(Sending this with universal well-wishes from me a non-Jew non-believer looking to understand this very holy day, on this evening of Yom Kippur.* Forgive me!)

I was looking at one translation to the Avinu Malkenu prayer. At the same time a more powerful experience, my first hearing of Avinu Malkeinu, sung with deep soul by Barbara Streisand http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YONAP39jVE&NR=1 , was still reverberating inside me.

Try playing the music while reading or even reading aloud or imagining the sound and rhythm of the following words. I know these words were inspired by Margo’s work and her way of living. Great thanks:

Hear us. See us. Help us.
Atone-ment. At-onement.
Hear us. See us. Help us.
We take it on.

Help us put an end to learned and forced fear, hatred and greed;
And to all forms of externalized fear and hatred and greed.

Help us change this world of too much and too little into the world we know can be–with enough and plenty for each and all, everyday, all our days.

May it be good that we have lived.
And all year may we live awakened to blessing.

Hear us. See us. Help us.
Atone-ment. At-onement.
Hear us. See us. Help us.
We take it on.

(an on-line translation of Avinu Malkeinu:)
Hear our prayer
We have sinned before Thee
Have compassion upon us and upon our children
Help us bring an end to pestilence, war, and famine
Cause all hate and oppression to vanish from the earth
Inscribe us for blessing in the Book Of Life
Let the new year be a good year for us
Avinu malkeinu sh’ma kolenu
Avinu malkeinu chatanu l’faneycha
Avinu malkeinu alkenu chamol aleynu
V’al olaleynu v’tapenu
Avinu malkeinu
Kaleh dever v’cherev v’raav mealeynu
Avinu malkeinu kalehchol tsar
Umastin mealeynu
Avinu malkeinu
Avinu malkeinu
Kotvenu b’sefer chayim tovim
Avinu malkeinu chadesh aleynu
Chadesh a leynu shanah tovah
Sh’ma kolenu
Sh’ma kolenu
Sh’ma kolenu
Avinu malkeinu
Avinu malkeinu
Chadesh a leynu
Shanah tovah
Avinu malkeinu
Sh’ma kolenu
Sh’ma kolenu
Sh’ma kolenu
Sh’ma kolenu

“Atonement and repentance.”
Reconcilation and renewal.
Compassion and determination.

Yom Kippur (Hebrew: יוֹם כִּפּוּר or יום הכיפורים‎, IPA: [ˈjom kiˈpur]), also known as the Day of Atonement, is one of the holiest days of the year for Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services. Yom Kippur completes the annual period known in Judaism as the High Holy Days (or sometimes “the Days of Awe”).

( repeating. . .)

Hear us. See us. Help us.
Atone-ment. At-onement.
Hear us. See us. Help us.
We take it on.

Help us put an end to learned and forced fear, hatred and greed;
And to all forms of externalized fear and hatred and greed.

Help us change this world of too much and too little into the world we know can be–with enough and plenty for each and all, everyday, all our days.

May it be good that we have lived.
And all year may we live awakened to blessing.

Hear us. See us. Help us.
Atone-ment. At-onement.
Hear us. See us. Help us.
We take it on.

(from the on-line translation)
Hear our prayer. . .
Have compassion upon us and upon our children
Help us bring an end to pestilence, war, and famine
Cause all hate and oppression to vanish from the earth
Avinu malkeinu
. . . .