My stepfather, Joe Lieberman, modeled integrity inside and out

(JTA) — How do we live a life of principle and integrity, without closing ourselves off from others who do not share all of our values?

How do we build bridges and broad tents that include the diversity of human viewpoints and experiences, without forgetting what we stand for?

These are old problems, and evergreen ones.

The Talmud records a crisis from 2,000 years ago, when Rabban Gamliel, the political head of the Jewish community, was deposed as the leader of the main rabbinic academy. His sin? It seems his standards were too high: Rabban Gamliel demanded that all who…