At Sen. Ossoff’s invitation, Rabbi Berg delivered the U.S. Senate’s opening prayer this morning
Sen. Ossoff was sworn in to the U.S. Senate on Hebrew scripture once owned by The Temple Rabbi Jacob Rothschild, who led the synagogue from 1946 to 1973
Washington, D.C. — At U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff’s invitation, The Temple Rabbi Peter Berg delivered the U.S. Senate’s Opening Prayer this morning ahead of the sixth night of Hanukkah.
U.S. Senators can invite faith leaders from their states to serve as the Senate’s Guest Chaplain for the day, where they offer the opening prayer as the U.S. Senate begins its daily work. According to the Senate, the practice of inviting guest chaplains to deliver the Senate’s opening prayer dates to at least 1857.
Following Rabbi Berg’s prayer, Senators Ossoff and Reverend Warnock spoke on the Senate floor to welcome Rabbi Berg to the U.S. Senate.
“Tonight, Jews all around the world will light the sixth candle of Hanukkah. They will do so, in a world teaming with xenophobia and hatred. Let us never forget that this is a time of year we all bring light and hope to despair and darkness,”Rabbi Berg said. “Let us resolve to do our share to hasten the day by taking a true measure of life, by learning to face life and judge the challenges before us, with realism, courage, and understanding.”
“Rabbi, on behalf of the United States Senate, we thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule tending to your Congregation, providing light and inspiration to our constituents in Georgia, to provide such wisdom and a blessing to those of us here in this chamber who labor each day to do the work of the people and to advance the interests of the United States,”Sen. Ossoff said. “I thank you, Rabbi Berg, for your leadership at this moment of trial for Jewish Americans in Georgia, across the country, and for Jews around the world at this moment, that frays the bonds between faith communities. I thank you for your interfaith leadership, for your consistent calls for solidarity, compassion, mutual love, and respect between all people of all faiths.”
“Rabbi Berg, thank you so very much for your inspiring prayer. It lifts before all of us our highest ideals and reminds us of the important work that we’re called to do together. So always great to see you. As I often say, every Baptist preacher needs a rabbi. And Peter Berg is not only the Rabbi at The Temple, he is my rabbi, and he is my friend,” Senator Reverend Warnock said. “For more than 15 years, Rabbi Berg has led The Temple, Atlanta’s largest and one of its most historic synagogues. Its history is so very important not just for Atlanta’s Jewish community, but for my own church, the Ebenezer Baptist Church where Dr. King served. And indeed, for the entire city of Atlanta. You are such an important leader in our country.”
The Temple is located in midtown Atlanta and is one of American Judaism’s most historic religious institutions. Founded in 1867, it is the city’s oldest synagogue.
When Sen. Ossoff was sworn into the U.S. Senate in January 2021, he was sworn in using a book of Hebrew scripture once owned by Rabbi Jacob Rothschild, who led The Temple from 1946 to 1973. Rabbi Rothschild was an outspoken civil rights activist and ally of Dr. King. Rabbi Rothschild’s outspoken opposition to segregation and Jim Crow led to the bombing of The Temple by white supremacists in 1958.
Click here to watch Rabbi Berg’s Opening Prayer to the U.S. Senate.
Click here to watch Senator Ossoff’s Senate Floor remarks.
Click here to watch Senator Reverend Warnock’s Senate Floor remarks.
Please find a transcript of Rabbi Berg’s Opening Prayer and Senators Ossoff and Reverend Warnock’s Senate Floor remarks below:
RABBI BERG: “Good morning. Eternal God, may your name be invoked only to inspire and unify our Country, but never to divide it.
“We ask your blessings upon our U.S. Senators and all who serve this body.
“That today and every day, they lead wisely and with civility, working together for our common good.
“Tonight, Jews all around the world will light the sixth candle of Hanukkah. We will do so in a world teaming with xenophobia and hatred.
“Let us never forget that this is a time of year where we all bring light and hope to despair and to darkness.
“Be with us now, God. Make us strong to do Your will. Help us to understand and proclaim the truth, that not by might and not by power, but by our spirit alone can all of us prevail.
“Let injustice and oppression cease, hatred, and cruelty, and wrong pass away.
“Bless, O God, the lights of this season. May they shine their radiance in this historic chamber.
“They kindle within us the flame of faith and of zeal, that like the Maccabees of old, we bravely battle for Your cause.
“May our Senators be blessed today, to use their God-given light to chase away the darkness.
“Let us resolve to do our share to hasten the day by taking the true measure of life, by learning to face life, to judge the challenges that are set before us, with realism, with courage, and with understanding.
“These things we ask, in Your name, O God. Until the radiance of peace and righteousness
for all of God’s children shines to the ends of the earth.
“Amen.”
SEN. OSSOFF: “Mr. President, thank you for the recognition this morning. It’s a pleasure to be with you, Mr. President, here this morning as we, together, represent the State of Georgia — an obligation that we both cherish, an obligation I cherish sharing with you.
