Rabbi Thomas A. Louchheim
Congregation Or Chadash
Tucson, AZ
Sponsor: Rep. Martha McSally, (R-AZ)
Date of Prayer: 05/17/2017
One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:
Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Rabbi Thomas
Louchheim, who led us in the opening prayer. He is a rabbi at the
Congregation Or Chadash in Tucson, Arizona. Rabbi Louchheim moved to
Tucson with his wife, Marcia, in 1989 and has been a pillar in our
community ever since.
Having served as a rabbi at Temple Emanu–El and as an executive for
Handmaker Hospice, he is a strong advocate for peace and religious
harmony. He worked closely with the Muslim community in the
aftermath of September 11 and has continued to promote understanding by
organizing annual Muslim–Jewish peace walks.
He founded the first Jewish–Christian–Muslim Scriptural study group
in our community and has contributed to interfaith literature. In a world where religion too often divides us, Rabbi Louchheim has shown that we are all stronger together.
Rabbi Louchheim's influence extends past southeastern Arizona. In
fact, his influence reaches beyond this Earth. The rabbi is a namesake for the only space object in the universe named after a rabbi, Asteroid 9584 Louchheim.
I was honored to join Rabbi Louchheim in a Holocaust Remembrance walk last year. I have personally witnessed his compassion and leadership in the faith community in southeastern Arizona. I am honored to welcome him to the House of Representatives today and to personally thank him for offering this morning's prayer.
Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:
Loving God, each day raise up these good women and men who are serving our country with honor. Renew in them the faith, hope, and love that brought them to this vital work. Rekindle in them the passion that first called them to serve.
May you, our elected Representatives from every State in our great Nation, be granted today the courage of your convictions; and may your eyes, your ears, and your hearts be open to the possibilities not yet imagined.
Compassionate God, may our fellow Americans remember that these, Your servants, are each made in the divine image. They are our brothers and sisters in a family bridging all philosophical lines. May we treat them with respect, for we know not the hard battles they must fight.
May Your blessings be on our military and diplomats serving overseas. Keep them safe from harm. Keep their souls strong, and strengthen them
to serve with honor and courage.
May our prayers for kindness, justice, freedom, and peace, be answered in our own day. Amen.
To learn more about Members who have sponsored a Guest Chaplain, please visit the Congressional Biographical Directory