Lieberman First National Jewish Candidate

Aug. 8 -- Al Gore’s selection of Sen. Joseph Lieberman, an Orthodox Jew, as his running mate takes the Democratic presidential ticket into uncharted waters.

Never before has a U.S. presidential candidate chosen a Jewish running mate. Gore’s selection of the Connecticut senator, which will be formally announced today, has sparked questions about whether enough of the American public is ready to elect a Jewish vice president.

Asked if he thought a Jewish candidate would face the prospect of anti-Semitism while campaigning, Gore told ABCNEWS last week, “I don’t think those old distinctions and categories matter these days, the way they did in the past.”

The vice president added: “I think we’ve grown as a nation … I think we’ve grown beyond that kind of attitude. I think that the day is coming when that’ll be completely irrelevant in all of our politics.”

Many Jews Are Optimistic

Many Jewish observers, inside and outside of Washington, expressed optimism about the reception Lieberman will get.

Rabbi Barry Freundel — the rabbi of the synagogue Lieberman attends in Washington’s Georgetown neighborhood — told ABCNEWS the pick represented a “breakthrough moment” in American politics.

“I’d like to hope we’ve gotten past the point where it matters,” says Freundel.

Moreover, says Freundel, Lieberman’s personality is not such that he naturally draws attention to his faith: “He doesn’t come at you with his religion on his sleeve.”

Mark Mellman, a prominent Democratic pollster who attends the same synagogue, calls Gore’s decision “a test for America” that he believes “we will pass with flying colors.”

Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, a major Jewish organization, said the choice of Lieberman was “a milestone in America’s political maturity.”