LA Mayor’s Growing Jewish Shelf

By COLlive reporter

Chabad Rabbis visited Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and congratulated him on his landslide re-election for a second four-year term in charge of America’s second-largest city.

Garcetti, the city’s first Jewish Mayor, welcomed to his office Rabbi Shlomo Cunin, Head Shliach of California, and Rabbi Rabbi Moshe Greenwald, Director of Chabad of Downtown LA.

They brought with them a box of hand baked Shmura Matzah from Israel for the Mayor to enjoy at his Seder and they gifted him the New York Times bestseller “Rebbe” authored by Joseph Telushkin.

As it is expected during an encounter with Chabad, they invited the Mayor to put on Tefillin on the day of their meeting which was the 11th of Nissan, the Rebbe’s 115th birthday.

The Mayor was already prepared for that.

On the bookcase in his office, he has a “Jewish shelf” with items such as a yarmulka and a Kehot Chumash produced by Chabad of California. He also has a pair of Tefillin which Rabbi Cunin gifted him.

Garcetti, a 46-year-old Democrat whose mother is Jewish, put on the Tefillin and recited the Shmah Yisroel prayer. He later filmed a video message in honor of Pesach.

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