Dalya Attar
Dalya Attar-Mehrzadi is an American politician who currently serves in the Maryland House of Delegates. Delegate Attar represents the 41st Legislative District of the state of Maryland, which is located in northwest Baltimore City.[1][2]
Dalya Attar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 41st district | |
| Assumed office January 9, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Bilal Ali (D) |
| Constituency | Baltimore City |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 17, 1990 Baltimore, Maryland |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Married |
| Children | Two children |
| Residence(s) | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Alma mater | University of Baltimore, University of Maryland Law School |
| Profession | Attorney |
Biography
Early years
Attar was born and raised in Baltimore City in a working-class immigrant family. She is a Sephardi Orthodox Jew born to an Iranian-Jewish father and a Moroccan-Jewish mother.[3][4] She studied at a Bais Yaakov School for Girls.[4][5]
Career
In 2011 she graduated from the University of Baltimore earning a Bachelor of Criminal Justice degree. In 2014, three years later, she graduated from the Francis King Carey School of Law at the University of Maryland.[5] Afterward, she worked as a prosecutor at the Baltimore State's Attorney office.[6]
On November 4, 2018,[7] Attar became the first Orthodox Jew elected to the Maryland House of Delegates and the highest-ranking Orthodox Jewish woman in American history.[3][6] Along with Cheryl Kagan, Attar has co-sponsored legislation to help agunot women by preventing a husband from having a civil divorce unless they grant their wife a get.[8]
Family
Attar is the fourth of six siblings,[9] is married to Asaf Mehrzadi, and they have two children together, Ilana, and Aaron.[5]
Notes
- "Members - Delegate Dalya Attar". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. February 1, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- "Dalya Attar, Maryland State Delegate". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. February 1, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- Deutch, Gabby (March 9, 2020). "The Sephardi Democrat serving as Maryland's first Orthodox legislator". Jewish Insider. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
- You Should Know … Dalya Attar. Baltimore Jewish Times
- Jmore Exclusive: Orthodox Lawyer Runs for House of Delegates. JMore
- Rabbi Shraga Simmons (January 4, 2020). "The Highest-Ranking Elected Orthodox Jewish Woman politician in U.S. History". Aish HaTorah. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- Maryland House of Delegates District 41. Ballotpedia
- Sen. Cheryl C. Kagan (January 7, 2020). "2020 is the year Maryland will finally help 'chained' Jewish women". Washington Jewish Week. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
- The Sephardi millennial serving as Maryland's first Orthodox legislator. Jewish Insider