“The massacre of eleven Israeli athletes and coaches at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich was a tragic event in the history of the Olympic Games. But for the Jewish people, Munich 1972 is more than history. It is an event forever etched into the hearts and minds of our collective Jewish memory. History is his story – an event that happened sometime else to someone else. Memory is my story – something that happened to me and is part of who I am. History is information. Memory, by contrast, is part of identity. The eleven Israeli athletes and coaches were targeted not just because of their nationality, but because they were Jews. The attack was carried out on a world stage because it had a global target: the Jewish people. We are a people whose faith is central to our identity. It is therefore not sufficient for the Munich 11 to be remembered simply in the secular setting. It requires an expression of religious remembrance as well. That is why I have composed a special prayer of remembrance to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the massacre and to ensure it has a place on the map of Jewish memory. Coming at a time in the Jewish calendar when we recall the many tragedies that have befallen our people throughout history, the fortieth anniversary of the Munich massacre is also a moment when we can recall how, despite the many attempts to destroy our people, our faith has remained intact and the Jewish people, together with the memory of those lost, lives on.”
Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks
The eleven Israeli athletes murdered at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich
The Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks has composed the following prayer in memory of the 40th anniversary of the massacre of eleven Israeli athletes who were participating in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. Please click here to download a PDF copy of the prayer, together with Hebrew memorial prayer including the names of the eleven Israeli athletes.
Almighty God:
We, the members of this holy congregation,
Together with members of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth,
Join our prayers to the prayers of others throughout the world,
In remembrance of the eleven Israeli athletes
Brutally murdered in an act of terrorism,
At the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich,
Because they were Israelis,
Because they were Jews.
At this time in the Jewish year,
When we remember the destructions of our holy Temples,
And the many tragedies that have befallen our people throughout history,
We mourn their loss
And continue to protest against those who hate our people.
We pray to You, O God:
Comfort the families and friends of the Israeli athletes who continue to grieve
And grant eternal life to those so cruelly robbed of life on earth.
Just as we are united in grief,
Help us stay united in hope.
As we comfort one another under the shadow of death,
Help us strengthen one another in honouring life.
The Olympic message is one of peace, of harmony and of unity,
Teach us, Almighty God, to bring reconciliation and respect between faiths,
As we pray for the peace of Israel,
And for the peace of the world.
May this be Your will and let us say: Amen
B”H
Dear Chief Rabbi
I have been working with Barry Shaw in co-ordinating this campaign in South Africa.
I have had the pleasure of meeting you in your home when I still lived in London. Reading your beautiful prayer I remember again how your presence and wisdom filled me with a great sense of peace.
Bless you and your wonderful leadership.
With very deepest gratitude and thanks
Brenda Stern
This prayer is both beautiful and inspiring. Each word is a gem and thank you Rabbi. Will you be posting something (inspirational) to help us through the difficult events of this past tragic week.
Hi Jay,
The Chief Rabbi issues a statement about this week’s tragic attack in Bulgaria. You can find this under “About OCR => Press Office” on the website.
Regards,
Dan Sacker
Director of Communications
Office of the Chief Rabbi
Good Luck on your holding a communal recitation of Kaddish. My name is Steve Gold, Chair of the Munich 11 Petition Campaign started by Ankie Spitzer and JCC Rockland. Would appreciate if you could link our site to your cause.
http://www.change.org/oneminute
Thanks so much
Thank you Rabbi, I share your prayer and hope that healing , mercy , peace and love will give the world better energy and help people everywhere to prosper and have happiness.
thank you for your prayers and hope for the people of the world to find lasting peace, happiness , comfort and joy . I join your prayer with Amen.
Dear Chief Rabbi,
Thank you for taking the time to honor the memory of the Israeli athletes. One of the athletes, David Berger Z”L, grew up in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, and the Jewish community of Cleveland has erected a memorial to him at the Jewish Community Center. Our family has long been friends with his family, and having a personal connection to a victim of terrorism heightens one’s feelings about tragic events related to terrorism. May their memory be a blessing. Shalom.
Dear Chief Rabbi
I am going to play “devils’s’ advocate
The Jewisn people always remember their tragedies. When a rock falls on person’s foot, each person experience the pain and the suffering in a different way. Is the pain of the Jewish people not subjective to them? Do we have the right to make others remember our pain and suffering?
Is it not our obligation to make our pain and siffering part of a bigger picture? Showoing our humanity to others and the wrongfulness of the massacre of any human beings..
Regards
Marilyn Dennill
What a splendid idea and lovely prayer.
