| O Great Creator, From whose breath we are granted spirit By whose wisdom we learn discernment Lead us from the unreal to real, from darkness to light, and from death to immortality. May we be nourished together. May we work together with great vigor. May our study be enlightening. May no obstacle arise between us. May you, our Supervisors, strive constantly to serve the welfare of our community, performing your duties with the welfare of others always in mind. May you work carefully and wisely, guided by compassion. May you be given the courage of your convictions, and at the same time open your eyes, open your ears, open your hearts to new possibilities that you have not yet even imagined. Be guided so that disagreements and deadlocks can be settled not merely by strength in numbers, but by seeking out the best way forward, guiding all to seek the common good. Remember that every day each individual who comes into your offices and your meetings are all made in the divine image, and that the differences we see, the differences we create, the differences we think define us, are really not who we are. We belong to one another, brothers and sisters in a family which stretches out across party lines and philosophical lines. May the dividing walls of your thoughts, words and actions soon be broken down. There are many in our county who are struggling right now to survive, to support their families, to succeed. Help us move on to a day when no one will go hungry, to a day when no one lives in fear, to a day when everyone can find a job that will bring contentment and happiness home. Loving God, I pray a special blessing on this place, that you would raise up these women and men; renew their faith, hope, and love, rekindle the passion that first called them to serve, revive in them the vision of “what can be” beyond what merely is. Eternal God we pray for strength; strength to persevere, strength to be patient, strength to forge ahead to benefit all who have faith in us. Adonai oz l’chem yitein, v’ Adonai yivarech et l’chem l’shalom, “May God grant strength to you and may God blesses you with wholeness well-being and peace.” And let us say Amen. Rabbi Thomas A. Louchheim Congregation Or Chadash |