https://opensiddur.org/?p=22734Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Arnold E. Resnicoff on 21 May 20032018-11-24 00:37:08The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 21 May 2003.Textthe Open Siddur ProjectUnited States Congressional RecordUnited States Congressional RecordArnold E. Resnicoffhttps://opensiddur.org/copyright-policy/United States Congressional Recordhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/105United States of AmericaOpening Prayers for Legislative BodiesEnglish vernacular prayerPrayers for first respondersPrayers of Guest ChaplainsSenate108th CongressAmerican Red Crossתחינות teḥinot21st century C.E.58th century A.M.
Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Arnold E. Resnicoff, Retired Chaplain, U.S. Navy, Washington, DC
Date of Prayer: 05/21/2003
O Lord who taught us all to love our neighbors as ourselves,[1] Cf. Leviticus 19:18
we pause now, before this Senate session starts,
to recall that on this day–in 1881–
and in this city–Washington, DC– Clara Barton and a group of friends
founded the American Red Cross.
To love our neighbor as ourselves . . .
and then, to not sit idly by that neighbor’s blood–[2] Cf. Leviticus 19:16
the suffering that he or she endures–
without doing what we can
to ease the burden and the pain,
has been the call to which so many Red Cross workers
have responded since that day,
throughout our land;
and reaching out to those who serve in our Armed Forces overseas–
throughout the world, as well.
Almighty God,
we give our thanks for those who give their all,
who do their best to comfort those in pain.
But we pray as well to be inspired by their work,
to understand we all can make a difference in our neighbors’ lives,
a difference in our Nation’s strength,
a difference in our world.
Help us help one another do our part
to build the world of peace,
the time of joy,
for which we pray.
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Arnold E. Resnicoff (born 1946) is a Conservative rabbi who began his career serving as a military officer and then as a military chaplain. He served in Vietnam and Europe before attending rabbinical school after which he was a U.S. Navy Chaplain for almost 25 years. After the Vietnam War, he promoted the creation of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and delivered the closing prayer at its 1982 dedication. Rabbi Resnicoff was present at the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing and the following year, President Ronald Reagan shared Rabbi Resnicoff's eyewitness account. After retiring from the military he became the National Director of Interreligious Affairs for the American Jewish Committee and served as Special Assistant (for Values and Vision) to the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, serving at the equivalent military rank of Brigadier General. Resnicoff holds several degrees, including an honorary doctorate. His awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Department of the Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service, and the Chapel of Four Chaplains Hall of Heroes Gold Medallion.
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