The worship song “Lord, Prepare Me to Be a Sanctuary,” written by a songwriter with Appalachian roots, can be found in many modern Christian hymnals and is sung in many Christian churches. However, it also is sung in Jewish synagogues.

Also known simply by the title “Sanctuary,” the song was written by Randy Scruggs and John W. Thompson.

Scruggs, who wrote the lyrics, was famous in his own right as a musician, producer and songwriter, and was the son of Appalachian bluegrass musician Earl Scruggs, remembered for popularizing a three-finger style of playing the banjo.

This past week, “Sanctuary” was sung at Central Synagogue in New York City in conjunction with the assigned Torah portion of the week, the portion from the Book of Exodus in which Moses was instructed to have the Hebrew people build the Mishkan, the portable sanctuary that would travel with them through the desert.

As an online member of Central Synagogue, I participated in a Wednesday Torah study during which we all sang “Sanctuary.” We sang it again during the Friday night Shabbat service which I livestreamed, and a third time during the Saturday morning Mishkan service in which I participate through Zoom.

I wonder how many Jews realize that this was written as a Christian song by someone with Appalachian roots. And I wonder how many Christians know that Jews also sing the song during services, often adding words from Exodus in Hebrew:

V’asu li mikdash (Make for me a sanctuary)

V’shochanti b’tocham (That I may dwell among them)

Va’anachnu n’varech yah (And we will bless God/Yah)

Me-ata v’ad olam (From now and forever) 

---

Here, Julia Cadrain who is a former cantor at Central Synagogue, sings both the Hebrew and English lyrics. (Note: Although the title of the video says that this is a Shaker hymn, it is a contemporary song, copyrighted in 1982.)