Sixty six year old, Rabbi David Saperstein has been nominated as the next U.S ambassador -at large-for international religious freedom. If approved by the Senate, he would be the first non-Christian to hold the post since it was created back in 1998. ;
Part of his responsibilities, would include monitoring religious freedom abuses around the world. It's an issue that's highly relevant in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, where religious persecution has given way to many conflicts. ; Domestically, in the U.S, the Affordable Care Act and its contraception mandate has triggered heated debates on religious freedom. ;
Saperstein lives in Washington and is a lawyer. He was named the most influential rabbi in America by Newsweek magazine in 2009. For 40 years he has led the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. ;
The previous ambassador was African American pastor Suzan Johnson Cook, who resigned from the position in October 2013. ;
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