Last week, the late former senator Joe Lieberman of blessed memory was laid to rest among family, friends, and dignitaries. Among his many accomplishments was making history as the first Jewish candidate to represent a national party platform as Al Gore’s running mate during the 2000 presidential election. However, above all else, Lieberman's legacy is remembered for his proud observance of Judaism and his unwavering commitment to his values.

In the early 1960s, the global Jewish community was facing a severe crisis. Many Jewish men and women who were going to out-of-town colleges were losing touch with their Judaism and intermarrying. At first the number was three percent, but this number was going up rapidly at an alarming rate.

Rabbi Ephraim Sturm, CEO of National Council of Young Israel at the time, related: “I called together the officers of Young Israel and I said, ‘We have a problem!’ We agonized over it, and we decided to ask a number of Jewish leaders what to do.