Emanuel's father Benjamin, a doctor, emigrated from Israel to the US with his American-born wife [Marsha Emanuel] in the late 1950s, and Emanuel grew up in a Chicago suburb. Emanuel is not loath to discuss his connection to Israel; he warmly recalls his visits and has positive things to say about his Israeli roots.

[David Wilhelm] and Peter Giangreco, another former colleague, saw it otherwise. Along with Emanuel, they were heavily involved in Daley's 1991 mayoral run.When Emanuel left for Israel in the midst of the campaign, they fully understood his motivation.

Then there was Benjamin's brother Manuel - "Uncle Manny" - about whom [Rahm Emanuel] knows "very little." He was killed in Israel in 1938, and in his memory Rahm's grandfather changed the family name from Auerbach to Emanuel.