Mitchell Silk to 'Post': Community has been with me through whole process

Silk made history last week when he became the first hassidic Jew to be appointed as Assistant Secretary in the US.

By OMRI NAHMIAS
Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C (photo credit: FLICKR)
Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C
(photo credit: FLICKR)
WASHINGTON – Last week, Mitchell "Moyshe" Silk of Borough Bark, Brooklyn, made history when the US Senate confirmed his nomination as assistant secretary of Treasury for international markets. Silk is the first hassidic Jew to be appointed as an assistant secretary in the US. As a part of this position, he oversees international energy and infrastructure finance, global financial markets, and international trade.
Silk, a legal expert for international trade, is the author of several books about China's trade practices. He previously served for two years as deputy assistant secretary for international affairs at the US Treasury Department, and in the past year as acting assistant secretary.
He speaks two Chinese dialects fluently since he was a teenager, and worked at a Chinese restaurant after school. "Family circumstances required me to go out to work when I was young – just after my bar mitzvah," he told The Jerusalem Post. "I ended up getting a job in a Chinese restaurant. I realized that speaking directly in Chinese to my co-workers, especially the kitchen staff, was essential to being effective in my job," he noted. "And over a period of time, I became fluent in Cantonese. I discovered later that Cantonese that was not widely spoken in China but very widely spoken in America. And so I turned my focus to learning Mandarin, which I studied in college. I am fluent in both dialects and read and write Chinese."
He spent many years studying Chinese both in the US and overseas. First, Silk attended the National Taiwan Normal University. Later, he studied at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, where he achieved a Certificate in Asian Studies. He also holds a Certificate in Advanced Studies in Law from Beijing University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Maryland School of Law.
"I'm very happy that I am able to bring to bear the experience and the expertise that I have developed during my 30-year career as an international lawyer, particularly to use that experience in a way that assists the formulation and implementation of government policy that's good for the country and good for the people. That brings me an immense sense of satisfaction,” he said.
While working in the private sector, he lived over a decade in Hong Kong and was a partner at a law firm there. Until he was appointed deputy assistant secretary for international affairs in 2017, he served for 12 years as chairman of Agudath Israel of America Pro Bono Legal Services LLC.
"My confirmation is a first for our community," he told the Post.
“My grandfather immigrated to the US from a small shtetl in Europe. His father and grandfather were sofrim (ritual scribes) aligned with the Nadvorna Hassidic dynasty. I mentioned him in the personal statement at my confirmation, and I can only imagine what his reaction would be to my confirmation. I belong to the Nadvorna congregation in Borough Park, and the whole of the community has been with me through the whole process. My Rebbe and so many others have been immensely supportive. It is, of course, sad that my confirmation came at such a time of challenge for the community and the whole nation. We have lost so many people, including many relatives and close friends. To name but one, the Novominsker Rebbe's passing just before my confirmation, was a big blow.
“My family has sacrificed quite considerably in support of my government service,” he continued.
“From October of 2017, when I started at Treasury until March of 2020 when my wife and children joined me in DC, my wife has been at home by herself during the week with our three young children,” Silk added.
“We have older children in the area, but they have their own families, so they're not always available and nearby to support my wife and my three younger ones who are in elementary school. They do not have me there physically Monday through Thursday every week. I do believe that they feel that the sacrifice is worth it because they know that I am doing good things for our great country and its people. They are proud of my work.”


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