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Opening Prayers for Legislative Bodies

This is an archive of civic prayers offered by an appointed chaplain or designated guest chaplain for opening a legislative session of a governmental body. Initiating such meetings with a prayer may have started with the "Elizabethan Parliaments" presided over by Queen Elizabeth Ⅰ of England beginning in 1559. By the 18th century, the tradition had spread to Freemasons as a ceremonial custom for opening their Lodge meetings. Famously, Rev. Jacob Duché, Rector of Christ Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, opened the First Continental Congress with a prayer, and so the tradition became woven into the fabric of the founding of the United States.

While the practice was early dominated by Christian clergy, Jewish leaders began asserting their requests for equal representation in American civic life around 1830. While existing research is not yet comprehensive, Jewish participation in this tradition appears to first arise in the state legislatures. Often left unrecorded in legislative records, around 1850, these prayers started getting more popular coverage in historic newspapers. In 1860, Morris Raphall, offered the first prayer of a rabbinic guest chaplain in the US House of Representatives, and in 1870, Isaac Mayer Wise offered the first prayer of a rabbinic guest chaplain before the US Senate. The civic custom couples easily with rabbinic Judaism's long-standing practice of offering public prayers for the welfare of sovereign leaders. ---Aharon Varady

Resources filtered by TAG: “58th century A.M.” (clear filter)

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Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Dr. Julius Mark on 1 December 1941

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the twelfth month of the first session of the 77th US House of Representatives, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 87 part 9 (1 December 1941), pp. 9252-9253.

Categories:

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

Tags:

77th Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, U.S. House of Representatives, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, תחינות teḥinot, World War Ⅱ

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (transcription), Julius Mark and the Congressional Record of the United States of America

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Israel Goldstein on 21 April 1942

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 21 April 1942.

Categories:

🇮🇱 Yom haShoah (27 Nisan), 🇺🇸 Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust (28-29 April), 🇺🇸 United States of America, Opening Prayers for Legislative Bodies

Tags:

77th Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, U.S. House of Representatives, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, תחינות teḥinot, World War Ⅱ

Contributor(s):

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

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Bernard Bergman on 26 May 1942

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 26 May 1942.

Categories:

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

Tags:

77th Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, U.S. House of Representatives, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, תחינות teḥinot, World War Ⅱ

Contributor(s):

Bernard Bergman, the Congressional Record of the United States of America and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Norman Gerstenfeld on 1 October 1942

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the tenth month of the second session of the 77th US Senate, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 88 part 6 (1 October 1942), p. 7661.

Categories:

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

Tags:

77th Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, U.S. Senate, תחינות teḥinot, World War Ⅱ

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (transcription), Norman Gerstenfeld and the Congressional Record of the United States of America

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Dr. Raphael Ḥai Melamed on 11 May 1943

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the fifth month of the first session of the 78th US House of Representatives, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 89 part 3 (11 May 1943), p. 4196.

Categories:

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

Tags:

78th Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, U.S. House of Representatives, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, תחינות teḥinot, the Holocaust, World War Ⅱ

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (transcription), Raphael Ḥai Melamed and the Congressional Record of the United States of America

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Solomon H. Metz on 5 June 1944

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 5 June 1944 on the eve of D-Day in World War Ⅱ.

Categories:

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

Tags:

78th Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., D-Day, English vernacular prayer, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, U.S. Senate, תחינות teḥinot, World War Ⅱ

Contributor(s):

Solomon H. Metz, the Congressional Record of the United States of America and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Samuel Thurman on 26 February 1945

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 26 February 1945.

Categories:

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

Tags:

79th Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, U.S. Senate, תחינות teḥinot, World War Ⅱ

Contributor(s):

Samuel Thurman and the Congressional Record of the United States of America

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Solomon H. Metz on 6 June 1945

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 6 June 1945.

Categories:

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

Tags:

79th Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, U.S. Senate, תחינות teḥinot, World War Ⅱ

Contributor(s):

Solomon H. Metz, the Congressional Record of the United States of America and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Norman Gerstenfeld on 29 April 1946

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 29 April 1946.

