Rabbi Israel Poleyeff, Hebrew Academy of Five Towns Rockaway NY, Senate guest chaplain April 5, 1995

"When Rabbis Bless Congress: The Great American Story of Jewish Prayers on Capitol Hill"

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Almighty God: We ask Thy blessings upon the distinguished Members of this Senate of the United States of America. Give them insight to understand the concerns and problems of all the people of this blessed land; bless them with wisdom to enact laws that will benefit all its inhabitants, and imbue them with courage to make difficult decisions for the public good.

For more than a century, millions of immigrants, my father's family amongst them, came to these shores seeking freedom from tyranny and oppression. To this very day our beloved country still stands as shining example of individual liberty and limitless opportunity. More than two centuries ago, our Founding Fathers created a nation in which every individual had the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Members of this Senate have the awesome responsibility of seeing that those goals remain the hallmark of our Nation. We beseech Thee, O Lord, imbue them with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge to hold aloft the banner of freedom and the torch of liberty, so that all the inhabitant of this country shall be privileged to live, work, and worship their God as they choose and without fear. May our country be the leader among nations in ushering in an era of universal peace and harmony so that the words of the prophet may be fulfilled in our time, when "they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor shall the learn war anymore." [[Isaiah 2:4]] May this be Thy will. Amen.