Prayer at the National Commemoration of the 34th Anniversary of the Beirut Barracks Bombing, by Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff 23 October 2017
Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=22898
open_content_license: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license Date: 2018-12-09
Last Updated: 2025-02-02
Categories: War
Tags: 1983 Beirut barracks bombings, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, Lebanese Civil War, Multinational Force in Lebanon
Excerpt: A prayer delivered by Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff at the commemoration for the 34th anniversary of the 1982 Beirut Barracks Bombing. . . .
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Almighty God,
we pray, meditate, reflect in different ways –
but together mourn our dead,
honor our wounded,
and weep for the pain of their families.
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We praise our heroes past and present, too –
because as World War two Reporter Elmer Davis wrote:
“this nation shall remain the land of the free
only so long as it is the home of the brave.”
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Thirty four years ago today
terrorist attacks took the lives of hundreds of the brave
in the American and French compounds
of the multinational peacekeeping force in Beirut.
They came in peace to a land at war;
in the line of fire,
they risked their lives
to buy some time
in pursuit of a dream.
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Let us honor them by being brave ourselves:
brave enough to fight when fight we must;
brave enough to take some risks even against the odds;
but also brave enough to believe
that through our words, our deeds, and our lives,
we’ll keep the dream of peace alive.
We’ll make the future better than the past.
And may we say, Amen.
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Rabbi Resnicoff was present during the bombing in Beirut and his experience was shared by then President Ronald Reagan in Remarks at the Baptist Fundamentalism Annual Convention, April 13, 1984. (Video link.)
Source
Contributor: Arnold E. Resnicoff
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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
Featured Image:
Title: Terrorist Bomb Beirut
Caption: Rescuers continue to probe the wreckage of the U.S. Marine command, Monday, Oct. 24, 1983 in Beirut building that was destroyed on Sunday by a terrorist bomb. In the background can be seen the control tower of the Beirut airport. (AP Photo/Zouki)