Alito: Jews Split Along Orthodox/Secular Lines

Via Yeshiva Orthodoxy blog:

. . . the fact that Jews in the U.S. are split on the Alito nomination to the Supreme Court, with Orthodox groups favoring him, and the (much more secular) Union for Reform Judaism opposing him.

The Orthodox Union expressed support for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel Alito’s record on church-state relations.

In a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee leaders, the Orthodox group came out against liberal organizations, who suggest Alito’s rulings would hurt protections of religious liberty.

The letter, signed by Mark Bane, chairman of the O.U.’s Institute for Public Affairs, and Nathan Diament, the institute’s director, said it’s impossible to view Alito’s positions on the separation of church and state as out of the mainstream. “Only those who would advocate the most extreme views of religion-state relations in America — either total separation or total integration — could assert as much,” the letter said.

The Orthodox Union did not specifically endorse Alito. Another Orthodox group, Agudath Israel of America, announced its support for Alito last month; the Union for Reform Judaism announced its opposition to him last month.

“Conservative” Judaism is not really conservative, but rather takes standard liberal positions on virtually all issues. However the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism did endorse John Roberts, but chose not to take a position on Alito.