Rahm Emanuel

Rahm Israel Emanuel ( born November 29, 1959 in Chicago, Illinois ) is an American politician of the Democratic Party who exercises the office of mayor of Chicago since 16 May 2011. He was previously from January 2009 to October 2010, Chief of Staff of the White House with U.S. President Barack Obama. As a member of the House of Representatives, he represented from 2003 to 2009 the 5th Congressional District of Illinois.

Life

Rahm Emanuel ( Hebrew first name means " high" or " elevated " ) is the son of Benjamin M. Emanuel, a pediatrician and temporary member of the Zionist underground organization Irgun, and Martha Smulevitz who worked as a radiographer and later a rock ' n 'roll club in Chicago possessed. Emanuel's older brother Ezekiel is cancer researchers and bioethicists. His other brother, Ari, is active in the film industry. In addition, Emanuel has a 14 years younger adoptive sister, Shoshana.

In the period in which his family lived in Chicago, Emanuel attended the Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School, a Jewish day school. When his family moved to Wilmette, Illinois, Emanuel attended public schools: Romona School, the, the Wilmette Junior High School, and New Trier West High School. He graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1981 and then went on to Northwestern University, where he earned his degree in 1985 with a Master of Linguistics and Communication Science. Previously, he trained as a ballet dancer. Emanuel and his wife Amy Rule, who converted to Judaism before the wedding, are active members of modern Anshe Sholom B'nai Orthodox community of Israel. Emanuel said of his Judaism: " I am proud of my heritage and treasure the values ​​it taught me Hat. (I'm proud of my heritage and maintain the values ​​that were taught to me) " The couple has three children ( Zacharias, Ilana and Leah ) and lives near the Chicago North Center.

Emanuel trains next triathlon.

Policy

Already as a student Emanuel politically committed to the democratic congress candidate David Robinson. During the Second Gulf War he served as a civilian Sar -El volunteers on a basis of the Israel Defense Forces in northern Israel. From 1993 to 1999, Emanuel adviser to President Bill Clinton in the White House. His way to solve conflicts extremely offensive, earned him the nickname " Rahmbo ". After a temporary work as an investment banker, he ran successfully for the first time in 2002 for the House of Representatives. There he was a member of the influential Committee on Ways and Means and was from 2007 as Democratic Caucus Chairman is the fourth highest in the ranking Democrat. Previously, he was head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for the 2006 elections in which the Democrats were able to retake the majority in the House of Representatives from the Republicans after twelve years.

With the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America Emanuel moved to the position of Chief of Staff of the White House. After his appeal to the White House from his father with the words "Of course he will influence the president pro-Israel. Why should he not? Is he an Arab? He will not have to clean the floor in the White House. " Was commented to Rahm Emanuel apologized on behalf of his family when Arab- Americans.

On 1 October 2010 he announced his retirement as chief of staff known to compete for mayor in Chicago. His interim successor, Pete Rouse, the three months Bill Daley followed in office. On 22 February 2011 Rahm Emanuel won the election in the first ballot with 55 % of votes in Gery Chico (24%) and thus became the successor of not more candidates Richard M. Daley, the first Jewish mayor of Chicago.