Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Harry J. Kaufman on 13 February 1951
Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=54115
open_content_license: Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication Date: 2024-02-05
Last Updated: 2025-02-18
Categories: 🇺🇸 United States of America, Opening Prayers for Legislative Bodies
Tags: 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., 82nd Congress, Containment, English vernacular prayer, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, U.S. House of Representatives, United States in the Korean War, תחינות teḥinot
Excerpt: The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 13 February 1951. . . .
Content:
Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Harry J. Kaufman, Beth Sholom Congregation, Washington, D.C.
Date of Prayer: 13 February 1951
Sponsor: n/a
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Source (English) |
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Sovereign of the Universe:
In these challenging days
our hearts are turned to Thee
in prayer.
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Be Thou with those
who guide the destinies of our Republic.
Shepherd them with Thy wisdom
that their judgments may be true and pure.
Grant them of Thy love
that they may know the heart
of all the people.
Send before them Thy pillar of light,
to unite all Thy children
in finding the road
to enduring peace.
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By Thy grace and manifold blessings
Thou hast made this land
the chosen of all nations.
Help us to remember
that if we be chosen,
it is not for privilege
but for responsibility,
not to be served
but to serve,
not alone to gain liberty
but to grant it.
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O Heavenly Father:
Let be heard Thy word
speaking to America through the Prophet
even as Thou didst speak to ancient Israel.
“I the Lord have called thee in righteousness
and have taken hold of thy hand
and kept thee and set thee
for a covenant of the peoples,
for a light of the nations;
to open the blind eyes,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon
and those that sit in darkness
out of the prison house.” (Isaiah 42:6.)
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Amen.
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This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the second month of the first session of the 82nd US Congress. The source images of the prayer were copied by Howard Mortman and shared via his @CongressRabbi Twitter account. All credit to Howard Mortman for his research in digging up this prayer. Unfortunately, neither the source images nor his tweets provide an exact citation reference to the volume, issue, and page number of the Congressional Record in which the prayer was published. If you know, leave a comment, or contact us.
Source(s)
Prayer of the Guest Chaplain (Harry J. Kaufman, 13 February 1951) – a
Prayer of the Guest Chaplain (Harry J. Kaufman, 13 February 1951) – b
Contributor: Harry J. Kaufman
Co-authors:
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Name: Harry J. Kaufman
Bio: Rabbi Harry (Yehoshua Heschel) Kaufman (1923-) was born in Tarnopol, Poland and arrived in America at age six on the Lower East Side. He studied at Yeshiva Torah Vodaath and, in 1948, received semikhah from Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. Concurrently with his Yeshiva studies, the future Rabbi Kaufman earned an undergraduate degree from Columbia University. From 1948 -1969, Rabbi Kaufman served Beth Sholom Congregation in Washington, DC. As President of the Rabbinical Council of Greater Washington, Rabbi Kaufman was a member of President Nixon’s first inaugural committee. Upon being invited to the prayer service that would precede the inauguration, he declined, explaining that he could not enter a church. As a result, the service was moved to the auditorium of the State Department and Rabbi Kaufman did participate. After Beth Sholom, Rabbi Kaufman served as rabbi of the Young Israel of Montreal where he is a Dayan of the Beth Din of Montreal, a member of the Vaad Harabonim of Montreal, and a past President of the Rabbinical Council of Montreal. He holds a doctorate from London University in London Ontario. In 2015, he published Ohr Yehoshua, containing his original thoughts on the parashah and festivals.
Website:
Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/harry-kaufman
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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
Featured Image:
Title: Flag_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives.svg
Caption: Flag of the United States House of Representatives
