Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Thomas A. Louchheim, Congregation Or Chadash, Tucson, AZ
Sponsor: Rep. Martha McSally, (R-AZ)
Date of Prayer: 05/17/2017
Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Rabbi Thomas Louchheim, who led us in the opening prayer. He is a rabbi at the Congregation Or Chadash in Tucson, Arizona. Rabbi Louchheim moved to Tucson with his wife, Marcia, in 1989 and has been a pillar in our community ever since.
Having served as a rabbi at Temple Emanu–El and as an executive for Handmaker Hospice, he is a strong advocate for peace and religious harmony. He worked closely with the Muslim community in the aftermath of September 11 and has continued to promote understanding by organizing annual Muslim–Jewish peace walks.
He founded the first Jewish–Christian–Muslim Scriptural study group in our community and has contributed to interfaith literature. In a world where religion too often divides us, Rabbi Louchheim has shown that we are all stronger together.
Rabbi Louchheim’s influence extends past southeastern Arizona. In fact, his influence reaches beyond this Earth. The rabbi is a namesake for the only space object in the universe named after a rabbi, Asteroid 9584 Louchheim.
I was honored to join Rabbi Louchheim in a Holocaust Remembrance walk last year. I have personally witnessed his compassion and leadership in the faith community in southeastern Arizona. I am honored to welcome him to the House of Representatives today and to personally thank him for offering this morning’s prayer.
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Loving God,
each day raise up these good women and men who are serving our country with honor. Renew in them the faith, hope, and love that brought them to this vital work. Rekindle in them the passion that first called them to serve. |
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May you, our elected Representatives
from every State in our great Nation, be granted today the courage of your convictions; and may your eyes, your ears, and your hearts be open to the possibilities not yet imagined. |
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Compassionate God,
may our fellow Americans remember that these, Your servants, are each made in the divine image. They are our brothers and sisters in a family bridging all philosophical lines. May we treat them with respect, for we know not the hard battles they must fight. |
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May Your blessings be on
our military and diplomats serving overseas. Keep them safe from harm. Keep their souls strong, and strengthen them to serve with honor and courage. |
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May our prayers
for kindness, justice, freedom, and peace, be answered in our own day. Amen. |
Source(s)
115th Congress, 1st Session. Congressional Record, Issue: Vol. 163, No. 85 — Daily Edition (May 17, 2017)
Link: https://chaplain.house.gov/chaplaincy/display_gc.html?id=2540
