Jewish Insider Profiles Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
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Jewish Insider has profiled Akin Gump senior advisor Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in the article “From Congress to Campus with Professor Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.” Ros-Lehtinen, the article notes, left Congress at the end of 2018 after serving in the House of Representatives for 30 years. In addition to working at Akin Gump, she also teaches at the University of Miami.
Ros-Lehtinen shared her thoughts on a range of topics, including:
Recent comments by several vocal Democrats about Israel: “I think certain individuals have gotten a lot of attention, so it gives the false impression that support for Israel is no longer bipartisan or no longer existent and that is just so totally wrong.”
Relations between Latinos and Israel: “We need to do better in Latin American countries with their perception of Israel and Jews in general.”
Her time in Congress: “I was very happy that I got there because I had the opportunity to help a lot of people.”
The thrill of helping constituents with residency forms and citizenship applications: “I still have people tell me ‘you helped me become a citizen’ or ‘because of you my mom didn’t get deported’.”
The article reports that Ros-Lehtinen traces her lineage back to Jews escaping the Spanish Inquisition in 1492. Her mother, a first-generation Cuban born to Jews from Turkey, converted to Catholicism to marry her father. Though raised Roman Catholic and now an Episcopalian, Ros-Lehtinen tells Jewish Insider she was always “very conscious” and “very proud” of her Jewish roots.
Ros-Lehtinen said she has no regrets about not running for another term in Congress. “I loved every minute of it. I love everything that I do, I like teaching, I like working in the big international law firm, I like being with my family, I like it all. I have got a sweet life, no complaints, God has been good to me.”
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