I had the privilege of being at the Munich Olympics with my late Father for a wonderful, atmospheric weekend (despite having been allocated accommodation, ironically, in the nearby town of Dachau).
What a shock it was to get back (to my parents’ Wiesbaden) home and wake up one morning the following week to hear the appalling news.
dear chief rabbi an inspiring prayer of peace.thankyou. we wish all the athletes a great and peaceful games over the coming weeks
Dear Rabbi: Thank you for keeping their memories alive and ensuring WE never forget
Stay Well and strong and keep inspiring and motivating us
No hablo inglés, aun así estoy molesta con los organizadores de las Olimpíadas, ya que no autorizaron el minuto de silencio en recuerdo de los atletas asesinados en Munich en 1972. 40 Años que para muchos no tiene relevancia.
Dear Chief Rabbi
I write on behalf of Bridges for Peace Australia and the many Christians associated with us who stand unconditionally with Israel and against the bigotry of antisemitism in all its manifestations. I want to thank you for this prayerful expression of what surely is in the heart of all who long for true peace, hope and healing in our fractured world.
Keith Buxton
National Director, Bridges for Peace Australia
Dear Rabbi
We shall never forget and thank you for making this prayer available to us all so
we can remember and go on. I wish all the athletes great and peaceful games.
Be well
Honey
The head of the IOC has not the morality or guts to commemorate the worst event in Olympic history. It is a point of principle and not the fact that all but one who were assassinated were Jews. Let us hope the crowd at the opening ceremony shows him what is ethically and morally right. He should bow his head in shame.
Dear Rabbi
May the spirit intended by the Latin words “Citius-Altius-Fortius” the motto for today’s Olympics, meaning “Faster, higher, stronger” translate to one’s focus on bettering one’s achievements, rather than on coming in first. And may your prayer be heard by all in this spirit, too.
Beautiful, inspiring prayer; if only the IOC could have incorporated it into a one minute moment of silence during this evening’s opening ceremony!
I do not mean to be picayune, but I believe there is a grammatical error in the Hebrew text of the prayer at the end where it reads: “tehi nafsham zrurot b’zrur ha-hayyim” (תְהִי נַּפְשָם צְרוּרוֹת בִצְרוֹר הַּחַּיִים). Since zruror is modifying the feminine singular word nefesh, as the form of “tehi” is correctly used, I believe the proper text should be “tehi nafsham zrura b’zrur ha-hayyim” (תְהִי נַּפְשָם צְרוּרָה בִצְרוֹר הַּחַּיִים) or alternatively, “yehu nishmotehem zrurot b’zrur ha-hayyim” (יֵהוּ נִשְמוֹתֵיהֶם צְרוּרוֹת בִצְרוֹר הַּחַּיִים). See for example the usage of the word “nafsham” in Vayiqra 26:43 and Yeshayahu 66:3.
בבניין ירושלים ננוחם
May we be comforted with the rebuilding of Jerusalem
Rabbi:
Thank you for your prayer. Our Rabbi, Phil Cohen, at Agudas Israel Congregation in Hendersonville,NC concluded his sermon with it last night. I found it to be most moving and beautiful. I have posted the link to my facebook page with hope that it will be picked up and passed around to others.
Dear Rabbi,
thank you for this commemorative prayers. A question is on my mind that i believe everyone who believes in the Almighty God should answer: Should anyone who believes in God participate in Olympics? Why choose Tisha B’Av as the day to commence Olympic 2012 which to me is a Modern Day show of global idolatory and worship of Satan through humanism?
Shalom Rabbi,
Your prayer on behalf of the fallen athletes really hit home. A good few years ago I had the pleasure of briefly meeting you on a Friday morning at the Imbal hotel in Jerusalem. Being from the USA and not from the commonwealth I am not privelaged to hear you that often.
Shalom Rav
I did try and write to you when I first saw this prayer and enclosed a letter to the local vicar at St George’s church in Newbury. He incorporated your prayer in Last Sunday’s early morning services (8am and 9.30am) and a number of parishioners commented on the beauty and compassion of your words. We just do not see the pain of our fellow humans enough.
Thank you for your prayers. They are the inspiration we need.
David Moffat
Our Cantor lead us in Prayers in response to your request.
Our Sydney Olympic Park has lighting towers on a section of Olympic Boulevard outsise our main Stadium
and the Superdome – one for each host ciy in the twentieth centuary.
The tower for the Munich Games has a plaque in memory of the 11 Israeli athletes who were participating in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.
I was so moved at your request that I ent to the Munich Tower and paused in prayer to remember them.
May G_d comfort their families
As it was, the Jews were and always will be the target from the rest of the
world.