Sukkot is one of my favorite holidays! We get to be outdoors, decorate the Sukkah (booth) look through the leaves to the sky, and usually invite company (OK not this year) The picture below is my sukkah.
The holiday is nicknamed “Time of our Joy!” Paradoxically it is also a time when we ask for salvation. The Hoshanot are an acrostic prayer said during Sukkot, carrying the Torah, dancing in circles, and waving the lulav, and asking for salvation for the earth and the people. Rabbi Zalman Schachter Shalomi wrote this version in English almost 30 years ago, and we need it now more than ever, as our own and our children’s existence is threatened by greed and power structures we humans are perpetuating. Each day is thematic for what was created on that day, and on the seventh day, all of the “Save us” prayers are said. In Israel, this is connected with prayers for rain, and willow branches beatn on the floor seem to be pulled from ancient memory of rain rituals. After all, willows only grow where there’s lots of water! The melody is mine, simple, and repetitive to encourage participation, The words are mostly Reb Zalman’s, ending with a new version of Hoshiya et Amecha: Save Your People.
Here are the words
Rabbi Zalmon Schachter-Sholomi, 5753
For the first day
Hosha’na for the sake of
the Aura of life
the Brilliant beams of Light
the Crystal Clarity of Your Light
the Dynamics of Dazzling Light
the Effulgent excellence of Your Light
the Fiery Photons of light
the Glory of golden light
the Halos of hope and light
the Illumination of Your Light
The joys of sight
For the Second Day
Hosha’na for the sake of
The Karmic separation of sky and water
The Luminosity of Your sky
the Majesty of the sky
the nourishment coming in rain from Your sky
the Orient and Occident in the sky
the Purple sunset of the sky
The Quality of purity of Your sky
The Range of Radiance of the sky
The Stretch of the firmament of Your sky
The Treasures of rain that pour from the sky
For the Third Day
Hosha’na for the sake of
the Ubiquity of the Plants
The Variety of Your plants on earth
the Wellness of the Plants
The Xylem and phloem of healthy Plants
the Your lovely Yucca plants
The Zucchinis and the Zinnias
the Aspen trees in Your vast Forests
the Beautiful Berry bushes
the Chlorophyll to catch the sunlight
The Date Palms covered in Your Dew
Hosha’na for the fourth
Hosha’na for the sake of
the Earth our Precious Planet
the Faraway distant stars
the Galaxies in Your universe
the Horizons of the sky
Infinity of Your vast space
The Joyous music of the Spheres
the Komets and Asteroids
The luminous Leo constellation
the Moons around Your Planets
the Nebulae & neutron stars
For the fifth day
Hosha’na for the sake of
Owls and all 0viparious life
The Perches and Your piping Plovers
The Quails and the Quahaug
The Robin’s song and Your Red Snapper
Seagulls and streamlined Swordfish
Turtles and Your Turtle Doves
Univalves and spikey Sea Urchins
Varieties of Your Precious Plankton
Waterfowl and wondrous Whales
Yellowtail tuna and Your yellow perch
For the sixth day
Hosha’na for the sake of
The Zebras and zebu cows
The Aardvarks and Armadillos
The Bears and Your soaring Eagles
The Children and the wild Chimpanzees
The Deer and Your Dromedaries
The Elk and mighty Moose
The Fawns and Families
The Giraffes and peaceful Gorillas
Humans and Your healers
For the Seventh day
Hosha’na for the sake of of
Letting our lovely Earth know rest
Letting Your Earth heal
Letting our Earth recover
Loving Your Earth in peace
Letting people find their center
Letting people find rest and freedom
Letting Your children play in peace
Living Shabbat in Mindfulness
Loving others and ourselves, Loving others as ourselves
Hoshiyah, et Amecha,
may we be worthy of salvation
Hoshiyah, et Amecha, may we have the courage to save creation
Hoshiyah, Ur’em v’nas’em, ad ha-olam
Sustain and uplift us to save Your childrens’ wondrous world
Hoshiyah, Ur’em v’nas’em, ad ha-olam
Sustain and uplift us to save our childrens’ wondrous world
Miryam's Space 
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