Mazel Tov, Israel; Shalom, Mayor Villaraigosa

[King_David]

Photographs of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa play on a large screen. In one photograph, he’s with Israeli President Shimon Peres. In others, he is visiting the Western Wall, walking at a kibbutz and greeting Israeli soldiers.

Meanwhile, Villaraigosa, in the flesh, is watching the slideshow, smiling.

When the presentation comes to an end, music and applause fill the room and Villaraigosa makes his way to the stage, where Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles David Siegel hands the mayor an award, a framed prayer from the book of Genesis.

Finally, Villaraigosa addresses the crowd, a mix of 900 Angelenos representing the local Jewish and Israeli communities: “Chazak, chazak v’nitchazek!” (“Be strong, be strong and may we strengthen one another!”)

“For me, it’s unthinkable to imagine what the city would be like without the Jewish community,” he said before expressing his admiration for Israel’s “determination to succeed even in the face of enormous odds.”

These words came as part of an April 15 Yom HaAtzmaut party organized by the Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles and held at Sinai Temple. The event served a twofold purpose: Celebrate the modern state of Israel’s 65th Independence Day — which began at sundown on April 15 — and pay tribute to Villaraigosa, the Boyle Heights native now completing his final term as mayor, who has spent his eight years in office forging tight, consistent ties to L.A. Jews and Israel.
http://www.jewishjournal.com/yom_haatzmaut/article/mazel_tov_israel_shalom_mayor_villaraigosa

[King_David]

1. Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa

Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa (pron.: /ˌviː.əraɪˈɡoʊsə/; born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr.; January 23, 1953) is an American politician and the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California. A member of the Democratic Party; prior to being elected Mayor he was a member of the California State Assembly, the Democratic leader of the Assembly, the Speaker of the California State Assembly, and a member of the Los Angeles City Council.

While Mayor, he served as the President of the United States Conference of Mayors for 2011, as a national co-chairman of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, and as a member of President Barack Obama's Transition Economic Advisory Board,[1] and as Chairman of the 2012 Democratic National Convention in September 2012.[2]

He is the third Mexican American to have ever served as Los Angeles Mayor and the first in over 130 years. He will be term limited, and will not be able to run for re-election in 2013.[3]


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Villaraigosa