A Historical Map
Three millennia of Jewish prayer, branch by branch — ending here in Poughkeepsie.
This chart traces the descent of Jewish liturgical traditions from the Hebraic cultic practices of the first millennium before the common era down to the present. Branches diverge under empire, under exile, under reform. Many lines run parallel for centuries before they touch; some never touch at all. Among the eighty or so endpoints of this tree, one matters most to us: Kehillah Kedoshah Zikhron Zvi, in Poughkeepsie, the youngest leaf on the Western Sephardic branch — Amsterdam, London, New York, Philadelphia, and now here.
Click any node to see what it descends from and where it leads. Or follow the gold thread that runs from the First Temple to our own siddur.
מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבוֹתֵינוּוּ, אַבְרָהָם, יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, דָּוִד וּשְׁלֹמֹה, וְאִמּוֹתֵינוּ שָׂרָה, רִבְקָה, רָחֵל וְלֵאָה, וְמִרְיָם הַנְּבִיאָה וְאֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה, וְכָל־הַקְּהִלּוֹת הַקְּדוֹשׁוֹת וְהַטְּהוֹרוֹת, הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת כָּל־הַקָּהָל הַקָּדוֹשׁ הַזֶּה, גְּדוֹלִים וּקְטַנִּים, הֵם, וּבְנֵיהֶם, וְתַלְמִידֵיהֶם, וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם; מַלְכָּא דְעָלְמָא הוּא יְבָרֵךְ יַתְהוֹן, וִיזַכֶּה יַתְהוֹן, וְיִשְׁמַע בְּקוֹל צְלוֹתְהוֹן, תְּפִקְרוּן וְתוֹשְׁמוּן מִן כָּל־צָרָה וְעָקְתָא, וְיִהֵא מִמְרָא יְיָ בְּסַעְדְּכֶם, וְיָגֵן בְּעַדְּכֶם, וְיִפְרֹשׂ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמוֹ עֲלֵיכֶם, וְיִטַּע בֵּינֵיכֶם אַהֲבָה וְאַחְוָה, שָׁלוֹם וְרֵעוּת, וִיסַלֵּק שִׂנְאַת חִנָּם מִבֵּינֵיכֶם, וְיִשְׁבֹּר עֹל גּוֹיִם מֵעַל צַוְּארֵיכֶם, וְיִקֵּם בָּכֶם מִקְרָא שֶׁכָּתוּב: יְיָ אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם יֹסֵף עֲלֵיכֶם כָּכֶם אֶלֶף פְּעָמִים, וִיבָרֵךְ אֶתְכֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָכֶם; וְכֵן יְהִי רָצוֹן, וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן.
May the One who blessed our fathers — Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Moses and Aaron; David and Solomon — and our mothers Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah, and Miriam the prophetess and Esther the queen, and all the holy and pure congregations — bless this entire holy congregation, great and small — them, their children, their students, and all that belongs to them.
May the Sovereign of the Universe bless them, grant them merit, and hear the voice of their prayer. May you be redeemed and delivered from every distress and affliction. May the word of God be your help and shield you, and may God spread over you the canopy of Divine peace. May God plant among you love and family unity, peace and fellowship, and remove baseless hatred from your midst. May God free you from the domination of the nations, and fulfill in you the verse that is written: “May ADONAI, God of your ancestor, increase you a thousandfold, and bless you as God has promised you.” And so may it be God’s will, and let us say AMEN.
