FAITH AND POLITICS
August 9, 2000

After this background report, three experts discuss what it means to be an orthodox Jew and a politician.

Online NewsHour Special Report: 2000 Democratic Convention Election 2000 Aug. 8, 2000: An historic choice. Aug. 7, 2000: Al Gore asks Lieberman to be his running mate. Dec. 12, 1998: Sen. Lieberman on his call for censure of the president in the Monica Lewinsky affair. Sept. 4, 1998: Sen. Lieberman criticizes Clinton's conduct in the Monica Lewinsky affair. Sept. 18, 1996: Sen. Lieberman serves as the Clinton campaign's advocate on foreign policy. Browse the NewsHour's coverage of Politics and Campaigns and Election 2000     Joseph Lieberman	JIM LEHRER: The selection of Joe Lieberman for the Democratic ticket has raised the question, what exactly does it mean to be an orthodox Jew and a politician? Ray Suarez begins our look at that question. RAY SUAREZ: Within the family of Judaism, the oldest and most traditional branch is commonly called orthodoxy, from a Greek word meaning "the right thought." As a general rule, men and women in these congregations worship in separate sections of the synagogue, observe strict dietary laws laid down in the Hebrew scriptures, and follow more than 600 other laws governing daily life. Yesterday in Nashville, Senator Lieberman acknowledged his faith just moments after Al Gore announced him as his running mate. SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN: I ask you to allow me to let the spirit move me, as it does, to remember the words from Chronicles, which are to give thanks to God... to give thanks to God and declare his name and make his acts known to the people. RAY SUAREZ: Of the five million American Jews, orthodox adherents represent about 7%, according to a 1990 study. The two largest groups are reform Jewry, at 42%, and conservative Jewry at 38%. When Lieberman is in Washington, he attends this synagogue downtown. Early this morning, about three dozen members gathered for daily prayers, chanted in Hebrew. Longtime member Philip Klein describes the essence of the prayers. PHILIPP KLEIN: Thank God. We believe in you, we need you, we ask that you hear our prayers, and we are responsible to you.
	Religious observance
	RAY SUAREZ: Beyond the synagogue, Lieberman practices his faith both at home and in gatherings with Jewish and Christian Senators. Last year, he spoke to the PBS program "Religion and Ethics Newsweekly." SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN: My religion is really important to me. I mean, it really orders my life. You know, it answers the big questions that we have: Who am I, what am I doing here, what might the future be? Every morning I study either a little bit of the Bible -- Torah -- or something related to religious experience, and I try to go as often as I can Wednesday mornings here. We have a Senate prayer breakfast, interdenominational, a remarkable experience. There's actually a lot more religious observance here privately than most people would guess. RAY SUAREZ: Lieberman's observance also means worshipping on the Sabbath and following its rules. As specified in the Ten Commandments, from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, orthodox Jews aren't supposed to travel or work, which in modern life is extended to the operation of machinery and household appliances. In fact, this service in Riverdale, New York, was reenacted and filmed on a Monday, in order to uphold the Sabbath laws. The Connecticut Senator says those rules would not affect his job as Vice President. On "Larry King" last night, he said Jewish law allows certain exceptions. SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN: You know, I give the comparison just to help folks who have never had to think about this. You know, I go to synagogue with doctors. They get beeped, they listen to the beeper. They go down and make a phone call. If somebody needs them for their health, they get in the car and drive to the hospital or the patient's home. They are not only permitted to do that, they are required to do that. And I take it to be the same. RAY SUAREZ: At the same time, Lieberman did say he would not be campaigning on the Sabbath between now and November.