Categories:

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

Tags:

79th Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, U.S. Senate, תחינות teḥinot, the Holocaust, World War Ⅱ

Contributor(s):

Norman Gerstenfeld, the Congressional Record of the United States of America and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Max Raisin on 30 January 1947

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 30 January 1947.

Categories:

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

Tags:

80th Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, U.S. House of Representatives, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, תחינות teḥinot

Contributor(s):

Max Raisin and the Congressional Record of the United States of America

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Dr. Leo Baeck on 12 February 1948

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on Lincoln’s Birthday, 12 February 1948.

Categories:

🇺🇸 Abraham Lincoln's Birthday (February 12th), 🇺🇸 United States of America, Opening Prayers for Legislative Bodies

Tags:

80th Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., Abraham Lincoln, Containment, English vernacular prayer, U.S. House of Representatives, Prayers for leaders, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, תחינות teḥinot

Contributor(s):

Leo Baeck and the Congressional Record of the United States of America

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Herman Eliot Snyder on 28 April 1948

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 28 April 1948.

Categories:

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

Tags:

80th Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, U.S. Senate, תחינות teḥinot

Contributor(s):

Herman E. Snyder, the Congressional Record of the United States of America and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Dr. Joshua Loth Liebman on 19 May 1948

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the fifth month of the second session of the 80th US Senate, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 94 part 5 (19 May 1948), pp. 6051-6052.

Categories:

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

Tags:

80th Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, International recognition of Israel, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, U.S. Senate, תחינות teḥinot

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (transcription), Joshua Loth Liebman and the Congressional Record of the United States of America

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Nachum David Herman on 7 March 1950

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 7 March 1950.

Categories:

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

Tags:

81st Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., anti-communist, Cold War (1947–1953), English vernacular prayer, U.S. House of Representatives, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, תחינות teḥinot

Contributor(s):

Nochum Dovid Herman and the Congressional Record of the United States of America

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Wolf Gunther Plaut on 6 December 1950

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the twelfth month of the second session of the 81st US House of Representatives, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 96 part 12 (6 December 1950), p. 16206.

Categories:

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

Tags:

81st Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., Cold War (1947–1953), English vernacular prayer, U.S. House of Representatives, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, תחינות teḥinot, United States in the Korean War

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (transcription), Wolf Gunther Plaut and the Congressional Record of the United States of America

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Arthur T. Buch on 25 April 1951

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 25 April 1951.

Categories:

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

Tags:

82nd Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., Cold War (1947–1953), English vernacular prayer, U.S. House of Representatives, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, תחינות teḥinot, United States in the Korean War

Contributor(s):

Arthur T. Buch, the Congressional Record of the United States of America and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Harry J. Kaufman on 13 February 1951

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 13 February 1951.

Categories:

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

Tags:

82nd Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., Containment, English vernacular prayer, U.S. House of Representatives, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, תחינות teḥinot, United States in the Korean War

Contributor(s):

Harry J. Kaufman and the Congressional Record of the United States of America

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Samuel D. Soskin on 1 March 1951

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the third month of the first session of the 82nd US House of Representatives, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 97 part 2 (1 March 1951), p. 1741.

Categories:

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

Tags:

82nd Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., Cold War (1947–1953), Cold War espionage, English vernacular prayer, U.S. House of Representatives, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, Soviet espionage in the United States, תחינות teḥinot

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (transcription), Samuel D. Soskin and the Congressional Record of the United States of America

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Dr. Karl Applbaum on 30 April 1952

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the fourth month of the second session of the 82nd US House of Representatives, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 98 part 4 (30 April 1952), p. 4574.

Categories:

🇮🇱 Yom ha-Atsma'ut (5 Iyyar), 🇺🇸 United States of America, Opening Prayers for Legislative Bodies

Tags:

82nd Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., Cold War (1947–1953), English vernacular prayer, U.S. House of Representatives, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, תחינות teḥinot

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (transcription), Karl Applbaum and the Congressional Record of the United States of America

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Dr. Abraham Shusterman on 3 February 1953

The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 3 February 1953.

Categories:

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

Tags:

83rd Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, U.S. House of Representatives, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, תחינות teḥinot

Contributor(s):

Abraham Shusterman and the Congressional Record of the United States of America

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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)

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