lightman v. Flaum & Weinberger
New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division -- Second Department

INTEREST OF THE AMICUS

The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America ("UOJCA") is the largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization in the United States. The UOJCA represents over 700 synagogues throughout the United States, which collectively represent hundreds of thousands of individual Jews. The Institute for Public Affairs (the "IPA") is the department of the UOJCA that represents the organiza-tion and its constituency on matters of public policy. The IPA researches public policy issues, provides educational briefings to government officials, and informs its member-ship of current issues relevant to the Orthodox Jewish community. Through the IPA, the UOJCA also participates in various federal and state litigations, largely through the submission of amicus briefs that relate to matters of concern to the Orthodox Jewish community.

The UOJCA has a significant interest in the ques-tions presented in this case because this court's ruling will unquestionably and profoundly impact upon the nature of clergy-congregant relations in New York State. There-fore, the UOJCA submits this brief to offer the views of the Orthodox Jewish community in this case.