The Kosher Bookworm: Nachama Soloveichik, a new face in American Jewish politics

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The current issue of “Jewish Action,” the quarterly magazine published by The Orthodox Union, features a very interesting and timely essay by Toby Bulman Katz titled, “Nachama Soloveichik: A Passion for Politics.”

This article profiles the career of a young up-and-coming Republican Party strategist who worked in the successful campaign of Pennsylvania’s new U.S. Senator, Pat Toomey. Besides highlighting her political skills, Katz skillfully demonstrates the depth of her religious commitment to her faith and its demanding lifestyle.

The granddaughter of the Gaon, Rav Aharon Soloveichik, zt’’l, openly acknowledges the role that her grandfather and her great uncle, the Rav, Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik, zt’’l, played in formulating her deep commitment to Judaism. Their influence carried into her personal and professional life.

What caught my attention in this piece was the fact that one of the great American writers whom Nechama claimed as her favorite was Whittaker Chambers. This claim by Ms. Soloveichik comes on the heals of a ten-page photo essay in the Charedi–styled magazine, “Zman.” That article, “Espionage Behind Enemy Lines,” by Yakov M. Hirschson, focuses on the anti-spy career of Whittaker Chambers.

Why all this sudden attention to a man who is long gone, having passed away nearly a half century ago, and who had almost no relationship with our people or its faith left me intrigued.

Yet, it was the Soloveichik profile that gave me a hint as to why Chambers would have such an influence upon this young lady. Religion motivated Chambers’ hatred of Communism and his advocacy on behalf of the political conservative movement.

A recently issued book by journalist Richard M. Reinsch titled, “Whittaker Chambers: The Spirit of a Counterrevolutionary” [ISI Books, 2010], points, in part, to the importance of Chambers’ life.

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