This week, as New York Metropolis inaugurated its first Muslim mayor, two cities in the US additionally made historical past with the swearing-in of their first Orthodox Jewish mayors.
Whereas Orthodox mayors have been elected in cities and suburbs throughout the county, together with New Jersey, New York State and Florida, the inaugurations of Michele Weiss in College Heights, Ohio, and Justin Brasch in White Plains, New York, this week marked a milestone for Orthodox illustration in native politics.
In November, Bal Harbour, Florida, additionally swore in an Orthodox Jewish mayor, Seth Salver, making him the third Orthodox mayor at present serving in a municipality of Miami Dade.
Here’s what it’s essential to know in regards to the United State’s latest Orthodox mayors:
Michele Weiss, first feminine Orthodox Jewish mayor in the US
Michele Weiss was sworn in on Wednesday as mayor of College Heights, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, making her one of many first Orthodox Jewish girls to guide a metropolis in the US.
(Meyera Oberndorf, who served as mayor of Virginia Seashore, Virginia from 1988-2008, was described as having an Orthodox Jewish upbringing.)
“I need to make a kiddush hashem,” Weiss advised the Jewish Telegraphic Company, utilizing a Hebrew time period that may imply a optimistic Jewish position mannequin. “I need to ensure that the Jewish neighborhood is seen in a great gentle, and that’s what I need to painting as a Jewish girl, as an Orthodox Jewish girl, and simply ensure that that permeates.”
Weiss, 50, stated that the Jewish neighborhood in College Heights had grown “an amazing quantity” in recent times, pushed partly by the low price of dwelling in comparison with Cleveland and the truth that town affords personal faculty vouchers.
“It’s the largest Orthodox contingency of residents within the state of Ohio, at this level it’s about 20-25%” stated Weiss. “They positively must be represented, however in fact, I characterize everybody within the metropolis, not simply the Jewish residents.”
Rising up in a Conservative residence in one other suburb of Cleveland, Richmond Heights, Weiss stated that she first turned extra observant in highschool whereas collaborating in NCSY, the youth division of the Orthodox Union. She is a member of the Orthodox synagogue Congregation Zichron Chaim in College Heights.
Weiss moved to College Heights in 1997, and labored because the controller and later the CFO of the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland, the most important Jewish day faculty in Ohio. She is married to her husband, Marcelo, and has three kids and a number of grandchildren.
In 2013, Weiss stated a coworker impressed her to volunteer as an observer for the League of Girls Voters.
“I all the time was doing quiet good deeds,” stated Weiss. “I used to be on the level, although, the place I saved considering, effectively, what may I do extra for the neighborhood? So I had a colleague that stated, ‘you understand, why don’t you get entangled with town?’”
Michelle Weiss is sworn in as mayor of College Heights, Ohio by Regulation Director Brad Bryan in a personal ceremony, Dec. 31, 2025. (Through Fb)
In 2016, Weiss gained a seat on the College Heights metropolis council, and was later appointed by the council as town’s vice mayor for six years. Weiss stated that she felt impressed to run for metropolis council as a voice for town’s Orthodox.
“I actually really feel that we’re placed on this world to make a distinction, and I felt that there wanted to be a voice for lots of causes,” stated Weiss. “I can relate to the secular world and the Jewish world and the Orthodox world, so I can fill that void and that spectrum figuring out learn how to converse to sure folks appropriately. I don’t assume each spiritual chief can try this, so I’ve that means, and I believed that I’d be capable of bridge that hole successfully.”
The identical 12 months, Weiss additionally based the AMATZ initiative, a nonprofit that trains Jewish educators and principals on learn how to higher serve their feminine college students. Weiss additionally holds board positions on YACHAD, a Jewish incapacity nonprofit, and the Neighborhood Relations Committee on the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.
Throughout her tenure on town council, Weiss usually struggled to work with town’s former mayor, Michael Dylan Brennan, who was censured twice by the council for “inappropriate language.” In December, Brennan advised Weiss in an e mail that she was barred from coming into metropolis buildings or properties, and likewise ordered town’s administrators, chiefs and workers to not meet together with her till she takes workplace.
