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Sponsor: Rep. Joseph Crowley, (D-NY)
Date of Prayer: 07/17/2008
Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, it is indeed a pleasure and an honor for me today to welcome our guest chaplain, Rabbi Stuart Berman, and to thank him for such a wonderful prayer this morning.
New York, and my community in particular, have been fortunate to have had someone so dedicated presiding in our area. Most recently, Rabbi Berman served at the Woodside Jewish Center. However, he has had a very accomplished and profound career throughout his lifetime.
The rabbi nobly served on the Presidential Inaugural Committee, the Presidential Transition Committee, the White House Conference on Children and Youth Drug Abuse Panel, as well as the White House Conference on Aging.
In 1985, Rabbi Berman made history in the State of Florida and became the first rabbi to ever be appointed a prison chaplain.
In New York, he again placed the community first and was appointed police-clergy liaison, City of New York Police Department, and Sanitation Department Chaplain. He is also a prolific author of numerous publications and articles, and he previously hosted a weekly television talk show on FAN-TV.
I would also point out that Rabbi Berman offered a prayer at the dedication of the post office renaming for my predecessor and his friend, our mutual friend, Congressman Tom Manton, when it was being named in his honor.
Rabbi Berman is joined today by his son, Nathaniel, and his sister, Zell. Audrey, his wife, who is an early childhood specialist with the New York City Board of Education, unfortunately could not be here with us and with him today. But we all know that she is very, very proud of her rabbi.
Thank you, Rabbi, for being here.
| Contribute a translation | Source (English) |
|---|---|
Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain: | |
Almighty God, guardian of the people of Thy covenant, help us to reflect clearly and strive conscientiously in the performance of our responsibilities this day. | |
Let us be permeated by the time-tested ideals of our society, and may our days be blessed with the enduring accomplishments of this, the 110th Congress. We may be of different faiths, but we share a common love of this great land. | |
Let us direct all our efforts toward the eradication of hatred, prejudice and blindness of mind. | |
Grant us breadth of vision to build bridges of understanding among all the citizens in our communities back home. May we never forget the common bond of kinship that unites all who were created in Thy divine image. | |
Grant us strength of body and health of mind. Enable us to face the challenges of life with faith and courage. Teach us, O Lord, the power of love, not the love of power. | |
In moments of doubt, strengthen us in our convictions. In hours of gloom, illumine our paths. In adversity and frustration, gird us with patience and tolerance. Above all, O Lord, imbue us with the wisdom to count our blessings. | |
אָמֵן׃ |
And we all say Amen. |
Source(s)
110th Congress, 2nd Session. Congressional Record, Issue: Vol. 154, No. 118 — Daily Edition (July 17, 2008)
Link: https://chaplain.house.gov/chaplaincy/display_gc.html?id=647
“Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Stuart L. Berman on 17 July 2008” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 Universal license.
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