Please – Sim Shalom- Jewish Prayer for Peace

Please (Sim Shalom) is a song I wrote in an effort to encourage each and every one of us to seek our own role in the sacred effort towards peace in our world. This is a simple peace song for kids that can be used in Jewish or non Jewish settings. 

One of the most powerful things I glean from prayer is through petitioning God for what I initially think God needs to grant. I often discover ways that I can take responsibility towards meeting the goal I am imagining. This is particularly true of Mi Sheberach prayers- I ask God to help a person I love heal, feel better, and I am always reminded that a visit, gift or phone call will help that person, and I should take the steps that I can towards improving their condition.

The “only in your head” verse is an example of audiation- which is a cognitive skill necessary for literacy- it is a big word that I like to teach little ones, and it reminds parents that this enjoyable, emotional connective moments are building cognitive and academic skills, too!  

Engagement Techniques:

• Echo.
• Make up your own verse.
• Facilitate a discussion asking for examples of what each of these things look and feel like.

Big Question:

Ask community members if they can report a time they saw, felt, or did one an example of one of these things: peace, goodness, blessing, grace, kindness, mercy. 

At the conclusion of the song or service, invite participants to share something that they are going to contribute this week in our sacred journey towards peace.