In a historic turn of events, Claudia Sheinbaum was elected as Mexico's next president on Monday, marking the first time a woman or a Jewish individual has held the country's highest office.
Although Sheinbaum, 61, does not practice Judaism religiously, she identifies with the faith culturally.
Speaking at a Jewish organization gathering in Mexico City in 2018, Sheinbaum said, I grew up without religion. Thats how my parents raised me, as reported by NBC News. She further added, But obviously the culture, thats in your blood.
Sheinbaum's family history is deeply rooted in Jewish heritage. Her maternal grandparents migrated from Bulgaria to Mexico before the Holocaust, while her paternal grandparents escaped pogroms in Lithuania in the 1920s. Both of Sheinbaum's parents were born in Mexico.
Before her ascension to the presidency, Sheinbaum served as the Mayor of Mexico City. Her professional background is in physics and climate science, a path influenced by her father, a chemical engineer, and her mother, a cell biologist, according to NBC.
Sheinbaum is a member of the left-wing Morena party, the same party as outgoing President Andres Manuel Lpez Obrador (AMLO). The party is known for its anti-neoliberal and populist stance. Like AMLO, who was recognized for his welfare program, Sheinbaum believes in the government's duty to address economic inequality and provide a social safety net.
During her tenure as the mayor of Mexico City, Sheinbaum successfully halved the homicide rate by increasing security spending and expanding the police force with higher salaries. She has vowed to implement this strategy nationwide to counter the pervasive influence of cartels, as reported by Reuters.
Despite Mexico City being home to a significant Jewish population of approximately 50,000, as noted by NBC, Sheinbaum did not receive widespread support from this community, which leans conservative. Federico, a Jewish resident of Mexico City who preferred to be identified only by his first name, expressed concerns that any mistakes made during Sheinbaum's presidency could be attributed to her Jewish identity, potentially fueling subtle public antisemitism.
Federico also suggested that many Jewish Mexicans did not vote for Sheinbaum because shes representing a political party thats trying to build an authoritarian regime in Mexico with no balance of powers.
Another Jewish resident, Shlomo, expressed concerns about the concentration of power following Morena's majority win in congress. He compared the situation to other Latin American countries like Venezuela, where power is held by one dominant party, although he clarified that "Mexico is far from being like Venezuela."
Shlomo also mentioned that many people in Mexico and the Jewish community believe Sheinbaum will be a puppet of the actual president AMLO. However, he did not anticipate her presidency impacting the Jewish community in Mexico.
Despite her Jewish heritage, both Federico and Shlomo noted that Sheinbaum is not considered part of the Jewish community in Mexico.
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