Image by wikimedia commons

Shmuel Herzfeld, the rabbi of Washington’s oldest synagogue, Ohev Sholom – The National Synagogue, offers a new inauguration prayer.

Dear God:

Please give the president the wisdom and courage to guide the United States with fairness and kindness, and to help keep all of us safe and secure.

Please protect us from violence and war and economic recession.

Please protect all of us who live in this country, and especially the most vulnerable among us to the winds of hatred.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Please extend Your hand and guard all those who worship You in peace, and support all those who worship You according to any faith that is not the majority faith of our country, like Jews and Muslims.

Please extend Your protection to those who are too often denied basic human rights on account of their skin color — especially to our African-American brothers and sisters.

Please shelter all our neighbors under the wings of Your shield, and offer refuge to all who need it— specifically to undocumented residents.

Please protect from ridicule and isolation those who have physical differences.

Please protect the women in our country from lecherous and abusive men.

Please protect all of us from bullying and emotional intimidation.

Please protect all of us, but especially our children, from being led astray by those who model improper behavior.

Please give our elected officials the courage and the strength to lead with moral clarity and wisdom.

Please give all of us the strength to remember that while the president of the United States is a powerful man, there is something even more powerful: our moral conscience.

When we come in Your name, when we speak truth to power, then it is we the people who are powerful.

Please give us the internal strength to face down these challenges and remain true to our inner core.

And may it be so!

Since 2004, Shmuel Herzfeld has been the rabbi of Ohev Sholom —The National Synagogue, the oldest Orthodox synagogue in Washington, D.C. He is the author of five books, including “Renewal: Inspirational Lessons of Rosh Hashanah”(Gefen Publishing House, 2015).

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount