Dr. Israel Goldstein of New York read the opening prayer at today’s session of the House of Representatives. The occasion marked the hundredth anniversary of the first prayer read by a Jewish minister in the halls of Congress.
Dr. Goldstein is spiritual leader of Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, New York, the same congregation of which Dr. Morris J. Raphall was rabbi when he opened the session of the House of Representatives February 1, 1860. Dr. Raphall’s prayer of 100 years ago, which Dr. Goldstein quoted today, reflected the tension of the times as the United States approached Civil War. In his prayer today, Dr. Goldstein contrasted the ominous tensions of 1860 with the unity the country enjoys today.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
