Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Harold Kravitz on 9 June 2015

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=20415

Date: 2018-06-23

Last Updated: 2024-06-01

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

Tags: 114th Congress, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, food insecurity, hunger, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, U.S. Senate, תחינות teḥinot

Excerpt: The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 9 June 2015. . . .

Content:

WELCOMING THE GUEST CHAPLAIN:

Mr. FRANKEN. Mr. President, I rise today to thank Rabbi Harold Kravitz for offering the opening prayer today in the Senate and to praise him for all of his excellent work.

Rabbi Kravitz is rabbi at Adath Jeshurun in my State of Minnesota and is an important leader in our State. In addition to serving his congregation, Rabbi Kravitz is also a leader in the fight against hunger. He is outgoing chair of the board of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, where he has been working to end hunger for all people regardless of their faith background.

One of the things most notable about Rabbi Kravitz is his commitment to bringing together people of all faiths to end hunger. I especially want to recognize Rabbi Kravitz’s work in Minnesota to make school lunches free and available for all children.

No child should ever go hungry. We know kids won’t do as well in school when they are hungry. It is also just wrong. That is why I have taken up the issue at the Federal level as well, to try to make this commonsense policy that Rabbi Kravitz has championed in MAZON as widespread as possible.

Rabbi Kravitz has done excellent work in Minnesota and as a national leader in the fight against hunger. Thank you for that, Rabbi, and thank you again for offering the opening prayer this morning.

---

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Our God of all that is good, it is a privilege to be inside this Capitol Building, richly designed to inspire those who govern to achieve the loftiest goals possible for this Nation. Guide the Senators who sit in this Chamber to do what the Book of Deuteronomy describes: “that which is right and good in the sight of the Eternal One.”[1] Deuteronomy 6:18 partial
	We pray for all Americans, especially those who lack sufficient food to feed themselves and their families. This body has the power to change this reality, to do that which is right and good.
הַזָּן אֶת הַכֹּל	May the One who Provides Sustenance for All– Hazan et Hakol— bless this United States Senate with the wisdom and compassion to act on its responsibilities for those who are vulnerable and in need.
	May all God’s people in this land be able to live with dignity and share in the plenty with which this Nation is blessed.
אָמֵן׃	Amen.

---

Source(s)

114th Congress, 1st Session. Congressional Record, Issue: Vol. 161, No. 91 — Daily Edition (June 9, 2015)

Notes[+]

Notes

1	Deuteronomy 6:18 partial

Contributor: the Congressional Record of the United States of America

Co-authors:

• 
  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: Harold Kravitz
  Bio: Rabbi Harold J. Kravitz holds the Max Newman Family Chair in Rabbinics at the Adath Jeshurun Congregation, Minnetonka, Minnesota. He has served the congregation since 1987 when he was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary. He is Past Board Chair of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger and serves on the rabbinic advisory committee of the Masorti Foundation. He serves as an officer of the Rabbinical Assembly. He serves also on the RA's Va’ad Hakavod (Professional Ethics Committee), which he chaired for six years.
  Website: https://www.adathjeshurun.org/blog/category/rabbi-harold-j-kravitz
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/harold-kravitz

Featured Image:

Title: Flag_of_the_United_States_Senate.svg
Caption: Flag of the United States Senate