Dr. Emily AronoffA Prayer for Peace
FREE LEAD SHEET
When we join in song, we unite our hearts, minds, and spirits in the sacred space of music. Back in 2012, I released the “Oseh Shalom” zipper song to connect with children and families on a deeper level, hoping to spark dialogues and visions of a more peaceful world. It is one of my favorite songs to share with children and their families, a flexible zipper song ideal for adapting to personal connections and reflections during Tot Shabbat programs. In light of the devastation that unfolded on October 7, 2023, discussing and promoting peace has become more important than ever. This year, I added this introduction and it added depth and meaning- particularly for the adults in the room.
Peace Song Introduction during Difficult Times
These are the words I added on 2023- I typically strum through the song and hum through the melody before singing the, just after silent prayer:
I am worried
I am sad
I am confused
and I am mad
I want Israel
to be safe & free
but we don’t know yet
how that will be
Exploring Peace with Young Minds
To help children understand and embody the message of “Oseh Shalom,” it’s crucial to communicate the concept of peace in developmentally appropriate terms, here are a few phrasing that have worked for my learning environments:
- “Peace is when everyone has what they need, so there is no fighting.”
- “Peace means we all get along and care for each other.”
- “Peace happens when we help and work together.”
The Zipper Song: A Bridge to Personalization
The “Oseh Shalom” zipper song is an adaptation of a traditional Jewish prayer for peace. A “zipper song” is a flexible tune, where one or more words can be replaced in real-time to create a unique version. This format promotes engagement, imagination, and self-expression, enabling children to personalize the prayer.
Songleading Strategies for Gonna’ Make Peace:
I collect ideas to ‘zip’ into the song in a few ways- in real time, spontaneously as we share it, with post-it notes distrubuted ahead of time, or I’ll illicit the ideas in a classroom setting to be share later, like this:
Chords and Lyrics:
Chords: G, C, D
Lyrics as written:
We’re gonna make peace in this world, peace in this world, peace in this world.
We’re gonna share love in this world, love in this world, love in this world.
We’re gonna pray for this world, pray for this world, pray for this world.
Please G-d, make peace in this world, peace in this world, peace in this world.
Oseh Shalom, Bimromav hu yaaseh shalom aleinu. (x2)
Nurturing Unity through Music
This “Oseh Shalom” zipper song offers an engaging and interactive way to foster connections, introspection, and spiritual growth among children and families. By embedding the principles of peace into our shared musical experiences, we can cultivate a stronger sense of unity and deepen our roots in Jewish tradition
