The Dignity of Labor, a prayer for Labor Day by Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, J. Paul Williams, and Eugene Kohn (1951)

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription), Eugene Kohn, John Paul Williams and Mordecai Kaplan

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11 April 2021 under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication

Categories:

International Workers' Day (May 1st), Labor Day (1st Monday of September)

Tags:

English vernacular prayer, civic prayers, American Jewry of the United States, 20th century C.E., ecumenical prayers, 58th century A.M.

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Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	The Dignity of Labor
	Our God and Creator, You have created human beings in your image, endowing them with creative powers.
	You have given them a resourceful mind and skillful hands wherewith they can dominate the world of nature; they can unlock its pent-up powers and make them serve their every want.
	We thank you, O God, for the capacity to work wherein human beings are different from all other living beings. For these others survive by adjusting themselves to their environment, but humanity has survived by transforming its environment and adjusting it to itself.^[1] This statement is demonstrably false, as there are numerous other creatures that transform their environment to their benefit. Beavers are perhaps the most obvious example. The rhetorical direction within which this statement is placed appears intended to underscore the tremendous hubris of humanity’s labor “when our plans conform not to [God’s] designs” (see following stanza). Distinguishing the agency of human beings from other animals seems to be a trope of these mid-20th century labor day prayers.
	Grant that we may never abuse those powers that give dignity to our work, That we may ever remember that our creativity is your gift, designed for your service, and that, when our plans conform not to your designs, the structures we create collapse over our heads.
	Give us the humility and the wisdom to employ our labors only to just ends, To purposes from which all can benefit and from which none will suffer hurt.
	Check in us the greed of acquisition and the lust of domination, That we may all enjoy the fruits of our toil without denying to any the fruits of theirs.
	Let us never forget our dependence on one another and on that spirit of brotherhood which is a manifestation of your love. For each of us by themselves is weak and helpless, and only our cooperation makes our work effective.
	The tools that we use, the knowledge that we apply, the very bread that we eat, are not of our single creation but are the accumulated product of the toil and skill of many workers, over many generations.
	Inspire us therefore with loyalty to all who work and with the spirit of mutual helpfulness and brotherly love.
	Give us the strength to produce abundantly, the justice to distribute equitably, and the wisdom and self-control to consume prudently the goods that satisfy our needs, That we may all know the joy of creativity, the thrill of comradeship, the zest of health, and the peace of mind that are the reward of human labor when it conforms with your divine will.

“Dignity of Labor” is a prayer for Labor Day first published in The Faith of America: Readings, Songs, and Prayers for the Celebration of American Holidays (Jewish Reconstructionist Foundation 1951), p.176-177. 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 ‘human beings.’) –Aharon Varady

Source(s)

Notes[+]

Notes
1	This statement is demonstrably false, as there are numerous other creatures that transform their environment to their benefit. Beavers are perhaps the most obvious example. The rhetorical direction within which this statement is placed appears intended to underscore the tremendous hubris of humanity’s labor “when our plans conform not to [God’s] designs” (see following stanza). Distinguishing the agency of human beings from other animals seems to be a trope of these mid-20th century labor day prayers.

. Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication . 1.0 . Universal .

“The Dignity of Labor, a prayer for Labor Day by Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, J. Paul Williams, and Eugene Kohn (1951)” 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.)

Eugene Kohn

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.

John Paul Williams

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 Kaplan

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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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