Acheinu
Acheinu(Hebrew:אַחֵינוּ, Our brothers) is aJewish prayercalling for the release of captives.
History
[edit]According to Rabbi Elie Kaunfer of theHadar Institute,theAcheinuprayer first appeared in theMahzor Vitry,asiddurauthored in the 11th century.[1]
Composition and use
[edit]Acheinuis a request to God to have mercy on captives and facilitate their redemption and release. It is akin to similar calls to liberate captives on other Jewish occasions, such as thePassover seder.[1]
In the 1980s, songwriterAbie Rotenbergcomposed aniggunbased on the Acheinu prayer text,[2]which he included on his 1990 albumLev V’Nefesh.Released at the height of theFirst Intifada,Rotenberg's version became one the most widely used versions ofAcheinuas an anthem.[3]
During theIsrael-Hamas warand the enduringhostage crisis,"Acheinu" became a common anthem for Jewish communities[4][2][5]alongside the more upbeat "Am Yisrael Chai",with" Acheinu "sung more frequently at funerals,shivas,and prayer times. Jewish a cappella groupThe Maccabeatssung "Acheinu" at theMarch for Israel,and political commentatorBen Shapirosang the song during his syndicated radio show.[3]
Liturgy
[edit]The Acheinu prayer is recited during theTorah service,when theTorahis out of theark.Ashkenazi Jewssay Acheinu on Mondays and Thursdays, after the reading of the Torah.[1]
See also
[edit]- Mi Sheberach,Jewish prayer to request a blessing from God
External links
[edit]- Text atZemirot Database
References
[edit]- ^abcKaunfer, Elie."Acheinu: A Prayer for Freeing Captives".My Jewish Learning.70 Faces Media.Retrieved5 January2024.
- ^abGolding, David Nachman (2023-11-07)."We're All Acheinu".Mishpacha.Retrieved5 January2024.
- ^ab"Acheinu – A Modern Classic".The Jewish Press.2023-11-30.Retrieved5 January2024.
- ^Hajdenberg, Jackie (2024-09-02)."New Yorkers hold vigil to mourn 6 slain hostages recovered from Gaza".New York Jewish Week.Retrieved2 September2024.
- ^Dov, Yehuda (2024-01-04)."Soldiers Near Captives In Southern Gaza Sing Acheinu".VIN News.Retrieved5 January2024.