Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Israel O. Goldberg on 4 June 1971

Contributor(s):

Israel O. Goldberg, the Congressional Record of the United States of America and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

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25 May 2024 under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication

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

Tags:

98th 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 Israel O. Goldberg, Ahavas Sholom Agudas Achim Anshe Sphard, Randallstown Synagogue Center, Randallstown, Maryland
Sponsor: Rep. Goodloe Byron (D-MD)
Date of Prayer: 4 June 1971

Mr. BYRON. Mr. speaker, I am pleased that Rabbi Israel O. Goldberg could be with us today to offer the prayer. Rabbi Goldberg is a distinguished religious and community leader in Randallstown, Md., and he has a background of interesting and challenging positions.
Rabbi Goldberg was born in New York City and received his ordination in 1960 from the Jacob Joseph Theological Seminary. He received his bachelor of arts degree from Brooklyn College and his master’s from Yeshiva University where he is currently working on his doctorate.
He has served as rabbi of the Young Israel of New Rochelle, N.Y., for 4 years where he originated the Hebrew Heritage program. Rabbi Goldberg was also one of the founders of the Ohr Hameir Theological Seminary of New Rochelle.
In 1965 Rabbi Goldberg moved to Boston to become leader of Congregation Agudath Israel, Boston’s largest orthodox synagogue. While there, Rabbi Goldberg served as treasurer of the rabbinical council of Massachusetts, a permanent member of the Bet Din of the Hawa’ad Harabbanim of Massachusetts, a member of the advisory committee to the Boston Housing Authority, and chaplain of two hospitals as well as Boston’s penal institutions.
Rabbi Goldberg became the spiritual leader of the Randallstown Synagogue Center in the summer of 1970. He is the secretary of the Rabbinical Council of America, Maryland Region and liaison rabbi to the Council of Orthodox Synagogues of Baltimore.
I again want to thank Rabbi Goldberg for being here today and hope he can return again.

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Almighty God, Sovereign of the Universe, we invoke Thy blessings upon this convention of Representatives of the U.S. Congress.
	We pray to Thee, to grant our chosen Representatives the wisdom and guidance, so that they may ever pursue the paths of justice, democracy, and brotherhood.
	Enable them to be the instruments in eradicating intolerance, prejudice, and malice from the midst of our great Nation.
	Guard our beloved country from every enemy, pestilence, and sorrow; from distress, anguish, and gloom.
	Secure our borders to be free from totalitarian ideologies, pagan philosophies, and the anti-democratic principles.
	Grant that our country may forever serve as a beacon light for liberty-loving people throughout the world.
	May we in concert with all peoples who cherish freedom, achieve speedily the triumph of Thy kingdom of peace and good will on earth. Amen.

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the sixth month of the first session of the 92nd US Congress in the House of Representatives, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 117, part 14 (4 June 1971), page 18026.

Source(s)

Congressional Record, vol. 117, part 14 (4 June 1971), p. 18026

Israel O. Goldberg

Rabbi Israel Oscar Goldberg (19 July 1937 - 16 April 1984), born in New York, was an Orthodox rabbi in the United States. After graduating from Brooklyn College and Yeshiva University, in 1960 he received his semikhah from the Jacob Joseph Theological Seminary. He served as rabbi of the Young Israel of New Rochelle, New York and helped to found the Ohr Hame'ir Theological Seminary of New Rochelle. In 1965 Rabbi Goldberg moved to Boston to become leader of Congregation Agudath Israel (Boston's largest orthodox synagogue). While there, Rabbi Goldberg served as treasurer of the rabbinical council of Massachusetts, a permanent member of the Bet Din of the Vaad haRabbanim of Massachusetts, a member of the advisory committee to the Boston Housing Authority, and chaplain of two hospitals as well as Boston's penal institutions. In 1970, Rabbi Goldberg came to the Randallstown Synagogue Center. He was the secretary of the Rabbinical Council of America, Maryland Region and liaison rabbi to the Council of Orthodox Synagogues of Baltimore.

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׃ (תהלים צ:יז) · "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)

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Israel O. Goldberg on 4 June 1971

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