Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Meir Felman on 28 May 1962

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Date: 2024-05-19

Last Updated: 2025-03-29

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

Tags: 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., 87th Congress, English vernacular prayer, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, U.S. House of Representatives, תחינות teḥinot

Excerpt: The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 28 May 1962. . . .

Content:

Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Meir Felman, Judea Center Synagogue, Brooklyn, New York
Sponsor: n/a
Date of Prayer: 28 May 1962

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Almighty God, we lift our hearts in praise and gratitude for the spiritual heritage of America; for freedom of altar, home, and school; for patriot souls, heroes of the spirit, loyal to Thy living word, who offered full measure of selfless devotion that this precious legacy might be preserved to us and to our children.
	As we enjoy the rewards earned by the labors of our Founding Fathers, may we fully comprehend that the tasks they so nobly advanced are never finished; that freedom is not inherited, it must be merited; that liberty is not bought, it must be taught; that brotherhood and peace are not possessions but goals to be reached and ideals to be attained.
	Merciful God, bless our glorious land and the eminent men and women who direct its destiny so that peace and security, happiness and prosperity, right and freedom may forever abide in our midst. Amen.

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the fifth month of the second session of the 87th US Congress in the House of Representatives, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 108, part 7 (28 May 1962), page 9362.

Source(s)

Congressional Record, vol. 108, part 7 (28 May 1962), p. 9362

Contributor: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Co-authors:

Name: Meir Felman
Bio: Rabbi Meir Felman (1913-2006) was an Orthodox rabbi in the United States, He served as rabbi of the Judea Center in Brooklyn, New York. A four-time alumnus of Yeshiva University, he was the recipient of an honorary degree from YU. He served as president of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Rabbinic Alumni. We know few other details of Rabbi Meir's life and career. If you can add more, please contact us,
Website:
Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/meir-felman

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: 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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