Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Peter Stein on 30 April 2026

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (transcription) and Peter Stein

Shared on:

30 April 2026 under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication

Categories:

🇺🇸 United States of America, Opening Prayers for Legislative Bodies

Tags:

119th Congress, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., American Jewry of the United States, English vernacular prayer, U.S. House of Representatives

Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Peter Stein, Temple B’rith Ḳodesh, Rochester, NY
Date of Prayer: 30 April 2026
Sponsor: Rep. Joseph Morelle (NY-25)

I rise today with gratitude for the opportunity to welcome Rabbi Peter Stein as our guest chaplain.
One of the privileges of our role in Congress is to introduce spiritual leaders from across the country who reflect the depth and diversity of faith in America. This tradition is more than ceremonial. It is a living expression of one of our most fundamental freedoms—the freedom to worship, to lead, and to serve according to one’s faith.
Rabbi Stein embodies that calling. As the senior rabbi of Temple B’rith Kodesh, he has devoted decades to guiding his congregation with wisdom, compassion, and a deep commitment to justice. He has built bridges across faiths, worked to confront division and polarization, and reminded us that even in disagreement, there is a responsibility to listen, to learn, and to treat one another with dignity.
Rabbi Stein, we are honored by your presence today, grateful for your leadership, and thankful for the example you set.
May your words continue to guide us in the work ahead.

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Source of blessing, I pray that today will bring us closer to a world of justice and peace.
	God, watch over the members of this Congress.
	May you be blessed with wisdom and courage. May your debates and decisions create safety and success, dignity, and opportunity for all who call our country home. Lead them with a spirit of discernment, humanity, and restraint. Guide them with a commitment to the common good.
	I pray for your loved ones that they remain safe and you remain in their nourishing embrace.
	As you do your work on Capitol Hill, may your leadership stand on the values of compassion and respect, making this place a beacon of light that extends from sea to shining sea. May you remain steadfast in the pursuit of the vision of a nation of liberty and justice for all, a home for all who yearn to breathe free. Amen.

This prayer by Rabbi Peter Stein was offered while serving as guest chaplain before the 119th Congress, 2nd Session of the US House of Representatives on 30 April 2026.

Recordings

Aharon N. Varady (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.)

Peter Stein

Rabbi Peter W. Stein is a Reform movement rabbi in the United States, serving as the senior rabbi of Temple B’rith Ḳodesh. His undergraduate studies were at Cornell University, and he also completed the Jewish Leaders Program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He was ordained and earned an MA in Hebrew Literature at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, studying in Jerusalem and New York City. While at HUC-JIR, he served as President of the Rabbinic Student Association. He previously served as rabbi of Temple Sinai in Cranston, Rhode Island and as associate rabbi of Rodef Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Rabbi Stein received a Doctor of Divinity degree, honoris causa, in May 2024 in recognition of 25 years of distinguished rabbinic leadership.

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו׃ (תהלים צ:יז) · "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)

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Peter Stein on 30 April 2026

Recordings

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