A few months back, David Frum charged that Daily Kos was anti-Semitic over some damn thing or another. Since Harold Ford, Jr. decided to repeat the slur on Meet the Press this morning, I thought I'd repost my response to Frum in his honor.
A prayer for Rosh Hashanah:
Avinu Malkaynu -- Our Parent, Our Sovereign
By Burt Jacobson
Our Father, our King, teach us how to make this year a new beginning.
Our Mother, our Queen, teach us how to grow from the harshness of life.
Our Source and our Destiny, teach us how to accept what we must accept.
Our Guide and our Truth, teach us to change what must be changed.
Our Father, our King, teach us how to face disease and death.
Our Mother, our Queen, teach us how to enjoy the gifts of life.
Our Source and our Destiny, teach us how to make peace with our enemies.
Our Guide and our Truth, teach us how we can best help our people, Israel.
Our Father, our King, teach us how we can best help all humanity.
Our Mother, our Queen, let us find pardon for our wrongdoings.
Our Source and our Destiny, let us return to You, wholly and completely.
Our Guide and our Truth, teach us how to help those who are ill.
Our Father, our King, let us write our names in the Book of Life.
Our Mother, our Queen, help us to find meaningful work.
Our Source and our Destiny, help us to find inner freedom.
Our Guide and our Truth, help us to learn how to love.
Our Father, our King, receive our prayers.
Our Mother, our Queen, teach us how to be good lovers.
Our Source and our Destiny, teach us how to be good parents.
Our Guide and our Truth, teach us how to be good children.
Our Father, our King, teach us how to be good friends.
Our Mother, our Queen, teach us how to be good Jews.
Our Source and our Destiny, teach us how to be good people.
Our Guide and our Truth, teach us how to be one with Your universe.
Avinu malkeinu chaneinu va'aneinu ki ein banu ma'asim
Asai imanu tzedakah va'chesed Ve'hoshi'einu
Avinu malkeinu, grant us justice and bring us salvation,
Grant us justice and loving kindness and bring us salvation.
And Psalm 27, traditionally recited on Rosh Hashanah:
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me
to devour my flesh--
my adversaries and foes--
they shall stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
yet I will be confident.
One thing I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in his temple.
For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will set me high on a rock.
Now my head is lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud,
be gracious to me and answer me!
`Come,' my heart says, `seek his face!'
Your face, Lord, do I seek.
Do not hide your face from me.
Do not turn your servant away in anger,
you who have been my help.
Do not cast me off, do not forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
If my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will take me up.
Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they are breathing out violence.
I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!