This is a civic prayer for opening a legislative session that was re-published in The Republican Banner (Nashville, Tennessee) on 22 December 1872 under the title, “A New Version: The Lord’s Prayer with Variation.” The article introduces the prayer as follows: “The following prayer, rendered by the editor of The Jewish Independent of Louisville, at the opening of the Wisconsin Senate, February 15, 1872, appears in the Independent of last week.” The Jewish Independent was the paper of Rabbi Dr. Edward B.M. Browne (a/k/a Alphabet Browne). The year 1872 was likely mistaken for 1871, when according to the Journal of the Proceedings of the Wisconsin State Senate, Rabbi Browne offered the opening prayer on 14 February. The Wisconsin Senate opened its 1871 session with a resolution to inviting resident clergy to offer a prayer on each morning session. That was soon followed by an amendment requiring the guest chaplains to read the Lord’s Prayer. While that amendment failed, it likely inspired this prayer. (The following year, 1872, the option of inviting guest chaplains was rejected altogether, and the Wisconsin Senate voted for the President of the Senate, a Senator Irish, to offer the opening prayer instead.) Twenty-three years later, when invited to offer a prayer before the US Senate, Rabbi Browne delivered a prayer described by the Senate chaplain as “very unique, being the Lord’s Prayer with variations” (in “[Rabbi Browne, pastor of Temple Gates of Hope]” National Republican, 21 May 1884, p. 6). –Aharon Varady

Source(s)

A New Version- The Lord’s Prayer with Variations (Republican Banner, 22 December 1872)

“[Rabbi Browne, pastor of Temple Gates of Hope]” (National Republican 21 May 1884), p. 6

Journal of Proceedings of the Annuals Session of the Wisconsin Senate 1871, p.35

Journal of Proceedings of the Annuals Session of the Wisconsin Senate 1871, p.221

““The Lord’s Prayer with Variations,” a civic prayer for opening a legislative session by Rabbi Dr. Edward B.M. Browne (14 February 1871)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 Universal license.

Edward Benjamin Morris Browne

Rabbi Dr. Edward Benjamin Morris Browne (1845-1929) was born in Hungary and received his early Hebrew and rabbinical training in Europe. He emigrated to the United States in the 1860s. He obtained a medical degree from the University of Cincinnati and taught at the Medical College of Evansville. He also held several rabbinical posts in the Midwest and South - Milwaukee, Evansville, Peoria, Montgomery (Alabama) and Atlanta. During this time, he was associated with Rabbi Isaac M. Wise until they had a disagreement and subsequent falling out in 1878. During the 1870s, Browne began to build a national reputation as an orator and lectured widely on Jewish topics, mainly to non-Jewish audiences. He began his involvement with Republican Party politics, both nationally and in New York, where he moved in the 1880s. In 1885, he was a pallbearer at the funeral of President Grant. In New York City, Browne was rabbi of Congregation Gates of Hope where in addition to his speaking engagements, he was also active in legal and civic work. Starting in the 1890s, Browne moved several times, living mainly in the Midwest and South. He served congregations in Toledo (Ohio), Chicago and Columbus (Georgia). In addition to his medical and rabbinical degrees, Browne also held a law degree from the University of Wisconsin. He became known as "Alphabet" Browne because of the preponderance of letters after his name. Browne led a controversial and visible public life and was involved in numerous activities including the unsuccessful attempt to establish a Jewish chaplaincy at the turn of the century.

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.)

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Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo delivers remarks in the Senate Chamber of the Wisconsin State Capitol, in Madison, Wisconsin, on September 23, 2020. [State Department Photo by Ron Przysucha/ Public Domain]

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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