https://opensiddur.org/?p=34978Invocation by Rabbi Jacob Goldstein at the Democratic National Convention (1992)2021-01-03 21:33:52The full text of Rabbi Jacob Goldstein’s prayer offered at the Democratic National Convention, July 14th, 1992.Textthe Open Siddur ProjectAharon N. Varady (transcription)Aharon N. Varady (transcription)Jacob Goldsteinhttps://opensiddur.org/copyright-policy/Aharon N. Varady (transcription)https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/Government & CountryUnited States of AmericaElections & VotingUnited States General Election 1992Democratic National Convention 199220th century C.E.United Statesתחינות teḥinot58th century A.M.English vernacular prayerDemocratic National ConventionsInvocation
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Avinu shebaShamayim — our father in Heaven
This is the day the Lord made,
let us celebrate and rejoice in it.[1] Psalms 118:24.
Oh God,
we rejoice that you have set us in this great nation.
We thank you for our country
which has nourished and preserved us.
Help us always
to recognize the responsibilities
that flow from our citizenship
and most of all to perform them
with integrity and honor.
Remind us often
that to whom much is given
much will be required.
Almighty God
you have given us this great land for our heritage.
We humbly ask
that we may always prove ourselves
a people mindful of your favor
and glad to do your will.
Save us from violence, discord, confusion, and hate
and from all evil paths and ways.
Give us your bountiful blessings
that there be righteousness and justice at home
and everlasting peace and tranquility the world over.
We call upon you, O Lord
to unite us into one fellowship of Americans
without delineation of cult or race or religion.
Thou art the symbol of unity in the universe.
We pray that all wounds be healed,
poverty eliminated,
sickness cured,
anger abated,
and hatred banished.
Bless, O Lord,
the leaders of the Democratic party
whose wisdom and courage
have made possible this gathering.
May we,
all the children of the same God,
take heart and courage
in the hope that a better America
will yet be the heritage of us all
and let us say, Amen.
This is the full text of Rabbi Jacob Goldstein’s prayer offered at the Democratic National Convention, July 14th, 1992, corrected from the closed-caption feed offered by C-SPAN.
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 Nakeniשְׁגִיאוֹת 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 administering the Open Siddur Project and this website.)
Chaplain (Col) Jacob Z. Goldstein (Ret.) was born in a Displaced Persons camp in Paris shortly after WWII. He attended the Rabbinical College of Canada, where he received a degree in Religious Education, and the Lubavich Rabbinical Seminary, where he received a Master of Divinity degree and was ordained as a Rabbi. Beginning his military career in March 1977 as a 1st Lieutenant with the 101st Signal Battalion, he is the longest serving Jewish Chaplain in the US Military. He also serves as a Chaplain for the United States Secret Service, is an Assistant Commissioner of Housing for the State of New York, and sits on many boards and institutions. A brief partial listing of Chaplain Goldstein’s service over the course of 38 years of active duty includes Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada, Operation Desert Storm in Iraq (where he read the Purim Megillah in one of Saddam Hussein’s palaces), and the JTF Patriot Defender Task Force in Israel. He also served several deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait, served at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was Joint Task Force Katrina Staff Chaplain and was Senior Chaplain at “Ground Zero” for all military branches assigned to the World Trade Center. He is the recipient of numerous medals and awards, and retired with honors in April of 2015.
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