“Every part else that he’s accomplished has been very troublesome to work with, and I’m so excited to have the ability to unify town once more, to a spot the place all people respects one another and may have civil discourse,” stated Weiss.
Throughout her marketing campaign, Weiss stated that she ran on unifying town, constructing new municipal amenities and sharing sources with neighboring communities. Whereas Weiss stated the mayoral election in College Heights is nonpartisan, she is a Republican. She gained the mayoral election with 56% of the vote.
To assist carry collectively town’s communities following the discord of Brennan’s tenure, Weiss stated she deliberate on internet hosting packages and academic boards to “present the variety of our residents.”
“I’m not focusing simply on the Orthodox neighborhood, I’ve to give attention to all people, as a result of we need to be a cohesive unit,” stated Weiss. “However one of many issues is, I feel we have to do some therapeutic and unify the neighborhood.”
Whereas Weiss stated her spiritual identification had not been a giant issue on the marketing campaign path, throughout one debate she was requested about her Sabbath observance. Weiss stated she had consulted her rabbi and the police chief to develop a plan for conditions that would want her consideration throughout Shabbat or Jewish holidays.
Looking forward to her mayoral tenure, Weiss stated she felt a duty to function a task mannequin amid rising antisemitism.
“There’s hope for the Jewish neighborhood going ahead in America, and since it’s scary instances with with antisemitism proper now, I need to be an instance, not simply to the spiritual neighborhood, however to girls and ladies which can be Jewish that possibly don’t see themselves in that kind of management place,” stated Weiss.
Justin Brasch, first Orthodox mayor of White Plains
Justin Brasch, a profession public servant and lawyer, was inaugurated Friday as the primary Orthodox mayor of White Plains, a metropolis simply north of New York Metropolis in Westchester County and a hub of Jewish life.
Brasch, a Democrat, gained the mayor’s seat in November with 72% of the vote towards Republican opponent Lenny Lolis, changing into town’s first new mayor since 2011.
Talking with the Jewish Telegraphic Company about his upcoming mayoral tenure, Brasch stated that he seemed ahead to setting an instance because the county’s solely Orthodox mayor, a distinction he stated he had earned by constructing bridges throughout town’s numerous communities.
“I like what I do, and all people is aware of that I care, and naturally I’ve to set an instance, I’ve no selection, and I like that,” stated Brasch. “I’ve to be accessible to all people, assist all people, and I do. I’m going into all of the communities, I’m going to Iftar and break the quick on the mosque, often attend the black church buildings, you title it. I’m there attempting to be useful and construct bridges and make issues higher for folks.”
Brasch, now 60, was simply 17 when he made his first foray into politics, serving as an intern for then-congressman Ted Weiss on the Higher West Aspect of Manhattan. There, Brasch stated he first “noticed how a lot good authorities may do.”
“He and his workplace have been in there serving to folks with housing insecurity and meals insecurity and issues with Medicare and Medicaid, and supporting immigrants and serving to immigrants get their correct paperwork, and many others.,” stated Brasch. “I used to be very impressed by that. I liked how a lot the folks in that workplace and Congressman Weiss cared and the way a lot good they might do via authorities.”
Justin Brasch’s household seems on as he’s sworn in as mayor of White Plains, New York in a ceremony held on the White Plains Excessive Faculty Auditorium, Jan. 2, 2026. (Through Fb)
As a pupil at Williams School in Williamstown, Massachusetts, Brasch based the college’s Younger Democrats chapter. After transferring again to the Higher West Aspect, he served on the political committee of the New York Metropolis Sierra Membership and the board of the Mid-Manhattan NAACP.
Brasch stated that he had grown up “confusidox,” with Orthodox grandparents on one facet and Reform grandparents on the opposite.
For a number of years after graduating faculty, Brasch lived together with his Orthodox grandfather on the Higher West Aspect, an expertise he stated helped set him on a path for public service and towards changing into an Orthodox Jew.
