer for When Children are Forcibly Separated from Parents
By Rabbi Paul Kipnes
Pray for the children
The ones who were taken away
And pray for the leaders
Whose moral compasses have gone astray
Pray for the kids
Who wallow in their cages
And pray for the guards
Whose work sullies their wages
Pray for the dads
Who are now childless and under arrest
And pray for the moms
Whose kids were ripped right from their breasts
Pray for the parents
Away from their children day and night
And pray for our government
Which desperately needs to see the light
Pray for the religious
Whose values others erroneously claim
To justify pulling children from their parents
But really, they just profane God’s name
Pray for the people
Who avert their eyes from this travesty
And pray for government
Which employs this immoral strategy
But mostly,
Pray for the children
Created b’tzelem Elohim*
And pray for us all
As we all suffer the wretched parts of the American dream
* B’tzelem Elohim = created in God’s image
Read: 26 Jewish organizations declare: Families belong together!