Homeowner
Welcomes guests and introduces various folks
Welcome
by Temple Shalom Tikkun OlamLit. Repair of the world According to Jewish mysticism, the world is in a broken state. Humanity's job is to join God, as God's partners, in its repair. representative
Berukhim ha’ba’im
Director
Interfaith Power and Light
Other Homeowner
Short remarks about why we put panels on our house; why we did it now; and our hopes for this gathering
Ceremony
Leader
Baruck atah Adonai Elohenu melekh ha’olam
shehekheyanu vekiymanu vehigi’anu lazman hazeh.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the
Universe, who has granted us life, sustained us
and enabled us to reach this occasion
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Yet during the fleeting years of modernity, we have built our civilization by unearthing thousands of years of compressed sunlight, releasing from deep in the earth energy that has been safely stored over the millennia. But we know we can do that no longer.
So we have come today to dedicate ourselves to living from the sun’s daily gifts of light and power, as we should.
Our tradition teaches that we were given light on the 4th day.
So now we all say Group recites:
We shall use that gift to protect Creation
Leader
The Creator of the Heavens said: “I will surely open the abundance of the skies for you and pour down upon you blessings without end.” — Malachi 3:10
And by capturing the energy of today’s sun, we turn our prayers into reality when we say:
“y’kum purkan min shamaya”
Salvation flows from the Heavens…
Group recites
Blessed are You, Creator of all that is.
Leader
In our faith the Sun has a 28-year “great cycle” known as makhzorThe siddur (prayerbook) used for the High Holidays. Other major holidays also have their own makhzor.
gadol. When the sun returns to begin the next cycle, in 19 years, we
will say the Birkat Hakhamah (“Blessing of the Sun.”) On that day our
sun will continue to provide the energy for the panels we dedicate
this afternoon.
In this era of climate change, our turning to the daily gifts of the sun is essential to saving Earth, our home, for those who come after us. It is for that reason we inaugurate this solar array… So that you and your children, and their children, may endure as long as there is a heaven over the earth.
All of Us say
May this project, and projects to come, inspire our communities, neighbors and all who seek a better world.
Blessed are you Adonai, Creator of the Universe, who has given us the opportunity to repair the world.
Children’s Turn to Start the Panels
(In our home this event involved having the youngest child push a button that started a humongous bubble machine)