“He had an actual love for folks, and felt that Jews must be serving to the Jewish neighborhood and the broader neighborhood, and he was all the time very inspiring to me, very right down to earth,” stated Brasch.
Brasch moved to White Plains together with his spouse, Juli Smith, in 2003 in the hunt for more room, drawn by town’s variety, “down-to-earth” spirit and, on the time, small Jewish neighborhood. He’s a member of the Trendy Orthodox synagogues Younger Israel of White Plains and Hebrew Institute of White Plains. Brasch and his spouse, who’s a commissioner within the White Plains Housing Authority, have three kids.
“I joke that I’ve made a whole lot of errors in life, transferring to White Plains was not one among them,” stated Brasch. “It’s a really numerous place. Individuals get alongside. Individuals assist each other. Individuals are very supportive. We don’t have any of that hate and intolerance and anger that exist somewhere else.”
Since transferring to White Plains, Brasch stated that he had seen the native Jewish neighborhood develop at a gradual tempo. In accordance with the UJA-Federation of New York’s 2023 inhabitants research, Westchester County is residence to roughly 89,000 Jewish adults and 16,000 Jewish kids.
“Our neighborhood is rising. Individuals know that this can be a excellent spot to lift a household,” stated Brasch. “We’re a really protected metropolis and an important place. We now have 5 synagogues, as I stated, all of them get alongside, all people works collectively, and there’s a whole lot of concord in our neighborhood.”
Past his work at his small authorized agency in New York Metropolis, Brasch has served in myriad management roles in White Plains’ authorities, together with on its planning board, faculty board price range advisory committee, youth bureau and a transportation process drive.
He additionally served for 12 years on the county’s price range committee.
“That was an unimaginable alternative to assist and to evaluate issues and uncover issues, and to make connections, and definitely to indicate as a Jewish individual, that we care and we’re concerned,” stated Brasch.
Earlier than saying his marketing campaign for mayor, Brasch stated that he believed his involvement in several communities in White Plains demonstrated to the native Democratic Get together management that he was effectively suited to the position.
“We’re a particularly numerous metropolis, and all people sees that I’m going to all of the completely different communities,” stated Brasch. “I present up on the black church buildings, I’m going to the mosque, I’m going to the black neighborhood, the Latin neighborhood. I’m fully concerned, and so they felt that I’ve the management expertise and skills to maintain our metropolis transferring in the proper course.”
Brasch stated that his involvement in White Plains’ numerous communities additionally served one other objective: combatting antisemitism.
“I consider that we must be extra concerned within the broader neighborhood to battle anti semitism,” stated Brasch. “Sadly, the propaganda lately is that Jews are a egocentric neighborhood that solely cares about themselves. And truly, when folks get to know us, they see that we’re good folks, we care, we need to assist all communities and assist the world.”
Brasch stated that he additionally anticipated some folks to depart New York Metropolis for White Plains following the election of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whose election sparked concern amongst a number of the metropolis’s Jewish residents over his harsh criticism of Israel and avowed socialist politics.
“I do have a distinct imaginative and prescient from him, besides with regard to our want to assist individuals who have much less,” stated Brasch of Mamdani. “I do assume that there shall be considerably of a migration to White Plains from town, as a result of we’re a protected metropolis that takes care of our folks and builds a pleasant neighborhood.”
Throughout his mayoral marketing campaign, Brasch ran on a number of key points, together with increasing reasonably priced housing, creating new inexperienced areas and constructing an intergenerational neighborhood heart that might put programming for town’s youth and aged underneath one roof.
“I’ve all the time believed that Judaism is about being the most effective individual you could be serving to the world,” stated Brasch. “Whether or not we need to say it’s bringing kedushah or holiness to the world, whether or not it’s tikkun olam, we’re purported to be a light-weight unto the nation, there’s, quote after quote and educating after educating, that we’re purported to be doing an important job being first rate and trustworthy folks.”
