Last updated on: 11/10/2008 | Author: ProCon.org

Nathan Diament, JD Biography

Title:
Director of the Institute for Public Affairs of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
Position:
Pro to the question "Should the Death Penalty Be Allowed?"
Reasoning:

“[W]e’re not about to take the position of abolition [of the death penalty], because the teaching that, again, the need for implementing justice, particularly with regard to crimes of murder, for society, is a critical component of Jewish teaching as well.”

Transcript of appearance at the Pew Forum’s event, “Religious Reflections on the Death Penalty,” June 5, 2001
Involvement and Affiliations:
  • Director of the Institute for Public Affairs, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
  • Adjunct Professor, Religion and American Public Policy, American University
  • Former Lawyer, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, New York
  • Former Law Clerk FOR Judge I. Leo Glasser, United States District Court
  • Former Professor, Political Science, Yeshiva University
Education:
  • JD, Harvard Law School
  • Graduated from Yeshiva University (degree unknown)
Other:
  • Nathan Diament is the Director of the Institute for Public Affairs (IPA) which is the public policy arm of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, also called the Orthodox Union (OU), representing over 1,000 Orthodox Jewish synagogues nationwide
Quoted in:
  1. Should the Death Penalty Be Abolished or Paused Because of the Alleged Possibility of an Innocent Person Being Executed?
  2. Does Judaism Support the Death Penalty?