Nov. 21, 2005, 12:07AM
Reform Jews oppose Alito's nomination
Leaders of the movement call the jurist threatening to group's values
By MATT STILES
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
Members of the nation's largest Jewish denomination voted Sunday to oppose federal appeals court judge Samuel Alito's nomination for the Supreme Court.
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"This movement has stood for a vision that is committed to the expansion of fundamental rights for women, for minorities, for protection of religious freedoms by keeping up strong walls of church-state separation," said Rabbi David Saperstein, who heads the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. "His appointment would threaten our vision."
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Some of the roughly 2,000 voting delegates expressed concern about passing the measure before Alito's Senate hearings early next year. Saperstein, who said the union could review the stance after the hearings, said Alito's 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals work left plenty of writings to help delegates make a decision.
Patti Edelman of Congregation Beth El in Tyler, said those rulings, particularly on abortion and women's issues, were worrisome: "He has a long record of making extreme judgments that would lead any reasonable person to believe he would carry those extreme views and the power of the court to take away rights that we've already gained."
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http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/3474310.html