Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Kenneth I. Segel on 18 July 1973

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Date: 2024-06-19

Last Updated: 2025-03-29

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

Tags: 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., 93rd Congress, English vernacular prayer, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, U.S. Senate, תחינות teḥinot

Excerpt: The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 18 July 1973. . . .

Content:

Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Kenneth I. Segel, Rodef Shalom Temple, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Sponsor: n/a
Date of Prayer: 18 July 1973

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	God of all generations — These, Thy children, seek Thy help. In loving kindness guide and protect them. Through their efforts may hope be sustained, faith strengthened and human dignity and decency upheld.
	May the blight of war be forever banished so peace in freedom may prevail.
	Attune our hearts for communion with Thee.
	Aid us to be uncomplaining and unafraid. Teach us to face life with the confidence and courage that we may see the blessings hidden away even in its discords and struggles. May we realize that life calls us not merely to enjoy the fatness of the Earth but to exult in heights attained after the toil of climbing. Thus will our darkness be illumined by Thy light and our weakness made strong by Thy strength, lifting us above fear and defeat and sustaining our steps with an immortal hope.
	Praised be Thou, O God, whom alone we serve in reverence. Amen.

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the seventh month of the first session of the 93rd US Senate, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 119 part 19 (18 July 1973), page 24438.

Source(s)

Contributor: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Co-authors:

Name: Kenneth Ian Segel
Bio: Rabbi Kenneth I. Segel is a Reform movement rabbi in the United State. After graduating from the State University of New York at Buffalo, he studied at Hebrew Union College where he was ordained in 1970. He has served historic congregations in the United States and Canada and has built congregations in New Orleans; Fresno, California; and Scottsdale, Arizona. He’s taught at five universities, published three children’s books and two adult books, and has been invited to offer Opening Prayers before the House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He currently lectures on cruise ships throughout the world.
Website:
Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/kenneth-ian-segel

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

Featured Image:

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