[Prayer] on Abandoning the Gold Standard, by Rabbi Norman M. Goldburg (21 April 1933)

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Date: 2023-06-22

Last Updated: 2025-04-25

Categories: Social Justice, Peace, and Liberty, Opening Prayers for Legislative Bodies

Tags: 1933 Banking Act, 20th century C.E., 57th century A.M., California State Legislature, Emergency Banking Act of 1933, English vernacular prayer, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Gold Reserve Act, Great Depression in the United States, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, United States

Excerpt: "On Abandoning the Gold Standard" by Rabbi Norman Michael Goldburg, was offered before the California state legislature on 21 April 1933, and published in California Legislature 50th Session 1933: Prayers Offered at the Daily Sessions of the Assembly, p. 74. . . .

Content:

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	“The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul The testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple The precepts of the Lord are right rejoicing the heart The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes The fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever The ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether, More to be desired than gold, yea than much fine gold.” (Psalms 19:7-10)
	Heavenly Father, Thy rule is constant; the standards Thou hast set for mankind are as applicable today as ever in the past. Thy law is fixed and determined; Thy commandments are unchanging; Thy precepts are invariable. From generation to generation Thou art ever the same.
	May we, Thy children, with our shifting standards hold fast to Thee, Thou Rock of Ages. May we whose values are never constant cleave to Thee, the one unchanging reality in a constantly changing world. Though we shift our material standards for temporary advantage and relief— grant that we may hold fast to Thee, our shield and protector, our Rock and our Redeemer.

“On Abandoning the Gold Standard” by Rabbi Norman Michael Goldburg, was offered before the California state legislature on 21 April 1933, and published in California Legislature 50th Session 1933: Prayers Offered at the Daily Sessions of the Assembly, p. 74.

Source(s)

Contributor: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Co-authors:

Name: Norman Michael Goldburg
Bio: Rabbi Norman Michael Goldburg (Feb 22, 1902 - Jun 12, 1993) originally from St. Louis, Missouri, was ordained at HUC and graduated from the University of Cincinnati, afterward doing graduate work at the University of Chicago and Howard Divinity School. He served as rabbi of Temple B'nai Israel in Sacramento, California in the 1930s. There, he was appointed chaplain of the State Legislature during the biennial session of 1933, and led the Sacramento Council for Civic Unity through which he advocated for Japanese Americans’ civil rights. During World War Ⅱ, he served as a chaplain in the US Army. In 1949, he came to Augusta, Georgia where he served as rabbi for the the Walton Way Temple (later Temple Children of Israel) until 1968. Rabbi Goldburg also served as president of Augusta Library and taught philosophy at Augusta College. He held honorary degrees from HUC and Augusta (Georgia) College of Law. Besides his collection of prayers written during his tenure as chaplain in Sacramento, he also wrote the novel, Patrick J. McGilllcuddy and the Rabbi (1969).
Website:
Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/norman-michael-goldburg

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