Prayer for a Synagogue Consecration, by Lilian Helen Montagu

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription) and Lilian Helen Montagu

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25 August 2022 under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication

Categories:

Homes & Community Centers

Tags:

English vernacular prayer, dedications and consecrations, synagogue consecration, 20th century C.E., 57th century A.M., British Jewry

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Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Almighty Father, we pray to Thee with faith in Thy directing power and in Thy eternal love. We humbly ask Thee to accept this Synagogue as an offering unto Thee. Let Thy blessing be upon it. Grant that those who come to worship here may come in a spirit of humility and filled with love for a living Judaism. May they find here consolation in times of trouble, courage and hope when in doubt or difficulty, and when in joy, the consecration of their happiness.
	Do Thou, our God, reveal to those who pray in this place the way to righteousness, justice, truth and peace. Let the men and women, young people and children who gather here in sincerity in ever greater numbers, receive Thine instruction through study and service, and strive to share Thy divine light with all seekers.
	Place Thy blessing, we pray Thee, on the leader of this Synagogue, and on all who come to work with him for the welfare of its members and for all men.
	Quicken the faith of all who worship in this House of Prayer, that they may know full well that Thy presence is in their midst now and for evermore.
	Amen.

This “Synagogue Consecration Prayer ” by the Hon. Lily H. Montagu (1873-1963) was included by Rabbi Morrison David Bial in his anthology, An Offering of Prayer (1962), p. 50. Although the context is not provided by Rabbi Bial, we would like to imagine that the consecration was for the establishment of the West Central Liberal Jewish Synagogue in 1928 (destroyed by Nazi German bombardment of London in 1941). If you know for certain the context of this prayer, please leave a comment or contact us.

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“Prayer for a Synagogue Consecration, by Lilian Helen Montagu” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.

Aharon N. Varady (editing/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.)

Lilian Helen Montagu

The Hon. Lilian Helen "Lily" Montagu, CBE (22 December 1873 – 22 January 1963) was the first woman to play a major role in Progressive Judaism. Until the age of 15, she was educated at Doreck College, and privately educated thereafter. In 1893 she founded with Emily Marion Harris the West Central Jewish Girls Club (which subsequently merged into the Jewish Girls' Brigade). She was active in social improvement, particularly in respect to unemployment, sweat shops and bad housing. In 1901 and 1902, Montagu laid the groundwork for the establishment of the Jewish Religious Union in London. In February 1902 she arranged the first meeting of the Jewish Religious Union for the Advancement of Liberal Judaism at her sister Henrietta Franklin's house. The Union set up the first synagogue in Liberal Judaism in the UK and helped found the World Union for Progressive Judaism. Montagu was a founding member with her sister of the Jewish League for Woman Suffrage. She sat on the executive committee and led the meetings in prayer. Following the retirement of Leo Baeck, Montagu served for a brief stint (1955–1959) in her 80s as president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, before handing the reins over to Solomon Freehof.

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Works of related interest:

The third building of Ḳ.Ḳ. Miḳveh Israel at Seventh and Arch Streets (1907)

Prayer on the consecration of the new synagogue building for Ḳahal Ḳadosh Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (1 June 1860)

Hove Progressive Synagogue, Lansdowne Road, looking east. (credit:,Hassocks5489 license: CC0/PD)

Prayer on the Anniversary of Brighton & Hove Liberal Synagogue, by Lilian Helen Montagu (27 May 1956)

Montefiore Synagogue, Ramsgate, by David Mocatta

תפלה למשה | Prayer of Gratitude at the Consecration of the Montefiore Synagogue at Ramsgate, by Sir Moses Montefiore (1833)

When Faith, too young for a sublimer creed - Penina Moïse Cohen (1842) - cropped

When Faith Too Young for a Sublimer Creed, a hymn by Penina Moïse for the consecration of her synagogue (Ḳ.Ḳ. Beth Elohim 1842)

A Prayer for the United Nations, by Lilian Helen Montagu

[Children’s] Prayer for Ḥanukkah, by Lilian Helen Montagu (5 December 1942)

On the Good of Prayer, an essay by Lilian Helen Montagu (March 1939)

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Stable Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=46336

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The Montagu Centre (21 Maple Street)

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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