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Acheinu (Hebrew: אַחֵינוּ, Our brothers) is a Jewish prayer calling for the release of captives.
History
[edit]The Acheinu prayer first appears in the Mahzor Vitry, a siddur authored in the 11th century,[1][2]
Composition and use
[edit]Acheinu is a request to God to have mercy on captives and facilitate their redemption and release. It is akin to similar calls to liberate captives on other Jewish occasions, such as the Passover seder.[2]
In the 1980s, songwriter Abie Rotenberg composed a niggun based on the Acheinu prayer text,[3] which he included on his 1990 album Lev V’Nefesh. Released at the height of the First Intifada, Rotenberg's version became one the most widely used versions of Acheinu as an anthem.[4]
During the Israel-Hamas war and the enduring hostage crisis, "Acheinu" became a common anthem for Jewish communities[5][3][6] alongside the more upbeat "Am Yisrael Chai", with "Acheinu" sung more frequently at funerals, shivas, and prayer times. Jewish a cappella group The Maccabeats sung "Acheinu" at the March for Israel, and political commentator Ben Shapiro sang the song during his syndicated radio show.[4]
Liturgy
[edit]Ashkenazic Jews say Acheinu on Mondays and Thursdays, after the reading of the Torah, when the Torah is out of the ark.[7] Sephardic Jews recite it as an introduction to Birkat Hachodesh, recited on the Sabbath before Rosh Chodesh.[8]
See also
[edit]- Mi Sheberach, Jewish prayer to request a blessing from God
External links
[edit]- Text at Zemirot Database
References
[edit]- ^ Machzor Vitri 199.
- ^ a b Kaunfer, Elie. "Acheinu: A Prayer for Freeing Captives". My Jewish Learning. 70 Faces Media. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ a b Golding, David Nachman (2023-11-07). "We're All Acheinu". Mishpacha. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Acheinu – A Modern Classic". The Jewish Press. 2023-11-30. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ Hajdenberg, Jackie (2024-09-02). "New Yorkers hold vigil to mourn 6 slain hostages recovered from Gaza". New York Jewish Week. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ Dov, Yehuda (2024-01-04). "Soldiers Near Captives In Southern Gaza Sing Acheinu". VIN News. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ As it appears in Ashkenazic siddurim.
- ^ As it appears in Sephardic siddurim.