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Rahm Israel EmanuelChief of Staff of the President of the United States.
Date of Birth: 20.11.1959
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Rahm Emanuel: A Politician's Journey
- Political Career
- Business Career and Return to Politics
- Chief of Staff and Legacy
Rahm Emanuel: A Politician's Journey
Early Life and FamilyRahm Israel Emanuel was born in Chicago on November 29, 1959, to a Jewish family. His grandfather, a pharmacist in the Russian Empire, fled to Palestine from pogroms. Emanuel's father, Benjamin Auerbach, was a pediatrician and a former member of the Jewish paramilitary organization Irgun. He emigrated from Israel to the United States in the late 1950s and changed his surname to Emanuel after his brother Manuel's death in the 1930s. Emanuel's mother, Martha Schmulevitz, was born in the United States to Moldovan immigrants. She was the daughter of a union leader and worked as a radiologist and psychologist.
Emanuel grew up in a politically active family in Chicago. He attended Jewish day school and public schools in Wilmette, where he participated in ballet. Emanuel graduated from New Trier West High School and considered a career in ballet before electing to attend college. He earned a bachelor's degree from Sarah Lawrence College in 1981 and a master's degree in speech and rhetoric from Northwestern University in 1985.
Political Career
While still in college, Emanuel became involved in Jewish community organizations and the Democratic Party. In 1989, he served as Richard Michael Daley's chief campaign strategist for mayor of Chicago. During the Gulf War in 1991, Emanuel volunteered in Israel, where he assisted the Israel Defense Forces.
Upon returning to the United States, Emanuel joined Bill Clinton's presidential campaign. He played a key role in securing record-setting donations from the Jewish community. After Clinton's election, Emanuel was appointed as a senior political advisor and later served as Senior Advisor from 1993 to 1998. In this capacity, Emanuel focused on Middle East policy, helped facilitate the Oslo Accords, and oversaw the signing ceremony between Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat. He was also involved in developing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and proposed universal healthcare and other initiatives.
Emanuel became known for his fiery demeanor. Following Clinton's re-election in 1996, he famously cut up a list of opponents' names and exclaimed "Dead, dead, dead!" over the dinner table. He also sent rotten fish to a former ally who had not endorsed Daley's 1989 campaign.
Business Career and Return to Politics
Emanuel left the White House in 1998 and joined the investment bank Wasserstein Perella & Co. (now Dresdner Kleinwort). In 1999, he became the head of its Chicago office. Emanuel brokered major mergers in the telecommunications and industrial sectors. He also served on the board of directors of Freddie Mac from 2000 to 2008. The agency's collapse helped trigger the 2008 financial crisis due to its misrepresented financial statements.
Emanuel earned $16.2 million during his business career and resigned from all positions after being elected to the House of Representatives in 2002. He ran as a Democrat in Illinois's 5th congressional district, which traditionally backed Democratic candidates. Despite anti-Semitic attacks from an opponent who claimed he held dual US-Israeli citizenship, Emanuel won the election. He retained his seat in the 2004, 2006, and 2008 elections, winning over 70% of the vote in his final term.
In the House, Emanuel took a less liberal stance than most Democrats, supporting the Iraq War. In 2006, he chaired the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, leading the party to significant gains. He was considered for the position of House Majority Leader but declined, instead becoming chairman of the Democratic Caucus.
Chief of Staff and Legacy
Emanuel endorsed Barack Obama in the 2007 presidential election and helped raise funds for his campaign. After Obama's victory, he offered Emanuel the position of White House Chief of Staff. Emanuel entered office on January 20, 2009.
Emanuel is known as a skilled political strategist, with former President Clinton praising him as "one of the best political minds in Washington." He taught at Harvard University in the mid-1990s and inspired the character of Joshua Lyman in the television series "The West Wing."
Emanuel is a practicing Jew and an active member of Chicago's Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel congregation. He is married to Amy Rule, who converted to Judaism before their wedding. They have three children: Zachariah, Ilana, and Leah. Emanuel enjoys competitive swimming, ballet, and triathlon.
