Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Arnold E. Resnicoff on 21 May 2003

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Date: 2018-11-24

Last Updated: 2025-04-11

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

Tags: 108th Congress, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., American Red Cross, English vernacular prayer, Prayers for first responders, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, U.S. Senate, תחינות teḥinot

Excerpt: The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 21 May 2003. . . .

Content:

Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Arnold E. Resnicoff, Retired Chaplain, U.S. Navy, Washington, DC
Date of Prayer: 05/21/2003

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	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.
אָמֵן׃	And may we say, Amen.

Source(s)

108th Congress, 1st Session. Congressional Record, Issue: Vol. 149, No. 76 — Daily Edition (May 21, 2003)

Click to access CREC-2003-05-21-pt1-PgS6789-2.pdf

Notes

Notes
1	Cf. Leviticus 19:18
2	Cf. Leviticus 19:16

Contributor: the Congressional Record of the United States of America

Co-authors:

Name: the Congressional Record of the United States of America
Bio: 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)
Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Record
Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/united-states-congressional-record

Name: Arnold E. Resnicoff
Bio: 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.
Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Resnicoff
Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/arnold-resnicoff

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Title: Flag_of_the_United_States_Senate.svg
Caption: Flag of the United States Senate