Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers at Westminster Abbey on Commonwealth Day

Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers represented Reform Judaism at a Service of Celebration for Commonwealth Day held on Monday 11 March at Westminster Abbey in the presence of the royal family. She composed and read this prayer alongside other faith leaders:

“We are told in an ancient Jewish story that when God created the first human, God took him and led him round all the trees of the Garden of Eden and said to him: “Look at My works, how beautiful they are! And all that I have created, it was for you. Pay attention that you do not corrupt and destroy My world, for there is no one to repair it after you”.

Kohelet Rabbah 7:13:11

“Let us pray for a renewed commitment to work together, to appreciate our connectedness, and through it to repair the damage we have done; that there may be a future of Shalom, which means wholeness for the planet and for us all”.

Click here to watch the BBC broadcast of the service for a limited time.