Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Seymour Stauber on 25 July 1968

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Date: 2024-06-18

Last Updated: 2025-02-18

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

Tags: 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., 90th Congress, English vernacular prayer, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, U.S. Senate, תחינות teḥinot

Excerpt: The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 25 July 1968. . . .

Content:

Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Seymour Stauber, Ahavas Sholom Synagogue Center, Randallstown, Maryland
Sponsor: n/a
Date of Prayer: 25 July 1968

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Our Father in Heaven, we lift our hearts unto Thee in prayer. In the past century, we have uncovered the veiled secrets of our universe. We have unlocked the treasure chest of vital scientific knowledge. We have learned to span continents; we are conquering outer space.
	Universal Supreme Father, we pray that we can, as well, span a bridge uniting all citizens of this our great land— uniting them in true equality and brotherhood. Assembled in this huge auditorium are ordinary people with an extraordinary purpose, to guide and lead the destiny of this land.
	O, Lord, we pray, grant to them not tasks equal to their powers; but powers equal to their tasks. May your spirit dwell richly in them. Inspire them to labor zealously and unflinchingly for the perpetuation of the American way of life, so that equality of opportunity may be assured for all who live under the blessed banner of the Stars and Stripes.
	King of kings, bless the President of the United States. Shield him from illness and peril. Grant to him and all the constituted officers of our Government, loving hearts and faithful hands that their work might go forward.
	Enable us and liberty-loving men the world over to witness the fulfillment of the vision of Thy prophets, “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall men learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4, Micah 4:3) And to this do we say, Amen.

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the seventh month of the second session of the 90th US Senate, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 114 part 18 (25 July 1968), page 23321.

Source(s)

Congressional Record, vol. 114, part 18 (25 July 1968), p. 23321

Contributor: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Co-authors:

Name: Samuel Stauber
Bio: Rabbi Samuel (Shmuel, Seymour) Stauber (1927-2013) was an Orthodox rabbi in the United States. He graduated from Ner Israel Yeshiva and Loyola College and began serving as a rabbi and educational director in Easton and Randallstown, Maryland. In the 1970s he served Congregation Bnai Torah in Toronto, Canada. Rabbi Stauber was listed as having been given semikhah by Shlomo Carlebach, and representing the House of Love and Prayer's Achdut Group. In the 1990s, he became a director of the Association for Jewish Outreach Professionals. Later in his career, became an Imago Relationship Therapist. We know very little else about Rabbi Stauber. If you can add any more details about his life and career, please contact us.
Website:
Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/samuel-stauber

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: 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

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