Many more decisions that can impact our members happen on the state level.

For a long time the Orthodox community has found opportunities to work on common goals with faith communities across the spectrum. We work on an array of issues, and also have our disagreements with evangelicals -- and with Reform Jews, for that matter.

We commend Senators [Michael] Enzi and [Edward] Kennedy and their colleagues for their leadership in the Senate and ensuring that this much-needed relief (ensuring the equitable and religiously sensitive treatment of parochial schools) was contained in the appropriations package.

It would indeed be difficult to pass [legislation ] without Sen. Smith's support, though not impossible.

He's very smart on policy and on politics. He's not a member of Congress who, if the staff didn't put talking points in front of him, wouldn't know what he was talking about.