In conversation with Ben Domenech, Meir Soloveichik speaks about his own career in the rabbinate, the current threats to religious freedom in America, and the role not just of the Hebrew Bible and Judaism but also of actual Jews in shaping the vision of the Founding Fathers. Drawing on material he uses in his online course, he explains how the book of Samuel and its rabbinic interpretations influenced Thomas Paine’s seminal pamphlet Common Sense and describes the audacious letter from a Philadelphian Jew that contributed to the Constitution’s understanding of religious liberty. (Audio, 58 minutes.)
Read more on Federalist: http://thefederalist.com/2018/01/09/rabbi-meir-soloveichik-religion-jewish-ideas-american-founders/