The Office of the Chaplain United States House of Representatives

Rabbi Steven Abraham

Beth El Synagogue
Omaha, NE

Sponsor: Rep. Don Bacon, (R-NE)
Date of Prayer: 11/20/2019

One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:

Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my appreciation for my
friend, Rabbi Steven Abraham, and thank him for leading today's session with the opening prayer. I would also like to welcome his family to this House that belongs to all Americans.

Rabbi Abraham has been the rabbi for Beth El Synagogue since 2013,
after moving to Omaha to be the assistant rabbi in 2011. He graduated
from rabbinical school at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he also received a masters of arts in Jewish education. He is also an alumnus of the University of Baltimore.

Since I came to Congress in 2017, Rabbi Abraham has been a trusted
friend and adviser for both my staff and me.

I call on all of us to heed the words offered in prayer by the rabbi.
We must all humble ourselves to the wisdom of the Almighty, and let us always try to be a voice for the voiceless and serve with compassion and courage.

We face many challenges ahead, but with prayerfulness and good faith in one another, I know we can rise above the trials of today in search of a better tomorrow, all for the sake of our country.

Thank you again, Rabbi Abraham, for being a genuine leader and for
being with us today.

Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:

Our God and God of our ancestors, we stand before You in this sacred Hall to ask for Your blessings upon the Members of this House, the leaders of our country, and the citizens of this great Nation.

May You bless our leaders with the wisdom to follow Your teachings; to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; to protect the
widow, the orphan, and the stranger.

May You bless our leaders with compassion to open both their hearts and their minds to places and ideas where they are currently closed.

May You bless our leaders with the courage to do what is hard, to do what is unpopular, but to do what is right.

Sovereign of the universe, continue to protect the men and women of our Armed Forces; watch over our elected officials; and continue to grant peace, freedom, and prosperity to the United States.

To learn more about Members who have sponsored a Guest Chaplain, please visit the Congressional Biographical Directory