Posted by Nathan J. Diament at 09:39 PM on 01/04/07

Senator Clinton's reception was, well, very New York. It was in one of the biggest rooms you can get in the Senate, had the most people - including the largest contingent of visibly Orthodox Jews. In a clear mark of sensitivity, the food on hand was edible to shomrei kashrus - lots of raw fruit and vegetable (in contrast to Sen Kennedy's fare of shrimp & lobster.)

President Bill Clinton was also at the reception which, among other things had the benefit of lessening the crush of people around Mrs. Clinton. I was able and pleased to thank him for signing the Religious Land Use & Institutionalized Persons Act into law in the last year of his presidency and tell him of the benefit it has delivered to Orthodox Jews. Just last week, RLUIPA helped a prisoner secure kosher food.