Rabbi Meir Soloveichik of Congregation Shearith Israel in Manhattan was unanimously elected as vice chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom on Tuesday.
Soloveichik, who is also the director of the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University, and a senior scholar at the Tikvah Fund, was appointed to a two-year term on the commission in 2024 by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, welcomed the appointment on Wednesday.
“Rabbi Soloveichik is a longtime advocate of religious freedom and strengthening interfaith relations,” Greenblatt wrote. “We look forward to his continued focus on these critical issues.”
The commission describes itself as “an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on religious freedom abroad.” It issues annual reports about religious freedom worldwide.
Its chairman, Stephen Schneck, congratulated Soloveichik in the announcement.
“I am eager to continue our work with vice chair Soloveichik, whose good nature, expertise and passion will be essential contributions to leadership that advances USCIRF’s work,” Schneck stated.
