Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Michael Siegel on 30 April 2015

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=21516

Date: 2018-09-02

Last Updated: 2024-06-01

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

Tags: 114th Congress, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., 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 30 April 2015. . . .

Content:

Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Michael Siegel, Anshe Emet Synagogue, Chicago, Illinois
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Quigley, (D-IL)
Date of Prayer: 04/30/2015

Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize my friend Rabbi Michael Siegel of Chicago, Illinois, for his service today as guest chaplain of the House of Representatives.

As the rabbi of the congregation closest to Wrigley Field, for 30 years, Rabbi Siegel’s prayers for the Cubs have gone unanswered; however, Michael, again, assures me this is the year.

More seriously, throughout his 40–year career, Rabbi Siegel has been a dedicated leader in the Jewish community, serving both locally and nationally.

Since 1873, Anshe Emet has been a center for Jewish study, cultural activity, and Israel advocacy. Under Rabbi Siegel’s leadership, the synagogue has grown and truly fulfilled its commitment to the entire community of Israel––klal yisrael––and healing the word––tikkun olam. I am grateful for my punctuation and pronunciation keys. I am also grateful that my constituents can be part of a such an inspiring community––kehila.

Please join me in thanking Rabbi Siegel for leading us in prayer today as guest chaplain of the House of Representatives

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Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Almighty God, instill within the Members of the House of Representatives the deep understanding of the potential that this day holds as they work together for the common good of all people in this great land.
	Open their hearts to respond meaningfully to the voices of those who hunger for justice, hunger for equality, and hunger for opportunity.
	Give them the strength and wisdom to ensure the security of this great Nation and her friends around the world.
	On this day that George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States in 1789, we ask You, God, to bless each and every Member of this august body with the same courage that he exhibited in his time, in order to fulfill the vision and purpose of this great land for us and all who will follow in the future.
	Let us pray that together this body, together, will do their part to create a world worthy of God’s presence and God’s blessing.
	Amen.

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Source(s)

114th Congress, 1st Session. Congressional Record, Issue: Vol. 161, No. 64 — Daily Edition (April 30, 2015)

Link: https://chaplain.house.gov/chaplaincy/display_gc.html?id=2235

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: Michael Siegel
  Bio: A graduate of Hiram College, Rabbi Siegel was ordained in 1982 by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America where he received his Master of Hebrew Letters. Rabbi Siegel came to Anshe Emet in 1982 as Assistant Rabbi and was named Senior Rabbi in 1990. Rabbi Siegel serves on the Executive Council of the Rabbinical Assembly of America, the Jewish Theological Seminary's Chancellor's Rabbinic Cabinet and the Executive Board of MAZON: A Jewish Resource to Hunger. Rabbi Siegel is also a board member of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, on the Advisory Board of JLJS – The DePaul University College of Law Center for Jewish Law & Judaic Studies, a past President of the Chicago Board of Rabbis and active leader in the Florence G. Heller Jewish Community Center. Rabbi Siegel is the national Co-Chair of the Heksher Tzedek Commission. Through the use of the Magen Tzedek, the ethical Kosher seal, Heksher Tzedek promises to have a powerful impact on kashrut in particular and American Jewry as a whole. More recently Rabbi Siegel helped to form the Hayom Coalition, an organization of synagogues committed to the transformation of institutions, and a re-envisioning of the Conservative Movement. Rabbi Siegel has been an avid supporter of AIPAC and a leader in the creation of their Synagogue Initiative. In the past few years, Rabbi Siegel has represented the synagogue at the White House on a number of occasions including the United States Honorary Delegation commemorating the 60th Anniversary of Israel's Statehood.
  Website: https://www.ansheemet.org/clergy
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/michael-siegel

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