Jews and American Law
The principles of religious liberty and equality are integral to America’s democracy. The U.S. Constitution’s protection of religious freedom and modern anti-discrimination laws have enabled Jews to flourish in the United States. When American Jews have suffered religious discrimination, they have turned to the courts and legislatures for protection. Recently, however, a new form of religious discrimination has emerged. Jews are once again being excluded. To be accepted, Jews are increasingly being told that they must first shed their sense of Jewish peoplehood and disavow the Jews’ connection to the Land of Israel. In this class, we will explore how US law has protected the Jewish community in the past and how it can be used in the future to protect against this latest form of discrimination.
Alyza Lewin
Alyza D. Lewin is a co-founder and partner in Lewin & Lewin, LLP where she specializes in litigation, mediation and government relations. She is also the President and General Counsel of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, a non-profit organization established to advance the civil and human rights of the Jewish people and promote justice for all. The Brandeis Center conducts research, education and advocacy to combat the resurgence of anti-Semitism on college and university campuses.
Ms. Lewin has represented numerous high-profile clients. Her work includes criminal defense, civil litigation, anti-discrimination, security clearance and Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) matters. In 2014, Lewin argued Zivotofsky v. Kerry (the “Jerusalem Passport” case) before the U.S. Supreme Court, a case involving the constitutionality of a law granting any American citizen born in Jerusalem the right to list “Israel” as the place of birth on his/her U.S. passport.
Meet the Instructor
Tikvah aims to make all of our courses available to as many qualified students as possible. In the event that Tikvah needs to add additional sections, this course may be taught by a different faculty member with a similarly high level of expertise.