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USCIRF Welcomes New Commissioner Meir Soloveichik
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomed Rabbi Meir Soloveichik as its newest commissioner.
Religious freedom “is the philosophical linchpin of what lies at the heart of American ideals,” Soloveichik has said.
“We are thrilled to welcome Meir Soloveichik’s appointment to the Commission,” USCIRF Chair Stephen Schneck said. “The experience he brings to USCIRF will be instrumental in continuing the promotion of freedom of religion or belief abroad.”
Rabbi Soloveichik, who currently leads Congregation Shearith Israel, the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States, comes to the independent, bipartisan federal government entity with a deep well of scholarship and a wealth of experience advocating for religious liberty.
“The human soul is a candle kindled by the Creator.”
Shoulder to shoulder with leaders of other faiths—including Catholics, Muslims and Latter-day Saints—Rabbi Soloveichik has advocated for the protection of religious higher education and the preservation of the rights of religious communities to practice their faiths without interference. He has lectured internationally to diverse audiences on Judaism, faith in America, the Judaic roots of the American experiment and Jewish-Christian relations, and his writing has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, First Things, The Forward and The New York Times. He is also known for his commitment to civic outreach, community building and Jewish education.
On accepting the 2018 Canterbury Medal from the Becket Fund for his work championing religious liberty, Rabbi Soloveichik said, “The human soul is a candle kindled by the Creator. Like a candle’s flame, the soul’s sanctity is so easily extinguished when buffeted by the winds of change, by the zeitgeist, by social pressure or by persecution. And yet like a flame, the soul, if protected, if sustained, if fueled by freedom, by faith, by courage, contains within it an infinite amount of power that can spark and inspire without diminishing, that can defy all expectation.”
“Meir Soloveichik brings a wealth of knowledge on religious freedom issues that will benefit the Commission greatly,” USCIRF Vice Chair Eric Ueland said.
The U.S. Congress established the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to monitor, analyze and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress to expose religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief.
As an organization working to build a world that is safe and inclusive for members of every faith, STAND recognizes Rabbi Soloveichik’s extensive work advocating for freedom of religion. We extend our congratulations on this significant appointment, which, to borrow Rabbi Soloveichik’s words, will allow him to fuel the souls of members of every religion with freedom, faith and courage on a global scale.
