Can you please describe to readers what you do? What are the main elements of your job?

I am basically a set of eyes and ears, and an advocate, for the Orthodox Jewish community. Things go on in Washington, D.C., that affect our lives, our families, our shuls, schools, and mosdos in a very tangible way. We make sure that we are aware of those happenings and that when things need to be supported, opposed, or changed, we make sure that our views are being communicated to members of Congress or to the administration. Over the years, one area we’ve been heavily involved in relates to religious liberty issues, when laws in some way discriminate against us or infringe upon our ability to observe halachah.

Such as?

Nowadays one of the big areas of concern is zoning and land use, laws that keep houses of worship out of communities and neighborhoods. For other religious groups, it’s not necessarily as important an issue. But because we have to live within walking distance of a shul, it’s very relevant to us. Unfortunately, in some cases, we have found that these laws were passed with the intention of keeping Orthodox Jews out of certain neighborhoods.

What would be another example of problematic local laws?

A good example is prohibitions on eiruvim. One of the first questions people ask when considering moving to a new community is whether it has an eiruv. So if a town outlaws eiruvim, they’re in effect discouraging Jews from moving there. And sometimes, particularly in the case of an eiruv, it’s done purposely. So this is another manner in which certain towns are taking away our rights and discriminating against the Orthodox community. Zoning and land use laws can border on anti-Semitism as well because it’s one thing to have a legitimate concern about traffic and sanitation, and another thing to use the law to keep Jews out.

What other issues are on your list of concerns?

The issue of anti-Semitism, making sure that the community is secure, is a continuing concern. We’re very involved with security grants, which help make sure that synagogues and schools and other institutions are secure. There is a federal program that we helped create called the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) that essentially provides government money to help secure institutions that are at high risk of a terrorist attack. That assistance involves equipment like cameras, concrete barriers, and fencing.

How would you evaluate the state of the anti-Semitism right now in the United States?

Well, there’s certainly no question that anti-Semitic incidents are on the rise. Anti-Semites are bolder today. They’re not as embarrassed or ashamed to openly express their anti-Semitism.

How do you explain the phenomenon?

In Europe we know that anti-Semites have used Israeli policies toward the Palestinians as a smokescreen for their anti-Semitism. They talk about being anti-Israel or pro-Palestinian, but in many cases, it’s really just a new way for anti-Semites to legitimize their hatred toward Jews. We see a similar phenomenon in the United States as well.

I would add that I’m not sure that it’s an exclusively “right” or “left” phenomenon. Extremism on the right isn’t that much different than extremism on the left.

Can you tell us about your relationship with the Trump administration?

We’ve had a very productive relationship with the administration, particularly in the area of religious liberty. They have made religious liberty a priority, both domestically and internationally, and it has made a difference. For example, the Department of Justice has become involved with some of the zoning cases I mentioned, taking them up on behalf of the Orthodox and other communities. On Israel, from day one the atmosphere was positive, and that has translated into positive policy developments. We have also found the administration to be very supportive in regard to our top domestic priority — working to help and protect Jewish schools.

At the same time, we have differences with the administration. Certainly, some of the positions that they’ve taken on legal immigration — particularly in regard to refugees — are not positions that we share.

And why is that?

As a community that has needed the safety of America to save lives and protect against religious persecution, we want our nation to bolster opportunities for legal immigration. We want refugee-friendly policies. We also want humanitarian policies that do not result, for example, in the separation of families. The Jewish community has a very strong immigrant history and a very strong refugee history, and some of the concerns that have been raised about the administration’s policies resonate within our community.

Finally, as a lawyer, can I ask for your opinion on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court?

For many people, the entire 2016 election was about the Supreme Court. People looked at the court and figured that there would be vacancies coming up and the new president would have the power to nominate someone young who could have a real impact on the laws of the country for generations. And not only on the laws of the country, but also on the values of the country. I had a law professor who once said that the law expresses our values. We look at our values and then translate our values into law. Much of the social and moral atmosphere of the country will ultimately be determined by the Supreme Court. The kind of country we’re going to have, the kind of values and social mores we’re going to have, are very directly related to the Supreme Court.

In terms of Judge Kavanaugh, we hope the hearings will provide us will a full picture, but certainly he’s an impressive nominee and somebody who I think reflects and shares many of the values that we hold in our community. He should be a very positive addition to the court.