I definitely have some favorites when it comes to melodies of prayers that in my opinion are not only beautiful, but that I feel also really convey the essence of the text for which they were composed. But regarding one of those prayers, as beautiful as the melody is, I wish it wasn’t necessary to have to recite it at all. The prayer, Acheinu, is a plea for God’s help to free our Jewish brethren being held captive and is found in the weekday morning Torah service (said on Mondays and Thursdays). Acheinu has been used in times of crisis throughout Jewish history, but since the massacre of October 7th, 2023, Jews all over the world, including at CBI, have been including Acheinu in our daily services praying for the release of those taken hostage on October 7th , and additionally in Israel, Acheinu has been recited at funerals, Shiva houses, and rallies, and on other occasions when people gather as a community.
The prayer’s translation is: Our brothers, the whole house of Israel, who are in distress or captivity, whether they are found on the sea or on dry land: May the All-Present have mercy upon them, and bring them forth from trouble to comfort, from darkness to light, and from subjection to redemption, now, speedily and soon.
It is the widely known expressive and powerful melody of this prayer, composed by Abie Rotenberg in 1990, that touches my soul so deeply every time I sing it or hear it. Rottenberg released Acheinu as an inspiring song during the height of the First Intifada and, shortly after the outbreak of the Gulf War, amidst Scud missiles and threats of chemical warfare, Acheinu took off worldwide as an anthem of courage and hope. When the composer was asked recently how he felt about the role the song is playing now, Rotenberg said, “I hope and pray that soon the song will be a footnote in history.” Rotenberg also offered an almost epilogue to the song: “There once was a song called Acheinu, We’d sing it when we were in pain…, Now no one recalls the refrain.”
Kein Y’hi Ratzon. May it be so
As we pray for the speedy release of the hostages still held in Gaza, here is a beautiful and emotional rendition of Rotenberg’s Acheinu.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=87Ooph8w1pk
