Personal life Benjamin N. Cardozo

cardozo had flat in apartment building in washington, d.c.

as adult, cardozo no longer practiced faith (he identified himself agnostic), remained proud of jewish heritage.

of 6 children born albert , rebecca cardozo, twin sister emily married, , , husband did not have children. far known, benjamin cardozo led celibate life. fact cardozo unmarried , tutored writer horatio alger (who had been accused of inappropriate sexual relations young boys) has led of cardozo s biographers insinuate cardozo homosexual, no real evidence exists corroborate possibility. constitutional law scholar jeffrey rosen noted in new york times book review of richard polenberg s book on cardozo:

the question of cardozo s ethnicity

cardozo second jewish justice (the first being louis brandeis) appointed supreme court.

since cardozo member of spanish , portuguese jewish community, there has been recent discussion whether should considered first hispanic justice, notion controversial, given spanish crown expelled jews not convert, , in fact persecuted did.

in response controversy, cardozo biographer kaufman questioned usage of term hispanic in justice s lifetime, stating: well, think regarded himself sephardic jew ancestors came iberian peninsula. has been asserted cardozo himself confessed in 1937 family preserved neither spanish language nor iberian cultural traditions . ancestors had lived in english-speaking countries since 17th century.

some latino advocacy groups, such national association of latino elected officials , hispanic national bar association, consider sonia sotomayor first hispanic justice.