Today, Nathan J. Diament, director of public policy for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, was named by President Barack Obama to serve on the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The Advisory Council is comprised of 25 religious and secular leaders and scholars who will work with the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, which serves to mobilize community organizations, religious or otherwise, to provide effective social services. (Service on the Council neither requires nor implies an endorsement by Mr. Diament, or the Orthodox Union, of any particular Administration policy.) The official White House press release can be found here:

In his capacity as the Orthodox Union’s public policy director, Mr. Diament develops and coordinates public policy research and initiatives on behalf of the Orthodox Jewish community; he has authored many articles and essays on an array of religion and policy topics and has testified before congressional committees and worked with members of both political parties to craft legislation on many critical issues. Mr. Diament is an honors graduate of Yeshiva University and the Harvard Law School. Mr. Diament also serves on the faculty of American University (Washington, DC) as an adjunct professor where he teaches “Religion and American Public Policy.”

Of the appointment, Mr. Diament said:

I am deeply honored to be asked by President Obama to serve on his faith advisory council to provide input on policies that will address a range of issues, including promoting government’s partnership with faith-based & community groups, economic opportunity, caring for the environment, and expanding interfaith cooperation on practical issues. This appointment is an enhanced opportunity to bring the Torah’s timeless values into conversations seeking solutions to modern challenges and it is an honor and a privilege to serve my community and my country in this way.

(YWN Desk – NYC)