Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Arnold E. Resnicoff on 22 January 2003

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Date: 2018-11-23

Last Updated: 2025-04-25

Categories: 🇺🇸 Martin Luther King Jr. Day (3rd Monday of January), 🇺🇸 United States of America, Opening Prayers for Legislative Bodies

Tags: 108th Congress, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, U.S. Senate, תחינות teḥinot

Excerpt: The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 22 January 2003. . . .

Content:

Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Arnold E. Resnicoff, Retired Chaplain, U.S. Navy, Washington, DC
Date of Prayer: 01/22/2003

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	O God, who made a world of change, You challenged us to change the world. You gave us dreams of better times and the power to pursue those dreams, to do our part to make a difference and help those dreams come true.
	Earlier this week we set aside a day to recall that there are those who seek to kill the dreamers, and thereby kill the dreams. But we will remember dreamers, those who had a dream, and through our work– through the courage and determination of Americans of all faiths and colors– we will embrace the dreams that make our Nation strong, that make us a force for hope and good^[1] The Congressional Record has “freedom” here instead of “good.” throughout the world.
	Almighty God, at a time when others say around the world that all is hopeless, that things will never change, we roll up our sleeves as this session now begins and remind ourselves that how we act does matter and what we do does count. Through our leaders here, through Americans from sea to shining sea– and of course, through those in our Nation’s Armed Forces whose faith and courage must sustain them in harm’s way– we will keep the dreams alive, to build a land where liberty will be proclaimed, where justice rolls like mighty waters, where all shall live in freedom– and, one day, where none shall be afraid.
אָמֵן׃	And may we say, amen.

Source(s)

108th Congress, 1st Session. Congressional Record, Issue: Vol. 149, No. 11 — Daily Edition (January 22, 2003)

Click to access CREC-2003-01-22-pt1-PgS1301-2.pdf

Notes

Notes
1	The Congressional Record has “freedom” here instead of “good.”

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: Arnold E. Resnicoff
Bio: Arnold E. Resnicoff (born 1946) is a Conservative rabbi who began his career serving as a military officer and then as a military chaplain. He served in Vietnam and Europe before attending rabbinical school after which he was a U.S. Navy Chaplain for almost 25 years. After the Vietnam War, he promoted the creation of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and delivered the closing prayer at its 1982 dedication. Rabbi Resnicoff was present at the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing and the following year, President Ronald Reagan shared Rabbi Resnicoff's eyewitness account. After retiring from the military he became the National Director of Interreligious Affairs for the American Jewish Committee and served as Special Assistant (for Values and Vision) to the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, serving at the equivalent military rank of Brigadier General. Resnicoff holds several degrees, including an honorary doctorate. His awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Department of the Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service, and the Chapel of Four Chaplains Hall of Heroes Gold Medallion.
Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Resnicoff
Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/arnold-resnicoff

Featured Image:

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