YIR: Rabbi Berg Delivers U.S. Senate Opening Prayer
The senior rabbi of The Temple twice used light and darkness in reference to antisemitism afflicting American Jews.
On Dec. 12, seven hours before sunset and the lighting of the sixth candle of Chanukah, Rabbi Peter Berg, senior rabbi of The Temple, delivered the opening prayer before the U.S. Senate.
Calling the occasion “fun” and “an honor,” Berg told the AJT that while the role of guest chaplain required him to keep his remarks parve — a Yiddish word meaning “neutral” — regarding politics, he deliberately used the metaphors of light and darkness in reference to the antisemitism afflicting the Jewish people.
According to Howard Mortman, the communications director for C-SPAN and author of “When Rabbis Bless Congress: The Great American Story of Jewish Prayers on Capitol Hill,” more than 400 rabbis have delivered an opening prayer in either the U.S. Senate or House, dating back to 1860.
Mortman posted online that Berg, senior rabbi at The Temple since July 2008, was the first rabbi to serve as guest chaplain in the Senate since March 2022 and the first from Georgia since February 1966. He also was the first Georgia rabbi to serve as guest chaplain in either chamber since October 1999 and the first from Atlanta since November 1983.
Berg was invited by Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff to deliver the opening prayer. When he was sworn into office in January 2021, Ossoff used a book of Hebrew scripture once owned by Rabbi Jacob Rothschild, who led The Temple from 1946 to 1973.
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