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Features All Features Skullcaps in Congress
Features All Features Skullcaps in Congress | Skullcaps in Congress |
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| Written by Alan Goldsmith | |||||
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When Al Gore selected Joe Lieberman as his running mate in the 2000 presidential election, Americans were confronted with a new phenomenon: the Jewish, nay, religious Jewish candidate. Many Jews had held office and even promoted for Jewish causes. Former New York Mayor Ed Koch was the picture of the average zayde. But for Jewish politicians faith and observance (or lack thereof) had always been a private matter. Lieberman’s frequent references to his deep faith and its role in his politics – coupled with musings on intermarriage and whether he would break the Sabbath if his job necessitated it – was new to America. He presented the kind of open religiosity expected of a Southern Baptist from the South, not a Jew from New England. The participation of religious Jews in American politics is only likely to increase, thanks to the help of the Orthodox Union—an organization that encompasses much of America’s Orthodox synagogues—and its annual internship program in Washington. The program is run by the OU’s lobbying arm, the Institute of Public Affairs, which intercedes with elected officials on issues ranging from Israel to religious freedom in the workplace to same-sex marriage. The internship program gives the OU a chance to encourage and shape young men and women who will one day hold positions of leadership, be it on Capitol Hill or in their local Jewish federation. Concurrently, the program gives students the opportunity to see firsthand the workings of American politics. The approximately forty OU interns are placed with Congressional offices, think tanks, the Anti-Defamation League, AIPAC and even the Israeli Embassy. Being a Washington intern usually means grunt work and lots of it, and while thousands of interns converge on the capital for the summer, not much business is transacted. Politicians spend much of the summer in their home states, fighting for re-election or enjoying a long recess. Opportunities still abound, however. Students have ample time to network, both with political insiders and with fellow observant Jewish college students. Congress operates a lecture series for summer interns, with luminaries such as Bob Dole, Vice President Cheney, George Stephanopolous and newly-christened Senate candidate Alan Keyes dropping by. Many of them stay after the lecture to chat with interested interns, providing a great chance to connect and to ask questions. And though not as much legislation is passed, the lull allows interns to spend more time speaking to their employers. They can find out more about issues of interest and develop bonds in their offices that can lead to future employment down the line. And a plethora of hearings, thinktank briefings and panel discussions happen every week, allowing interns to soak up knowledge and varying political opinions. The OU’s program tries to synthesize Orthodox Jewish perspectives with the intern’s political exposure, providing lectures twice weekly from Jewish political activists, figures in the Jewish communal world, and rabbis in the D.C. area. While much emphasis is placed on the familiar topics of Israel and anti-Semitism, domestic issues such as stem cell research and abortion are also explored. These young prospective leaders are presented with Orthodox role models such as Tevi Troy, formerly President Bush’s liaison to the Jewish community, and Nathan Lewin, a distinguished lawyer who argued numerous cases before the Supreme Court, once even citing the Artscroll Talmud. Students who join this program have a choice, the one they will face throughout their lives: to shape life or be shaped. If they want to play solitaire in their likely-relaxed office setting, and go out to Silver Spring for kosher pizza in the evenings, they can. If they want to expand their minds and their address books, they can. There is nothing like Washington in the summer, and the OU’s internship program is a godsend to active Orthodox students who find more depth to politics than buzzwords and Israel policy, and desire guidance on how to reconcile their religious scruples with a career in public life. For more information on the OU/ITA Washington Internship Program, visit www.ou.org/public/interns.org.
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