Jewish Dems Rank in the 2011 Forward 50

Jason Attermann — November 4, 2011 – 11:20 am | Democrats Comments (0) Add a comment

The Jewish Daily Forward released its annual list of “The Forward 50” that contains the 50 most influential American Jews from the past year. The Forward‘s list traverses all categories of work, from scientific research to cultural programming to political advocacy:

The Forward journalists who assemble this list pride ourselves on searching beyond the expected names and faces to elevate the impactful work of American Jews in arenas that might seem surprising. The baseball field. The concert hall. The scientific laboratory. The refugee camp.

Among the Forward 50 are some Jewish Democrats on Capitol Hill and in Chicago.

Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) listed in the top 5:

Giffords was born of a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother. In 2001, then a state senator, she traveled to Israel on a trip sponsored by the American Jewish Committee. It was on that trip that Giffords solidified her connection to her Jewish roots and to living as a Jew. Her rabbi says that Giffords was drawn especially by Judaism’s commitment to social justice.

Since the shooting, Giffords, 41, has been in a constant battle to recover, surprising her doctors time and again with her resilience and strength. Although she struggles to speak clearly and to walk, Giffords made a dramatic return to Capitol Hill this summer. To cheers and ringing applause, she made her way slowly into the House chamber to cast her vote in the rancorous debt-ceiling battle.

Synagogues around the country still pray for healing on her behalf.

Democratic National Committee Chair Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL):

This year, Wasserman Schultz paid special attention to Jewish voters trying to dispel Republican claims that there has been a shift in Jewish political affiliation and to answer critics of Obama’s policy on Israel. Wasserman Schultz attends strategy meetings on outreach to Jewish voters, and has been the driving force behind the idea of highlighting Israeli leaders’ praise for Obama as a means of addressing Jewish voters’ concerns.

‘The Democratic Party,’ she said, ‘is the natural home for Jewish voters.’ Much of Wasserman Schultz’s success will be measured by her ability to keep this a political reality. Her drive to lock down the Jewish vote could also help Democrats keep Wasserman Schultz’s home state of Florida, an important prize in the national elections.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel:

Easily winning a six-way race with 55% of the vote, Emanuel was inaugurated May 16, becoming the Windy City’s first Jewish mayor. Unusual for an elected official, he’s used his bully pulpit repeatedly to articulate his personal Jewish credo. In June, he defended Obama’s Israel record on ABC News and in a Washington Post Op-Ed, adding that as ‘the son of an Israeli immigrant,’ he had a ‘deep and abiding commitment’ to Israel’s security. He also wrote, ‘...[I]f during the two years I served in the Obama White House the Palestinians had spent as much time working for peace as they did avoiding the table, the process would be much farther along.’

Reflecting on his own career in a September 20 keynote address at the annual meeting of Chicago’s Jewish United Fund, he said, ‘To be a Jew is to be a member of a community - and that’s not just our community… We have an obligation beyond our community to serve.’

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