Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Irving J. Block on 2 June 1983

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=55990

Date: 2024-05-25

Last Updated: 2025-04-15

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

Tags: 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., 98th 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 2 June 1983. . . .

Content:

Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Irving J. Block, D.D., the Brotherhood Synagogue, Congregation Beth Achim, New York, New York
Sponsor: Rep. Bill Green (R-NY)
Date of Prayer: 2 June 1983

Mr. GREEN. Mr. Speaker, our guest chaplain this morning, Rabbi Irving J. Block, is the founder and rabbi of the Brotherhood Synagogue, established in 1954, and now located in a landmark building at 28 Gramercy Park South in New York City.

June 9 will mark the 30th anniversary of Rabbi Block’s ordination. He has devoted his life to spreading the concept of religious brotherhood.

Rabbi Block has served on the board of directors of the Clergyman’s Advisory Committee of the New York City Youth Board; as a national director of Religion in American Life; as grand chaplain of the New York State Masonic Order; as a director of the New York Family Court’s Home Advisory and Service Council; with the antidrug addiction rehabilitative Training for Living organization; with the New York State Human Rights’ Commission’s Clergymen’s Advisory Committee.

As a member of the Jewish War Veterans, I am proud of the fact that Rabbi Block is the Department of New York State chaplain, Jewish War Veterans and in 1982 was appointed national chaplain of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States.

Rabbi Block is here today with his wife, the former Dr. Phyllis Robinove, an editor and writer of French textbooks, and their son, Herbert, whom many Members will remember as a former House page.

We are fortunate to have had my friend, Rabbi Block, give the opening prayer today.

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Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Almighty God who art the Creator of the universe and whose spirit guideth the destinies of nations.
	Humbly we beseech Thee to bless the legislators of this House who seek through reason, faith, and deliberation to promote harmony and cooperation in our beloved and great land as well as among peoples everywhere.
	Endow them with divine wisdom and a keen sense of responsibility to transmit the blessings of freedom and democracy to their fellow men, and to strive always for reconciliation and world peace.
	Bless our Representatives, O Lord, with the ancient talmudic benediction, “May He who caused His name to dwell in this house, let dwell among you love, brotherhood, peace, and friendship.” (Berakhot 12a.9)[1] This prayer is attributed to the amora, Rav Ḥelbo (c.290 – c.320 CE). Find also Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot 1.5.7  Amen.

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This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the sixth month of the first session of the 98th US Congress in the House of Representatives, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 129, part 11 (2 June 1983), page 14282.

Source(s)

Congressional Record, vol. 129, part 11 (2 June 1983), p. 14282

 

Notes

Notes

1	This prayer is attributed to the amora, Rav Ḥelbo (c.290 – c.320 CE). Find also Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot 1.5.7

Contributor: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: Irving J. Block
  Bio: Rabbi Irving J. Block (1923-2002), born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, was a Reform movement rabbi in the United States. (In a draft of his memoir he wrote, “I feel as though I am an Orthodox rabbi serving a Conservative congregation, most of whose members are Reform.”) After serving in Panama in the U.S. Army during WWII, he received his B.S. from the University of Connecticut in 1947, and then he studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and served in Haganah 1947-1948. Returning to the United States, he received a Master of Hebrew Letters and was ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City in 1953. He was the founding rabbi of the Brotherhood Synagogue, Congregation Beth Achim, which he led from 1954 through his retirement in 1994. In 1978, the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion awarded him the Doctor of Divinity. He participated on the boards of the American Association for Ethiopian Jews, New York Board of Rabbis (NYBR), Joint Passover Association, New York Association for New Americans, Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, Open Congregation and Religion in American Life. Block served as chaplain for the 369th Veterans Association, the New York State Masonic Order and Jewish War Veterans, and as a prison chaplain for NYBR for one year in 1974. Block was also concerned with the issue of substance abuse in the Jewish community and served as Co-Chairman of the UJA-Federation Commission on Synagogue Relations’ Task Force on Addictions in the Jewish Community. Other organizations in which Rabbi Block was active include American Veterans of Israel, Jewish War Veterans and Life Services for the Handicapped. He lectured widely, appeared on numerous radio and television programs and received numerous awards for his work. Following his 1994 retirement, he worked on his memoir, which was published in 1999 as A Rabbi and His Dream: Building the Brotherhood Synagogue.
  Website:
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/irving-block
• 
  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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