(JTA) — Elana Kagan became the third Jewish justice on the current U.S. Supreme Court with her confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
The Senate approved the nomination of Kagan, the U.S. solicitor general, in a 63-37 vote Thursday.
Kagan, 50, joins Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer as Jewish justices on the high court. She becomes the court’s 112th justice and the fourth woman to serve, including Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor on the current panel.
Kagan, a New York City native, was an attorney and policy adviser in the Clinton White House for four years. She is a former dean of the Harvard Law School.
President Obama nominated Kagan in May to replace Justice John Paul Stevens, who served on the court for 35 years. Kagan is expected to support the court’s more liberal wing, which Stevens led during his time on the court.
The Senate has been debating Kagan’s nomination for the past three days ahead of a monthlong recess. Its Judiciary Committee had approved Kagan two weeks ago by a 13-6 vote mostly on party lines.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
