CCAR

By Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar

Prayer is an articulation of our noblest desires, our deepest yearnings, and our darkest places. The prayers in this collection speak directly to the complexity of human life--whether you seek expression for joy, wonder, perplexity, or heartache, for personal use or for your community, you will find here a voice for your experience that will help you linger in the blessings and move forward through the pain. This collection includes prayers for personal use, prayers for use at communal gatherings, prayers and readings for moments of grief and moments of joy, a collection of daily Psalms, and focus phrases and questions for meditation. These readings for contemplative practice and communal gatherings will aid in the search for clarity, for strength beyond what we know, and for an affirmation of holiness, of goodness, of the grandeur of God.

Table of Contents

Read an excerpt from the book

Listen to Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar on the Seekers of Meaning Podcast.

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Watch Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar's conversation "Finding Spiritual Depth in a Flattened World"

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"Prayer has been my tether, my sandbox, my joy. And amen is the punctuation to the perpetual search. This is my offering."
- Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar

"Kedar illuminates grief and loss as teachers for the soul. ...Amen will be a wonderful resource for retreats, in spiritual direction, peer supervision groups, fellowships and group spiritual direction, or individual personal reflection."
- Presence: An International Journal of Spiritual Direction

"A groundbreaking rabbi and author, Karyn Kedar has plumbed her soul to nurture the souls of those she serves. This latest offering of prayers, so deeply personal that they can be prayed by anyone, is an offering of love. It is grounded in love, gratitude, and forgiveness. It is inspired by turning mindful attention to what is true in each moment, an exercise that reveals "that I am not alone. / And the only thing I must do/is not deny, or ignore, but rather, / implore, / God, / help me live in the sweep of great/ love." - Rabbi Jonathan P. Slater, Senior Program Director, Institute for Jewish Spirituality

"Poetry and prayer to touch the soul by a rabbi who thinks deeply, cares passionately, and writes beautifully. "A gentle yet steady embrace of the mystery" we call life, the author says of her book. To which I gratefully respond Amen." - Rabbi Dr. Lawrence Hoffman, PhD, The Barbara and Stephen Friedman Professor Emeritus of Liturgy, Worship, and Ritual

"This book is a cornucopia of prayer, poetry, and practices. Your eyes will see more beauty, your heart will become wiser and more loving, your spirit lifted and comforted as you sit with this remarkable collection. Seekers, pastoral caregivers, meditators, spiritual directors, leaders, and teachers will refer to it often!" - Barbara Breitman, author of Jewish Spiritual Direction

"Karyn Kedar records the contours of a soul's human journey with the gifts of a poet, a mystic, and a leader whose kind curiosity and courage permeate each page. This collection of personal prayers and reflections offers depth and inspiration that open the heart to gaze upon the soul, God, and this human life in times of solitude and in community. Kedar's Amen is itself a sustained prayer, subtle and bold, nuanced and naked at once. I find myself saying "Amen!" to this potent, provocative, and tender invitation into a prayerful orientation towards life, death, and the Mystery of Presence that pervades it all." - Rabbi Myriam Klotz, Director, Bekhol Levavkha Jewish Spiritual Director, Training and Spiritual Direction Programs, HUC-JIR