Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks on 2 November 2011

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the Congressional Record of the United States of America, Jonathan Sacks and Office of the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations

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24 November 2018 under the Public Domain (17 U.S. Code §105 - Subject matter of copyright: United States Government works)

Categories:

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

Tags:

112th Congress, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, pluralism, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, U.S. Senate, תחינות teḥinot

Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregation of the Commonwealth, London, England
Date of Prayer: 11/02/2011

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	Sovereign of the universe, who created all in love, teach us to love all that is good and beautiful in this world. Teach us to honor the dignity of difference, recognizing that one who is not in our image is nonetheless in Your image; never forgetting that the people not like us are still people–like us.
	At this fateful moment in the human story, bless us that we may be a blessing to others. Guide the nations of the world to honor You by honoring one another, so that by reaching out in love we may turn enemies into friends and become your family on Earth, as You are our parent in heaven.
	Beloved God, bless the Members of this United States Congress and guide their deliberation, that they may govern this great Nation with wisdom and justice, grace and compassion, bringing honor to Your Name and Your blessing to humankind.
אָמֵן׃	Amen.

Source(s)

112th Congress, 1st Session. Congressional Record, Issue: Vol. 157, No. 166 — Daily Edition (November 02, 2011)

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)

Jonathan Sacks

Lord Jonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks MBE (Hebrew: Yaakov Tsvi, יעקב צבי; 8 March 1948 - 7 November 2020) was a British Orthodox rabbi, philosopher, theologian, author and politician. He served as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from 1991 to 2013. As the spiritual head of the United Synagogue, the largest synagogue body in the UK, he was the Chief Rabbi of those Orthodox synagogues, but was not recognized as the religious authority for the Haredi Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations or for the progressive movements such as Masorti, Reform and Liberal Judaism. As Chief Rabbi, Sacks formally carried the title of Av Beit Din (head) of the London Beth Din. He is now known as the Emeritus Chief Rabbi. Since stepping down as Chief Rabbi, in addition to his international travelling and speaking engagements and prolific writing, Sacks has served as the Ingeborg and Ira Rennert Global Distinguished Professor of Judaic Thought at New York University and as the Kressel and Ephrat Family University Professor of Jewish Thought at Yeshiva University. He has also been appointed as Professor of Law, Ethics and the Bible at King's College London. He won the Templeton Prize (awarded for spiritual affirmation) in 2016. He was also a Senior Fellow to the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. (via wikipedia)

Office of the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations

The Office of the Chief Rabbi is the institutional identity for the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth [UK]. Unlike in other European countries, individuals serving as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations are not formally designated by an authoritative state or civic body. Rather, the "office" is occupied by the senior rabbi of the United Synagogue, the umbrella institution for its affiliated Orthodox and Ashkenazi synagogues in the United Kingdom. The position of Chief Rabbi in the UK grew out of an 18th century desire among British Jewry for a respected representative figure comparable to the Archbishop of Canterbury for Anglican Christians. Rabbi Aaron Hart (1670–1756), rabbi of the Great Synagogue in London since 1704, was thus regarded by the 1750s as the first of the British chief rabbis. Over the next century and as British Jewry continued to grow, by the tenure of Rabbi Nathan Marcus Adler (from 1845-1890) the communal leadership and halakhic authority of the position had become firmly established. When in 1870, the Great Synagogue joined with four other synagogues, and was formally recognized as the United Synagogue by an Act of Parliament, the Chief Rabbi was legally established as its head. The current chief rabbi of the UHC and senior rabbi of the United Synagogue is Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis. (The Office of the Chief Rabbi should not be mistaken for the London Beit Din, the Court of the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations.)

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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. Senate: Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks on 2 November 2011

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