The Heroes Among Us
(For Veterans Day)
By Rabbi Moshe P. Weisblum, PhD
Tonight the candles softly weep,
Their tender watch our hearts will keep.
For those who marched through fire’s sear,
Whose courage carved the freedom here.
They left their homes with quiet grace,
And longing shone on every face.
They carried dreams through smoke and rain,
So others need not bear that pain.
Some rest where silence fills the air,
Their memory woven everywhere.
But some still stand with steady eyes,
The living proof that valor flies.
They have faced shadows, learned to deal,
With hearts that only love can heal.
Yet still they rise, still they defend,
Their strength our shelter without end.
Not seeking glory, pride, or fame,
They served the cause we dare not name.
For peace that breathes in every land,
For kindness shaped by heart and hand.
May healing light around them flow,
May gentle mercies through them grow.
May gratitude, both deep and true,
Be all the honor for the red, white and blue.
And when we lift this flame tonight,
Its glow becomes their living light.
A sign that hope and love endure,
That hearts once brave still make us pure.
So let our voices softly blend,
In praise that has no walls, no end.
For all who served, for all who gave,
The free, the faithful, and the brave.
May every heart rise stronger still,
To walk their path, fulfill their will.
Their light lives on in all we do,
The world is braver because of you.
