J. B. Pritzker, the 43rd Governor of Illinois, and Josh Shapiro, 48th Governor of Pennsylvania, are both Jewish and are both on the short list of candidates to be presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris’s VP. The other three are Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Judging strictly by the expectation that a VP would be able to deliver either a constituency or, more concretely, a swing state, Shapiro and Walz have the best chance of getting the job. Arizona will send 11 delegates to the electoral college; Pennsylvania 19. Illinois and Minnesota are likely going to vote Democrat with or without its governors on the ticket, and Kentucky is not likely to turn blue any time soon, no matter who is the democratic VP: it has gone for the Republican presidential nominee with better than 50% of the votes since 2000 (62.1 % voted for Trump in 2020).
From a pro-Israel point of view, Shapiro, 51, is someone we’d very much want to see in the White House, to countermand the pro-Hamas and Woke influence on Harris.
10 GOOD THINGS ISRAEL LOVERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT JOSH SHAPIRO
- Shapiro strongly supported Israel, condemning Hamas and affirming Israel’s right to defend itself.
- He faced criticism from Muslim organizations for not acknowledging the supposed “root causes” of the Hamas atrocities.
- Shapiro emphasized Israel’s right and responsibility to eliminate Hamas.
- He called for US support for Israel after the Gaza war.
- He showed his support for a Jewish-owned restaurant in Philadelphia that faced pro-Hamas violence.
- Shapiro criticized university leaders, including UPenn’s president, for their handling of antisemitism on campuses.
- He condemned pro-Hamas protests at American colleges and called for law enforcement to protect Jewish students.
- He called for police action against a pro-Hamas encampment at UPenn.
- Shapiro compared pro-Hamas protesters to white supremacists and the KKK.
- Shapiro faced criticism from First Amendment advocates and pro-Hamas groups for revising the state employees’ code of conduct to prohibit scandalous behavior such as antisemitic riots, which some viewed as limiting free speech.
Also: as Attorney General of Pennsylvania, Shapiro supported enforcing his state’s anti-boycott law against Ben & Jerry’s after the ice cream maker canceled its license to a Jewish vendor in the Liberated Territories. Shapiro called BDS a “stain” that should not take hold in Pennsylvania and said it was “rooted in antisemitism.”
Josh Shapiro’s upbringing was rooted in Jewish tradition in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. At the young age of 6, he initiated a remarkable endeavor through his synagogue, Beth Sholom Congregation in Elkins Park, and the Forman Hebrew Day School: he began corresponding with Avi Goldstein, a Soviet Jewish refusenik in Tbilisi, Georgia, and established an international pen-pal program he named “Children for Avi.”
Shapiro’s high school years were spent at Akiba Hebrew Academy in Merion Station, Pennsylvania. It was here, in the ninth grade, that he first met Lori, who would later become his wife. During his time at Akiba, Shapiro was an active member of the basketball team, eventually serving as one of its captains in his senior year.
Though Josh and Lori’s relationship began in high school, their paths diverged after graduation. They reunited later in Washington, D.C., where both were residing post-college. In 1997, Josh proposed to Lori in Jerusalem. They tied the knot on May 25 of the same year.
The Shapiros maintain a strong connection to their faith as practicing Conservative Jews. They adhere to kosher dietary laws and are parents to four children.
