USA
Who is Josh Shapiro? The potential first Jewish vice president
The Pennsylvania governor has been mooted as a potential running mate to Kamala Harris should she win the nomination
August 5, 2024 23:00
The Pennsylvania governor has been mooted as a potential running mate to Kamala Harris should she win the nomination
August 5, 2024 23:00In the wake of Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 US presidential election, Josh Shapiro, the Jewish governor of Pennsylvania, is a name that has been repeatedly raised as a possible vice presidential pick for the November election against Donald Trump.
The swing state Democratic politician has already endorsed a potential Kamala Harris nomination, saying: “The contrast in this race could not be clearer, the road to victory in November runs through Pennsylvania.”
The contrast in this race could not be clearer and the road to victory in November runs right through Pennsylvania – where this collective work began.
— Josh Shapiro (@JoshShapiroPA) July 21, 2024
I will do everything I can to help elect @KamalaHarris as the 47th President of the United States. pic.twitter.com/sqCkiAmCV7
If selected, Shapiro would be the first Jewish candidate for VP since Joe Lieberman’s unsuccessful run with Democratic nominee Al Gore in 2000.
Should a Harris-Shapiro ticket win in November, Shapiro would become the first Josh to be named Vice President, and only the second Jewish resident of the Vice Presidential residence, after current Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.
Born on June 20, 1973, in Kansas City, Missouri, Shapiro is an observant Conservative (Masorti) Jew, who keeps kosher but is not believed to be Shomer Shabbat. In an interview while running for Pennsylvania governor, he said that his family enjoys Shabbat, “We do the brachot together, we sit and talk, and my kids actually sit at the table and are part of the conversation and engage.”
Shapiro was raised in a Jewish household by his parents, Steven and Judi Shapiro, who instilled in him the importance of faith and cultural heritage from a young age. In an interview with the Forward, he said that his parents: “set a very good example for me to live a life of faith and service.”
During Shapiro’s childhood, the family moved to Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, where Shapiro attended Akiba Hebrew Academy (now Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy), a Jewish day school alongside his wife Lori (neé Ferrara), who he proposed to underneath Jerusalem’s Montefiore windmill in 1997.
According to JTA, his mother was active in the movement to free Soviet Jewry and Shapiro was also active in promoting this cause in the US.
Today, I joined the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia to mourn more than 6 million Jews and more than 11 million people who perished in the Holocaust.⁰⁰We cannot let such an atrocity happen again.⁰⁰That is why we gathered with one purpose: to never forget. pic.twitter.com/i1sANwjcz7
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) April 16, 2023
As Attorney General of Pennsylvania, a position he held before becoming governor, Shapiro tackled significant issues such as the opioid crisis, consumer protection, and environmental justice.
His tenure as Attorney General also saw him taking on cases of child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, a move that garnered national attention.
In his role as governor, Shapiro continues to draw upon his Jewish heritage. He often speaks about the importance of diversity, inclusion, and fighting discrimination, themes that resonate deeply within Jewish teachings. He’s also a strong advocate for Israel, especially since the start of the 2023 Hamas-Israel war.
In December 2023, he said: "Israel not only has a right, they have a responsibility to rid the region of Hamas and the terror that Hamas can perpetrate."
He also defended Philadelphian Israeli restaurant Goldie in the face of violent protests, and call for police to crack down on protestors at the University of Pennsylvania.
Shapiro's Jewish background also influences his personal life. He and his wife, Lori, are active members of their synagogue, sending their children to Jewish day schools in Philadelphia.