Merciful Father (Av ha-raḥamim)

The Av ha-raḥamim (“Merciful Father,” or “Father of Mercy”) prayer was composed as a memorial for Jews who were murdered in the Rhineland and elsewhere during the First Crusade of 1096. The earliest evidence indicates that this prayer was recited only once annually, on the Sabbath before Shavuot, closest to the anniversary of these events. It was initially recited alongside overt commemorations for the Jewish martyrs, but those were eventually omitted, while this text was kept. Over time, the recitation of Av ha-rahamim spread to other Sabbaths, and in many contemporary Ashkenazic communities, it is recited throughout the year.