Rahm Emanuel (Chief of Staff)
Rahm Emanuel (born November 29, 1959) has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 2003, representing Illinois's 5th congressional district which covers much of the north side of Chicago and parts of suburban Cook County.
Early history
Emanuel was born in Chicago, Illinois. His father, the Jerusalem-born Benjamin M. Emanuel, is a pediatrician and was a member of the Irgun, a militant Zionist group active during the British Mandate of Palestine.
When his family lived in Chicago, he attended Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School, a Jewish day school. Emanuel worked for Democrat Paul Simon's 1984 election to the U.S. Senate,
During the 1991 Gulf War, Emanuel was a civilian volunteer in Israel, rust-proofing brakes on an army base in northern Israel.[6]
Emanuel's knowledge of the top donors in the country, and his rapport with potential donors within the Jewish community helped Clinton amass a then-unheard-of $72 million.[7]
Emanuel supported the October 2002 joint Congressional resolution authorizing the Iraq War, differentiating himself from all nine other Democratic members of the Illinois Congressional delegation (Sen. Richard Durbin, Reps. Bobby Rush, Jesse Jackson, Jr., Bill Lipinski, Luis Gutiérrez, Danny K. Davis, Jan Schakowsky, Jerry Costello and Evans) elected in 2002.[11]
Personal life
His father, a pediatrician still practicing near Chicago, immigrated to the United States from Israel and spoke Hebrew with his son, when Emanuel was a boy. He is the brother of Ari Emanuel, a prominent talent agent and founder of the Endeavor Agency.
Emanuel's wife Amy Rule, a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, was non-practicing before converting to Orthodox Judaism around the same time as her wedding.[22] They are "active members of a modern Orthodox congregation, Anshe Shalom, in Chicago".[7] She is “heavily involved with the Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago.”[7] They have three children, son Zacharias and daughters Ilana and Leah. The children attend "the Conservative Jewish day school, which Emanuel himself attended as a child". Rabbi Asher Lopatin of Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel Congregation, is quoted as saying: "It's a very involved Jewish family"; "Amy was one of the teachers for a class for children during the High Holidays two years ago."[7] Emanuel has said of his Judaism: "I am proud of my heritage and treasure the values it has taught me."[7] Emanuel's family lives on the North Side of Chicago, in the North Center neighborhood.[23]
0 Have Your Say!:
Post a Comment