I was again honored by the Speaker’s request that I offer the prayer for the Opening Day of the legislative session.
This is what I said:

When George Washington visited the Hebrew Congregation of Newport in 1790, four states were still debating the first amendments to the Constitution.
President Washington later wrote the congregation, “The reflection on the days of difficulty and danger which are past is rendered the more sweet from a consciousness that they are succeeded by days of uncommon prosperity and security.”

He continued, “It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it were the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights.”

This fall, those inherent natural rights were grievously attacked at the Tree of Life congregation in Pittsburgh.

A college friend, whose son and daughter were Bar and Bat Mitzvah at the congregation, wrote our class:

“The shootings have torn our community, and there are deep wounds. But it also has knit our community together in remarkable ways.

“There is the sense of a shared common adversity, and the discovery of widespread support from those outside our religion, outside our neighborhood, outside our city and even outside our country. Rallies in support of us, and against hate, have been held in many cities; phone calls, letters, emails and personal visits have come to our homes.”

We should note that when Washington resigned his commission as commander in chief of the Continental Army, steps away from where we are assembled today; when the Maryland General Assembly first convened, there were no Jews in either body. No women, no African-Americans, no LGBT members.

In the 90 days and the four years ahead, may there be many days of Washington’s “uncommon prosperity and security.”
That would make this day, this beginning, worthy of a Jewish prayer, the Shehecheeyanu:
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.