Former US senator and Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Lieberman has died at the age of 82. He died from complications from a fall, Punchbowl News reported in a social media post on X, citing family.
Lieberman spent 24 years as Senator for Connecticut and was the first Orthodox Jew to serve in the Senate.
While there had been other Jews in the Senate, Lieberman was the first Jew to keep Sabbath to Orthodox standards, meaning he didn’t attend Senate business from sundown on Friday to Saturday.
Lieberman also kept Kosher and prayed daily, in addition to not working on the Sabbath. He was known for a strong focus on morality during his time, denouncing gratuitous sex and violence in films, television shows, and pop music.
Lieberman ran with Al Gore in 2000 as his vice president and then ran again in 2004 for the Democratic nomination but was unsuccessful.
A bi-partisan star
Lieberman was noted for his bi-partisanship, having worked closely with Democrats and Republicans throughout his time in the Senate.
He was so successful that Republican candidate John McCain considered picking him as his running mate in 2008, Politico reported.
He was a strong supporter of Israel and opposed the Iran nuclear deal. His support led him to back Donald Trump on several Israel-related issues.
“I am grateful to President Trump for making this decision,” he said at an event to mark the move of the US embassy to Jerusalem. His reputation for bipartisanship is still strong under Trump. He was even rumored to be a possible pick for FBI director in 2017.
Lieberman’s daughter Hana Lowenstein, her husband Daniel, and four children all made aliyah in 2018. Separately, his granddaughter Nesya Lieberman made aliyah earlier that year.
He is survived by his wife Hadassah and their three children.
Reactions
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on X, calling “our beloved” Joe Lieberman “an extraordinarily kind and loyal personal friend.”
Sara and I grieve with Hadassah and the entire Leiberman family on the passing of our beloved Joe Leiberman. Joe was an exemplary public servant, an American patriot and a matchless champion of the Jewish people and the Jewish state. In my very first meeting with him…
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) March 27, 2024
“Senator Liberman was a true mensch whose legacy of leadership and service will continue to inspire future generations,” World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder said following the announcement of his death.
“The Jewish people will particularly feel his loss because his iconic life and work and standing up for the cause of freedom around the world had a profound impact on each and every one of us. Even in death, Joe’s legacy will continue to serve as an inspiration for me and the entire Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) team,” CAM CEO Sacha Roytman said.
Barack Obama also commented on X: “Joe Lieberman and I didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but he had an extraordinary career in public service, including four decades spent fighting for the people of Connecticut.”
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