“And it’s a pleasure to be with you here, Mr. President, this morning to open the Senate having heard such a moving prayer and such words of wisdom from Rabbi Peter Berg of The Temple, in Atlanta, Georgia.
“Rabbi, on behalf of the United States Senate, we thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule tending to your Congregation, providing light and inspiration to our constituents in Georgia, to provide such wisdom and a blessing to those of us here in this chamber who labor each day to do the work of the people and to advance the interests of the United States.
“I thank you, Rabbi Berg, for your leadership at this moment of trial for Jewish Americans in Georgia, across the country, and for Jews around the world at this moment, that frays the bonds between faith communities. I thank you for your interfaith leadership, for your consistent calls for solidarity, compassion, mutual love, and respect between all people of all faiths.
“It’s particularly fitting, Rabbi, that you joined us during Hanukkah, and Mr. President, to have Rabbi Berg here as we approach the sixth night during this moment, when so many Jews feel such anxiety and fear amidst the overt expression of antisemitism such as we’ve not seen for a generation.
“We draw upon the Hanukkah story — one of endurance, and resilience and survival for inspiration, a story that can inspire all people of all faiths.
“And finally, Mr. President, I would note, as you and I together represent the State of Georgia for the first time in its history, represented by a black man and a Jew, that to have Rabbi Berg here, representing The Temple’s civil rights commitments in history.
“The Temple, which in 1958, as you know, Mr. President, was bombed by white supremacists, in an attempt at vengeance for Rabbi Jacob Rothschild’s alliance with civil rights leaders and Dr. King in the American South.
“It’s particularly powerful to have Rabbi Berg with us here this morning.
“He leads of course the congregation where I was Bar Mitzvah’ed.
“We are grateful for Rabbi Berg’s spiritual leadership, and Mr. President, I yield the floor.”
SEN. REV. WARNOCK: “Mr. President, it is my honor and joy to join you in welcoming our good friend, Rabbi Peter Berg, to the United States Senate today.
“Rabbi Berg, thank you so very much for your inspiring prayer. It lifts before all of us our highest ideals and reminds us of the important work that we’re called to do together.
“So always great to see you. As I often say, every Baptist preacher needs a rabbi. And Peter Berg is not only the Rabbi at The Temple, he is my rabbi, and he is my friend. For more than 15 years, Rabbi Berg has led The Temple, Atlanta’s largest and one of its most historic synagogues.
“Its history is so very important not just for Atlanta’s Jewish community, but for my own church, the Ebenezer Baptist Church where Dr. King served. And indeed, for the entire city of Atlanta. You are such an important leader in our country.
For more than 50 years, Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, led by Dr. King, has had a special relationship with The Temple. After Dr. King won the Nobel Peace Prize, some folks in Atlanta didn’t want to celebrate it. They weren’t certain that that was worthy of recognition.
“But it was Rabbi Jacob Rothschild, The Temple’s then Senior Rabbi and a champion for civil rights himself, who helped to bring the city together to commemorate that important moment in the movement for Georgians. It was an interracial dinner, and that in and of itself was a movement forward at a time of deep divisions and some of the darkest hours in our country.
“And the special relationship has sustained to the present day, where Rabbi Peter Berg, who is the 5th senior rabbi in The Temple’s history, and I, the 5th senior pastor, and history of Ebenezer Baptist Church, have carried on that tradition of ecumenical spiritual friendship, and that friendship is genuine.
“As you know, Rabbi, we’ve done a lot of important work together. And I’m so grateful for the long history of friendship between our two congregations.
“This past March, I was honored to have you to serve as the guest preacher for Ebenezer’s 138th anniversary, and you preach with all the fire of any Baptist preacher I know.
“In fact, every year our congregations come together to observe the MLK holiday, and we worship and we work together as one Beloved Community.
“But beyond the doors of your congregation, Rabbi Berg has been a stalwart champion for change and Georgia.
“He and I have served together on too many occasions to count from the Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students, to Faith and Public Life, Faith Voices Against Gun Violence, the Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center — our work together addressing the issue of mass incarceration in our country, standing up against bigotry, racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, wherever hatred rears its ugly head — we have spoken time and time again together as one voice.
“And because of that intersection of faith and justice, you will see Rabbi Berg and you will hear his voice time and time again.
“We don’t have enough time for me to run through all of Rabbi Berg’s accolades, of which there are many. Time and time again, he has been recognized as one of the most influential spiritual leaders in our state and in our nation.
“So, on behalf of the State of Georgia, I join Senator Ossoff in uplifting our appreciation for Rabbi Berg, who has been a source of counsel and a partner in making what Congressman Lewis called ‘Good Trouble.’
“And so, during the season of Hanukkah, and during this season of Advent, I lift the words of Isaiah, who said that the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.
“May our lights continue to shine in this world, Rabbi Berg, I’m so blessed to have you as a spiritual brother and with that, I yield the floor.”
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