First-ever hassidic Jew appointed as US assistant secretary
Mitchell (Moyshe) Silk will be the Assistant Secretary of Treasury for International Markets.
By OMRI NAHMIASThe White House(photo credit: REUTERS)
WASHINGTON – The US Senate on Tuesday unanimously confirmed the nomination of Mitchell (Moyshe) Silk to be assistant secretary of the Treasury for international markets. Silk is the first hassidic Jew to be appointed to such a position.He will oversee international energy and infrastructure finance, global financial markets and international trade.A legal expert, Silk 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 Department of the Treasury. He also served as acting assistant secretary.He learned two Chinese dialects fluently when he was a teenager and worked at a Chinese restaurant after school. He spent many years studying Chinese in the US and overseas.Silk attended the National Taiwan Normal University. He then studied at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, where he earned 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.While Silk worked in the private sector, he lived for more than a decade in Hong Kong and was a partner at a law firm. 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.“The pride for Assistant Secretary Moyshe (Mitchell) Silk spreads far beyond Boro Park,” A.D. Motzen, national director of state relations, Agudath Israel of America, tweeted on Tuesday. “As chairman of Agudath Israel of America Pro Bono Legal Services for more than a dozen years, he led a network of hundreds of lawyers, helped thousands of people with a wide range of issues.”