Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Albert Plotkin on 17 May 1978

Contributor(s): Albert Plotkin, the Congressional Record of the United States of America and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Shared on: 6 May 2024 under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication

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

Tags: 95th Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, U.S. House of Representatives, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, תחינות teḥinot

Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Albert Plotkin, Temple Beth Israel, Phoenix, Arizona
Sponsor: Rep. John Rhodes (R-AZ)
Date of Prayer: 17 May 1978

Mr. RHODES. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to welcome Rabbi Albert Plotkin to the House Chamber. He has been rabbi of Temple Beth Israel in Phoenix for the past 23 years. It is true that he is the first resident of the First District in Arizona who has ever given a prayer here in the House of Representatives.
I am particularly proud to be able to introduce my good friend for so many years. Rabbi Plotkin is an outstanding leader of the community. He is president of the North Phoenix Corporate Ministry, which is a social service organization formed by seven Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant congregations. He has served as chaplain of the Arizona State Senate, and he teaches classes at Arizona State University in Tempe. Several organizations in Phoenix have recognized Rabbi Plotkin’s contributions by naming him their “Man of the Year.”
I would also like to point out something which I think will be of interest to everybody. Rabbi Plotkin is a graduate of Notre Dame University. He has the distinction of being the only rabbi who is a graduate of Notre Dame University.
All Members of the House, I am sure, join me in thanking Rabbi Plotkin for being with us today and delivering his inspirational prayer.

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	Almighty and merciful God, we ask Thy blessings upon this great House of Representatives, its devoted and consecrated servants, that they may ever be the guardians of our rights and liberties, so they may hold a beacon light of hope for the Nation.
	Give them the courage to make decisions with clean hands and upright spirits.
	Cause them not to be disheartened or discouraged by the crisis they face, but make them grow stronger by facing the challenges, moving forward to build our Nation on the foundations of justice and righteousness.
	Imbue them with wisdom so the work of their hands will bring harmony and peace in a world we pray may be at peace. Amen.

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the fifth month of the second session of the 95th US Congress in the House of Representatives, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 124, part 11 (17 May 1978), page 14095.

Source(s)

Congressional Record, vol. 124, part 11 (17 May 1978), p. 14095

. Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication . 1.0 . Universal .

“Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Albert Plotkin on 17 May 1978” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 Universal license.

Albert Plotkin

Albert Plotkin (1920 – 2010), born in South Bend, Indiana, was a Reform movement rabbi in the United States, serving Temple Beth Israel (Phoenix, Arizona). He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1942 and, in 1948, was ordained at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati. After pulpits in Spokane and Seattle, Washington, in 1955 he came to Temple Beth Israel in Phoenix, the first permanent Jewish congregation there since the early 1900s. He championed civil rights, supported the arts, and played a key role in establishing the Jewish Studies Program at Arizona State University (and taught there). For 25 years he volunteered as a chaplain at Phoenix Veterans Hospital. In 1972, the National Conference of Christians and Jews honored him with the National Award for Brotherhood. Following his retirement in 1992, Rabbi Plotkin pursued a professional singing career with the Arizona Opera.

the Congressional Record of the United States of America

The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published by the United States Government Printing Office and issued when Congress is in session. Indexes are issued approximately every two weeks. At the end of a session of Congress, the daily editions are compiled in bound volumes constituting the permanent edition. Statutory authorization for the Congressional Record is found in Chapter 9 of Title 44 of the United States Code. (wikipedia)

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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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

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