Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Alex J. Goldman on 20 April 1961

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription), Alex J. Goldman and the Congressional Record of the United States of America

Shared on:

20 April 2024 under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication

Categories:

Opening Prayers for Legislative Bodies, Yom ha-Atsma'ut (5 Iyyar), United States of America

Tags:

U.S. House of Representatives, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, 87th Congress, 20th century C.E., תחינות teḥinot, 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer

Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Alex J. Goldman, West Oak Lane Jewish Community Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sponsor: Rep. Herman Toll (D-PA)
Date of Prayer: 20 April 1961

Mr. TOLL. Mr. Speaker, today is the 13th birthday of the State of Israel. Traditionally in Jewish chronology the 13th birthday is the day marking the growth into adulthood. The State of Israel has attained maturity not only in years. The population has increased from 790,000 to 2,128,000. Industrial production is now over a billion dollars. Exports are over a quarter of a billion, and imports over a half a billion. Agricultural production is $183 million. In 1960 a fieet of 53 ships handled 445,000 tons of cargo. Elementary school education to 600,000 students, and Israel has now over 22,000 teachers.
In the House today a distinguished rabbi of my district, Alex J. Goldman, the spiritual leader of the West Oak Lane Jewish Community Center, has delivered the opening prayer calling attention to this anniversary. The Philadelphia Zionist Council, in conjunction with the city of Philadelphia, has scheduled a celebration luncheon at the Warwick Hotel on Sunday, April 23, in honor of His Excellency, Michael S. Comay, Ambassador of Israel to the United Nations. Immediately following the luncheon a public celebration will be held at Independence Hall. The members of the Philadelphia congressional delegation will participate in this observance, and the Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Honorable John Morgan Davis, will join with the Ambassador in commemorating Israel’s bar mitzvah anniversary.
The chairman of the Philadelphia Zionist Council is the distinguished spiritual leader of the Germantown Jewish Community Center, Rabbi Elias Charry, of my district. The chairman of the Independence Hall celebration is an outstanding leader of the Philadelphia bar, Herbert S. Levin, Esq.
I hope that at the next celebration of Israel’s birthday I will be able to include a statement that Israel has been able to establish peace with her neighbors.

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Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Upon meeting great leaders we are bidden to say:^[1] Find Berakhot 58a.8
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁנָּתַן מֵחׇכְמָתוֹ לְבָשָׂר וָדָם׃	Barukh attah Adonoi Elohenu melekh ha’olam shenatan meḥakhmato l’vasar vadam. Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who hast shared of Thine divine wisdom with mortal man.^[2] lit. “flesh and blood”
אַתָּה חוֹנֵן לְאָדָם דַּעַת	Atta ḥonayn l’adam daat: O Thou who endowest man with wisdom and understanding we look to Thee for knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and guidance in the work of our hands.
	Gird us with strength, courage, and determination as we deliberate the destiny of our land.
	Strengthen the chords of our hearts that we may, with all our might, strive to achieve the noble principles upon which America rests.
	Pour forth Thy manifold blessings upon the President of these United States, the Vice President, the Speaker and Representatives of this great House of service, and upon all chosen to lead our Nation.
חָנֵּנוּ מֵאִתְּךָ	Ḥanenu meitkha ^[3] lit. “Endow us from your…” — do Thou, Heavenly Father, instruct and teach them out of Thy law, that they may continue to serve Thee, our citizens, and all mankind with distinction, glory, and honor.
	Inspire our people, all over the land, to encourage, support, and strengthen the work of their hands and their minds.
	Unite us all, we pray Thee, into a brotherhood of peoples— a brotherhood true, sure, and constant.
	May all the nations of the world perceive and know the meaning and blessing of peace. May they, with America at the forefront, lead the effort to bring peace and security, freedom and understanding, to all mankind.
	May Israel, as she celebrates her 13 years of independence this day, ever cherish the principles upon which democracy is founded.
	Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who wilt lead us to the day of peace. In Thee we place our trust. Amen.

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the fourth month of the first session of the 87th US Congress in the House of Representatives, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 107, part 5 (20 April 1961), page 6455.

Source(s)

Congressional Record, vol. 107, part 5 (20 April 1961), p. 6455

Congressional Record, vol. 107, part 5 (20 April 1961), p. 6456

Notes[+]

Notes
1	Find Berakhot 58a.8
2	lit. “flesh and blood”
3	lit. “Endow us from your…”

. Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication . 1.0 . Universal .

“Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Alex J. Goldman on 20 April 1961” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 Universal license.

Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription)

Aharon Varady (M.A.J.Ed./JTSA Davidson) is a volunteer transcriber for the Open Siddur Project. If you find any mistakes in his transcriptions, please let him know. Shgiyot mi yavin; Ministarot naqeni שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי־יָבִין; מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי "Who can know all one's flaws? From hidden errors, correct me" (Psalms 19:13). If you'd like to directly support his work, please consider donating via his Patreon account. (Varady also translates prayers and contributes his own original work besides serving as the primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project and its website, opensiddur.org.)

Alex J. Goldman

Rabbi Alex J. Goldman (1917-2004) born in Drohitin, Poland, was a Conservative movement rabbi and author in the United States. He came to the United States in 1922, graduating from DePaul University in1939, and being ordained a rabbi at the Hebrew Theological College in 1944. He served at pulpits in Tallahassee, Florida and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania before serving the rest of his carreer in Stamford, Connecticut. He wrote, Judaism confronts contemporary issues, Giants of Faith: Great American Rabbis, Handbook for the Jewish Family: Understanding and Enjoying the Sabbath and Other Holidays, The rabbi is a lady, The Truman Wit, and The Quotable Kennedy.

the Congressional Record of the United States of America

The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published by the United States Government Printing Office and issued when Congress is in session. Indexes are issued approximately every two weeks. At the end of a session of Congress, the daily editions are compiled in bound volumes constituting the permanent edition. Statutory authorization for the Congressional Record is found in Chapter 9 of Title 44 of the United States Code. (wikipedia)

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Works of related interest:

Flag of the United States House of Representatives

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Alex Pollack on 17 March 1977

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Albert A. Goldman on 8 February 1972

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Edward T. Sandrow on 20 April 1966

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Israel Goldstein on 23 April 1958

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Karl Applbaum on 29 April 1963

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Max M. Landman on 26 January 1961

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Laurence A. Kotok on 2 May 1979

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." –Psalms 90:17