https://opensiddur.org/?p=36676Closing Prayer for Labor Day, by Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, J. Paul Williams, and Eugene Kohn (1951)2021-04-11 18:51:43"Closing Prayer [for Labor Day]" was first published in <em><a href="https://opensiddur.org/?p=34753">The Faith of America: Readings, Songs, and Prayers for the Celebration of American Holidays</a></em> (Jewish Reconstructionist Foundation 1951), p.165.Textthe Open Siddur ProjectAharon N. Varady (transcription)Aharon N. Varady (transcription)Eugene KohnJohn Paul WilliamsMordecai Kaplanhttps://opensiddur.org/copyright-policy/Aharon N. Varady (transcription)https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/International Workers' Day (May 1st)Labor Day (1st Monday of September)20th century C.E.ecumenical prayers58th century A.M.English vernacular prayercivic prayersAmerican Jewry of the United States
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This blessed land in which we dwell
is rich in all the resources
for satisfying human wants,
and we, its people, have been amply endowed
with the strength, knowledge, and art
to convert these resources into the goods we need to live by.
But without the further blessing
of the spirit of justice,
mutual loyalty,
faith,
and courage,
we cannot build that civilization
which would give evidence
that we are created in God’s image.[1] Cf. Genesis 1:27.
Without this further blessing
we cannot look upon our handiwork as a people
and say, “Behold, it is very good.”[2] Cf. Genesis 1:31.
Humbly do we acknowledge
that unless you, O God, build the house,
they labor in vain that build it,
that unless our work serve you
and your kingdom of justice and peace,
it cannot truly serve us,
cannot help us to fulfill our manhood and womanhood
and to find joy and happiness in our labor.
Give us, O God, the wisdom
so to organize economic enterprise as to abolish
all poverty, drudgery, and exploitation—
all those social ills
that are both effect and cause
of humanity’s inhumanity.
Strengthen our faith
in the promise of a better day for our people
and for all peoples of the earth.
Give us the courage
to accept the hazards
and endure the hardships
which the creation of a free and cooperative society requires.
Then shall we find joy in our labor
and render eternal thanks to you
for the privilege of sharing in your work of creation,
O you who are the strength of our hands,
the wisdom of our minds,
and the spirit of love and loyalty in our hearts.
Amen.
“Closing Prayer [for Labor Day]” was first published in The Faith of America: Readings, Songs, and Prayers for the Celebration of American Holidays (Jewish Reconstructionist Foundation 1951), p.190. It is unclear from this publication whether the prayer was written by Mordecai Kaplan, J. Paul Williams, or Eugene Kohn separately or together in collaboration. I have replaced archaisms in this prayer (thee, thy, thou, etc.) and made other changes to make this prayer more gender-neutral (e.g. by replacing ‘man’ with ‘humanity.’) –Aharon Varady
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 naqeniשְׁגִיאוֹת 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.)
Eugene Kohn (January 26, 1887 - April 1, 1977) was an American Reconstructionist rabbi, writer and editor. Born in Newark, New Jersey he attended the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and in 1912 received ordination. It was here that he met Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan who taught him homiletics. Between 1912 and 1939 he served as a congregational rabbi in Conservative synagogues in the U.S. states of Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Wisconsin and Ohio. He also served as the president of the Rabbinical Assembly 1936-1937. He played a central role in the Reconstructionist movement. He edited its journal The Reconstructionist and, alongside Kaplan and Ira Eisenstein, edited The New Haggadah (1941), The Sabbath Prayer Book (1945) and The Reconstructionist Prayer Book (1948). Alongside Jack Cohen, Eisenstein and Milton Steinberg he was one of Kaplan's main disciples.
Dr. John Paul Williams (1900-1973) was chairman of the department of religion at Mount Holyoke College. In 1946, he served as president of the National Association of Biblical Instructors (now known as the American Academy of Religion). He wrote What Americans Believe and How They Worship (1952, revised 1962) containing the chapter "Judaism -- the Mother Institution." Together with Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan and Eugene Kohn he co-authored the anthology of civic prayers, Faith in America (1951).
Mordecai Menahem Kaplan (June 11, 1881 – November 8, 1983), was a rabbi, essayist and Jewish educator and the co-founder of Reconstructionist Judaism along with his son-in-law Ira Eisenstein.
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