Rabbi Wayne Dosick, Elijah Minyan, La Costa, CA, House guest chaplain, October 12, 1993

"When Rabbis Bless Congress: The Great American Story of Jewish Prayers on Capitol Hill" .. buy the new book here:

Full video of Rep. Anthony Beilinson sponsoring remarks here

Elohanu Va’lohay Avotanu. God of our ancestors; God the generations: Our God. and God of eternity; God of everything and everyone: We come before You on this day, acknowledging and respecting our diversity, celebrating and rejoicing in our unity, for we are all Your children.

We praise You and we thank You for all the many blessings with which You shower us day by day. And we humbly ask You, in the words of the ancient prayer: Barchanu Aveinu kulanu c’echad b'or panacha. “Bless us. O God, all of us together, with the light of Your presence.” [Amidah] Let us encounter You. so that we may be bathed in Your divine light, so that we may reflect the holy sparks of Your divine being. Give us a full measure of Your wisdom and Your strength. Your justice and Your compassion. Your kindness and Your goodness, so that all that we do is filled with Your spirit. Bless, O God. the men and women who come to this hallowed House. Let them hear the voice of Your ancient prophets calling to them, so that where there is pain, they will offer healing, where there is anguish, they will give comfort, where there is despair, they will bring hope. Enflame their souls, and ours, O God. with sacred passion, and guide each one of us to a life of meaning and worth, of caring and sharing, of decency and dignity; a life of doing what is right and what is good. Bless us with joy and with love, and bless us—and Your whole world with us—with Your greatest gift. Your gift of everlasting and enduring peace. And let us all say: Amen.