Lawyer becomes first Chasidic Jew in senior US government role

He was among the negotiators in talks between the United States and China seeking to hash out an agreement that would bring the countries’ trade war to an end. 

President Donald Trump nominated Mr Silk for the position in September, and in confirmation hearings in the Senate, Mr Silk spoke about his family and his pride in his grandparents’ struggles. 

For more than 12 years, he served as chairman of Agudath Israel’s pro bono division. Rabbi A. D. Motzen, the national director of state relations for the Strictly Orthodox group told Jewish Insider that Mr Silk’s “passion was helping those who could not speak for themselves”. 

Hamodia reported he spends most of his time in Washington D.C., but commutes back to New York to spend Shabbat with his wife and eight children where possible.