[Prayer on] the German Crisis, by Rabbi Norman M. Goldburg (3 April 1933)

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Date: 2023-06-22

Last Updated: 2025-04-16

Categories: 🌐 Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27th), Kristallnacht (9-10 November, 16 Marḥeshvan), 🇮🇱 Yom haShoah (27 Nisan), 🇺🇸 Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust, 🌐 Day of Democracy (September 15th), Opening Prayers for Legislative Bodies

Tags: 1933 in Germany, 20th century C.E., 57th century A.M., California State Legislature, English vernacular prayer, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, Reichstag Fire Decree, United States

Excerpt: "The German Crisis" by Rabbi Norman Michael Goldburg, was offered before the California state legislature on 3 April 1933, and published in California Legislature 50th Session 1933: Prayers Offered at the Daily Sessions of the Assembly, pp. 59-60. . . .

Content:

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Father of compassion, Author of loving kindness and mercy— Thou art “our light and our salvation.” Thou art the strength of our life, our Comforter and Redeemer.
	With the Psalmist we exclaim: “Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me, even then would I confide in Thee.” (Psalms 27:3)
	Compassionate Father Thou didst hear the cry of Thy children, calling to Thee out of the depths of misery and despair. Thou didst answer their prayers. Thou didst raise up mighty men of valor and humanity who stayed the hand of the oppressor so that the doom which threatened to destroy Thy unfortunate ones was averted.
	Thou didst touch the common humanity in the heart of Jew and Gentile alike so that, united in the cause of justice and truth, they made right to triumph over might, and mercy to triumph over harshness.
	O Father of Mercy, answer the prayers of all who call upon Thee. Free all who are oppressed— and strike off the chains of those who are enslaved, whether physically or spiritually.
	Bind Thy children together with bonds of friendship and brotherhood— and may the love of Thee lead all men, of all creeds, “to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with Thee.” (Micah 6:8)

“The German Crisis” by Rabbi Norman Michael Goldburg, was offered before the California state legislature on 3 April 1933, and published in California Legislature 50th Session 1933: Prayers Offered at the Daily Sessions of the Assembly, pp. 59-60. For a chronicle of the serious and excruciating events beginning in 1933, find the article, 1933 in Germany (wikipedia).

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