Diament, Ratzan react to appointment

Nathan Diament and Nancy Ratzan have both released statements saying they’re "deeply honored" by their selections as one of 25 people to sit on President Obama’s new faith based council.

"I look forward to working with the president, his staff, and the other members of the Advisory Council to realize the goals we share," said Ratzan. "NCJW is gratified that in his executive order of Feb. 5, the president made clear that federal government programs will honor our fundamental constitutional commitment to equal protection of the laws, the free exercise of religion, and the First Amendment ban on the establishment of religion."

"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," said Diament in a statement. The statement added that service on the Council "neither requires nor implies an endorsement by Mr. Diament, or the Orthodox Union, of any particular Administration policy."

Their full statements are after the jump:

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First, the O.U.:

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 does neither requires nor implies an endorsement by Mr. Diament, or the Orthodox Union, of any particular Administration policy.) …

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.

And the NCJW:

Nancy Ratzan, president of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), was today appointed to the President’s Advisory Council for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The council is intended to strengthen the ability of faith-based and other neighborhood organizations to deliver services effectively in partnership with federal, state, and local governments and with other private organizations, while preserving fundamental constitutional commitments.

"I am deeply honored to be a part of President Obama’s Advisory Council for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships," Ratzan said. "My selection is a tribute to NCJW’s record of 116 years of speaking out and taking action as a faith-based organization on behalf of social justice and progressive social change.

"I look forward to working with the president, his staff, and the other members of the Advisory Council to realize the goals we share," Ratzan added. "NCJW is gratified that in his executive order of February 5, the president made clear that federal government programs will honor our fundamental constitutional commitment to equal protection of the laws, the free exercise of religion, and the First Amendment ban on the establishment of religion.

"We believe that leadership and engagement by faith-inspired and other community organizations is vital to improve communities and create positive change. We look forward to this extraordinary opportunity to have a voice in the administration’s plans and proposals as part of the council."

Ratzan is one of twenty-five members of the council. Prior to becoming NCJW president, Nancy Ratzan was the founding chair of the organization’s BenchMark campaign on judicial nominations. An attorney residing in Miami, Florida, Ratzan is a former partner of the Miami law firm Steel Hector & Davis, where she specialized in appellate, First Amendment, and higher education law.