If you think about it, this doesn’t make sense. In Israel’s congress, the Knesset, politicians are charged with making policies for the Jewish state. In the U.S. Congress, politicians regularly fight over church and state.
But it’s only Congress that opens with a prayer, and even before the Pledge of Allegiance. What’s more, according to a new history from C-SPAN’s Howard Mortman, 441 Jewish rabbis have given 633 opening prayers — 633 more than in the Knesset.
“So, want to hear rabbis quote Moses?” asked Mortman in his new book, When Rabbis Bless Congress: The Great American Story of Jewish Prayers on Capitol Hill. He answered, “Just turn on your television and watch Congress.”
His is the first ever to focus on the opening prayers in Congress, in his case those given by rabbis, and it couldn’t be more timely. As it debuts this week, the guest rabbi, who has said the most prayers in Congress ever, Rabbi Arnold E. Resnicoff, is giving Friday’s prayer.
Mortman had pre-publishing jitters, worried that his numbers would be old because it can take months for books to publish. But he benefited a bit from Washington’s coronavirus shutdown.
“Because of COVID, there have been very few guest chaplains in Congress this year. A handful. And no rabbis. So, as of now, publication date, all the data is current,” he told us.
