Monday's Prayer, by Lilian Helen Montagu (1895)

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=50709

Date: 2023-05-09

Last Updated: 2024-12-17

Categories: Monday

Tags: 19th century C.E., 57th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, Jewish Women's Prayers, Monday, teḥinot in English, West Central Girls' Club, תחינות teḥinot

Excerpt: "Monday's Prayer" was written by Lilian Helen Montagu and published in Prayers for Jewish Working Girls (1895), pp. 10-11. . . .

Content:

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Monday’s prayer.
	Almighty Father,— Help me, through all my life, to do my duty, so that I may never be ashamed or despair. Let me never forget that on me, as a girl, depends, to a great extent, the happiness of my home.
	Help me to be cheerful, obliging, gentle, truthful, and loving with my parents. Let me never forget how much I owe to them, how much they have suffered and sacrificed for my sake; let my love for them, and desire to help them as much as I possibly can, become stronger as I grow older.
	Increase my influence over my brothers; grant that I may carry out my resolution to learn about subjects which interest them, so that they may not find their home dull, and seek sympathy elsewhere. May the thought of my purity and truthfulness help them to lead pure and true lives!
	Make me, O God, a good sister to my sisters! Show me how I can serve those who are older than I; may I be able to guide and uphold the younger ones!
	For all this, O Lord, do Thou give me strength and power. As I grow older help me to understand more and more thoroughly, that a woman’s greatest glory is the brightness and purity of the home to which she belongs!
	Our daughters shall be as corner-stones hewn after the fashion of a temple. (Psalms 144:12)

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“Monday’s Prayer” was written by Lilian Helen Montagu and published in Prayers for Jewish Working Girls (1895), pp. 11-12.

Source(s)

 

Contributor: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: Lilian Helen Montagu
  Bio: 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.
  Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_Montagu
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/lilian-helen-montagu
• 
  Name: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)
  Bio: 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.)
  Website: https://aharon.varady.net
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/aharon-varady-transcription

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Title: monday’s prayer (Lilian H. Montagu 1895) – cropped
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