World

The New AG

Bush taps Orthodox Jew.

Ron Kampeas
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

As a judge, Mukasey broke with
the White House by ruling that a
suspect must have access to a lawyer.
Washington
And unlike some other judges, he has
abjured involvement in Jewish advo-
n the aftermath of her son Ari's
cacy.
murder by an Arab gunman on
"Some judges have improperly
the Brooklyn Bridge in 1994,
remained active in Jewish organi-
Devorah Halberstam was introduced
zational life while they were on the
to a federal judge for the Southern
bench:' said Marc Stern, counsel to the
District of New York with a longstand- American Jewish Congress. "It's a tes-
ing interest in terrorism-related issues. tament to his probity that he was not
In the years since, Judge Michael
among them."
That does not mean his Judaism is
Mukasey became a fixture in the life
of Ari's family, keeping a photo of the
not deeply felt. Mukasey, 66, is a life-
long congregant at Kehillath Jeshurun
slain teenager on the mantle in his
on New York City's Upper East Side.
chambers, meeting regularly with his
mother and in March, receiving the
He was educated at its Ramaz school;
his wife for a time was the school's
memorial award established in Ari's
Photo by the White House
memory.
headmistress.
Mukasey even
He is close
friends with
attended the wed-
dings of Ari's
congregant Jay
Leflcowitz, a top
siblings, one in tor-
rential rainstorms
Washington
lawyer and
outdoors. But he
stayed until the
veteran of the
ceremony's conclu-
Soviet Jewry
sion, Halberstam
advocacy
movement who
said, even though
President Bush listens to remarks by
he was drenched.
is Bush's spe-
Judge Michael Mukasey.
"That is the kind
cial envoy for
of a person he is,"
human rights
Halberstam said.
in North Korea.
"He's an immaculate human being.
Lefkowitz rushed to praise the
You don't find people like that"
selection, as did another top Jewish
Halberstam and Mukasey would
conservative, Weekly Standard editor
meet each year around Rosh
William Kristol.
Hashanah in his chambers in Lower
The Orthodox Union was not shy
Manhattan. This year's meeting was
about claiming Mukasey. "He's a man
scheduled for Sept. 17, but the day
of impeccable character and it's nice
before Mukasey called to say he had
to see someone from the community
an urgent engagement in Washington:
nominated to such an important
President Bush would be introducing
position," said Nathan Diament, the
him as the White House's pick to be
Washington director.
the next U.S. attorney general.
Mukasey would be the second
Those who know the retired federal
Jewish attorney general. Ed Levi, who
judge say Mukasey, an Orthodox Jew,
served under President Ford in the
is a political conservative who kept his mid-1970s, also was known for his
politics and religion out of the court-
independent streak.
room.
Mukasey has close ties, dating back
That's in marked contrast to his pre- to his days as an assistant U.S. attor-
decessor, the scandal-plagued Alberto
ney in the 1960s, to Rudy Giuliani, a
Gonzales, who resigned last month
leading contender for the Republican
despite Bush's best efforts to retain
presidential nomination. The former
him. Gonzales' tenure was marked by
New York City mayor lost no time
his loyalty to Bush and oft-repeated
in endorsing the nomination, rais-
only-in-America story as the child of
Mexican immigrants.
New AG on page A29

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November 1 • 2007

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