Jack J. Lew ’78, former Secretary of the Treasury and Chief of Staff under President Obama, and Noah R. Feldman ’92, a Law School professor, held a discussion about identity, faith, and public responsibility at Harvard Law School. Jack J. Lew ’78, Secretary of the Treasury and White House Chief of Staff under former U.S. President Barack Obama, spoke Wednesday at Harvard Law School about how his Jewish background and beliefs have informed his political pursuits. Lew argued that public servants’ commitment to the nation’s interests should take precedence over their personal religious beliefs. “The sole governing principle for a US public official should be how to best serve the United States and the American people,” regardless of the official’s faith background, he said. While Lew stressed prioritizing American interest over religious beliefs, he also highlighted the role religion can play in politics. His talk formed one in a series given as part of the annual Alan and Elisabeth Doft lectures, which are co-sponsored by Harvard Law School and Harvard’s Center for Jewish Studies. Dozens of Harvard undergraduate and graduate students, University faculty, Cambridge residents, and students from Boston-area colleges attended Lew’s speech. Lew said he has often reflected […]
