Meet The First Orthodox Jewish Woman Elected Mayor in US History

In a week when many Jews were glued to the New York City mayoral race with anxiety and dread, a very different kind of story was unfolding quietly in the Midwest. In University Heights — a suburb of Cleveland with the largest concentration of Orthodox Jews in Ohio — Michele Weiss, an Orthodox Jewish woman, accountant, nonprofit founder, and longtime community builder, was elected mayor. And to the best of anyone’s knowledge, she is the first Orthodox Jewish woman ever elected mayor in the United States.

Weiss’s path to public office wasn’t typical. While many politicians seem to catch the public-service bug early, she built an entirely different career first. An accountant by profession, she runs the finance office at the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland as Controller. Because a demanding job and raising a family somehow weren’t enough, she co-founded the Amatz Initiative — an educational organization now partnering with more than 350 Bais Yaakov schools worldwide to strengthen spiritual connection, pride, and emotional wellbeing for young women.

“We felt that the connection to HaKadosh Baruch Hu [God] and Jewish pride was lacking a little bit in the schools,” she explained. “We really wanted to bring that to the forefront…making your life a God-centered existence.”

After earning an MBA in leadership, a colleague encouraged her to get involved in city affairs. She started as an observer, then joined the finance committee, and eventually ran for — and won — a seat on city council, serving three successful terms. As Cleveland’s Orthodox community boomed and University Heights became a major hub, Weiss saw firsthand how essential responsive local government truly was.

“Local politics is something very tangible that we all take for granted,” she said, pointing to garbage pickup, roads, zoning, and public safety — everyday issues that affect everyone, but especially Orthodox families who may need larger homes, additions, and consistent security. “We need to feel safe where we are,” she added. “These are real, everyday things that can really affect us.”

Tensions in the city made the need for steady leadership even clearer. The previous administration had publicly singled out Jewish precincts for how they voted — behavior that alarmed residents and deepened community concerns. Against that backdrop, Weiss and other local leaders began asking who could step up next. The more she considered it, the clearer it became that she should at least try. With the support of her family, her employer, local leadership, and of course God’s help, she entered the race — and won.

Weiss’s own religious journey gives her a unique ability to build bridges. Having become observant in high school, she learned early on how to move between very different communities with ease. “I have the ability to flow from non-observant, non-Jewish people to more right-wing Haredi people,” she said. “Not everybody can do that. I think that’s why my relationship-building and success in the political arena has flourished.”

At every stage and no matter who she was interacting with, Weiss is guided by deeply Jewish ideas about responsibility and example. “Everybody is put on this earth to make a positive impact,” she said. “To be what’s called a kiddush Hashem — to be an example for the rest of the world.”

For Weiss, sanctifying God’s name shows up in how she carries herself each day. And others, she noted, sense it immediately. “I’m this Orthodox woman in a non-Jewish environment,” she said. “I don’t swear, I dress a certain way. I don’t even have to say a word — my colleagues just act more respectfully around me. If they swear by accident, they’ll apologize. People respect you if your values are clear.”

For Orthodox women who feel called to public service but doubt whether there is space for them, Weiss hopes her story sends a message. “I think it’s accessible to anyone,” she said. “You need to do it in a humble and modest way…but everyone can make a difference.”

Her story echoes two teachings from Pirkei Avot: “In a place where there are no people, strive to be one,” and “You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” 

At a moment when Jewish communities across America are bracing for uncertainty, her election offers a different kind of headline: an Orthodox Jewish woman taking her decades of service to the highest level of local leadership — anchored in Jewish values and guided by God.

For Mayor-elect Michele Weiss, the question has always been simple: Why not me? For everyone watching her example, perhaps the more important question now is: Why not you?

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