Rabbi Eytan Hammerman, Temple Beth Shalom, Mahopac, NY, June 11, 2014, House prayer

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Rabbi Eytan Hammerman, Temple Beth Shalom, Mahopac, NY, June 11, 2014, House prayer

Rabbi transcript: Our God and God of our ancestors, we rise in prayer in one of the world's most sacred spaces. This hallowed Hall combines enormous power with awesome responsibility. We pray that You, O God, inspire those who stand before You today--mere mortals--women and men, young and old, the many races, colors, and ancestries that make up our blessed country. In the Jewish calendar, we have just concluded the Feast of Weeks [[Festival of Weeks = Shavuot]] , marking, we are taught, the receipt of the Bible at Mount Sinai. This was the culmination of a march from bondage and slavery toward freedom and responsibility. We ask that You bless the Members of this august body as they work to guarantee freedom in our day so that we may all live long lives; peaceful lives of goodness and blessing; lives free from shame; lives filled with abundance and honor; and lives in which our hearts' desire for goodness--for one and all--will be fulfilled.

Rep. Maloney Transcript: Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I welcome Rabbi Eytan Hammerman of Temple Beth Shalom to the House of Representatives and thank him for serving as today's guest chaplain. Rabbi Hammerman leads the congregation at Temple Beth Shalom and is passionate about serving his neighbors in Mahopac, New York. A distinguished scholar, Rabbi Hammerman holds a B.A. and a master's degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City and a degree in political science from Columbia University. Before he joined Temple Beth Shalom in 2010, he served small and large congregations in Baltimore, Maryland; White Plains, New York; and northern New Jersey, in addition to serving as director of the Jewish Youth Philanthropy Institute here in Washington, D.C. Rabbi Hammerman has served the Mahopac community since he was ordained in 2010, and his leadership has united people all throughout the community--no matter what their beliefs or what their background. Not only a religious leader, he has long been a political advocate for justice and equality, and especially for a reduction in the horrible plague of gun violence we see in our country. He is joined here today by his wife, Rebecca, and his three beautiful daughters, Ary, Rena, and Ilana, as well as his mother- and father-in-law, Marjorie and Dr. Steven Hoffman. Not only a religious leader, he is also my friend, and I am proud to call him my friend. I hope you will join me in welcoming Rabbi Hammerman.