Los Angeles chose for first time in history: Jewish mayor

For the first time in the history of the City of Los Angeles residents chose a Jewish mayor: Jewish City Councilman Eric Garcetti, was crowned last night to serve as the next Mayor of Los Angeles.

Eric, 42, ran against State Comptroller Wendy Greuel, and defeated her by a handsome margin of 8 percent. Garcetti is the son of a Russian Jewish mother who raised him as a Jew, and mixed Italian and a Mexican father. Mayor's election also makes him the youngest mayor in the last century.

Garcetti will replace Antonio Villaraigosa who could not run for re-election due to legal limit, and he will assume office at the beginning of July.
Thus, for the first time in history, Los Angeles - which has the second largest Jewish community in the United States - about 600 thousand Jews, including tens of thousands of Israelis also crowned a Jewish mayor.

Following the elections, issued Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa a message, which said: "I am happy about the choice, because I know I put the city into good hands."

It should be noted that Jews make up only 15% of the city population numbering four million people, however, among Jewish voters comprise about 20%, since about one fifth of the population cannot vote.

Garcetti joins two other famous Jews who serve as heads of large U.S. cities: Michael Bloomberg of New York and Ram Emanuel of Chicago.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!