Jacky Rosen

Jacklyn Sheryl Rosen (born August 2, 1957) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Nevada since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented Nevada's 3rd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2017 to 2019. Rosen holds the distinction of being the second woman to represent Nevada in the Senate, the third Jewish woman elected to the body, and the first former president of a synagogue to serve there.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, to a working-class family, Rosen was the first in her family to graduate from college, earning a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota in 1979 and later an associate's degree in computing and information technology from what is now the College of Southern Nevada in 1985. Before entering politics, she worked as a computer programmer for major companies in southern Nevada, stepped away to care for aging relatives, and served as president of Congregation Ner Tamid, Nevada's largest Reform synagogue, where she led efforts to install a major solar array.

Jacky Rosen was born Jacklyn Sheryl Spektor on August 2, 1957, in Chicago, Illinois, to Leonard M. Spektor, a car salesman and World War II veteran who was the son of Russian Jewish immigrants, and Carol Spektor, a homemaker of Irish, German, and Austrian descent.

Rosen, whose paternal family consisted of Jewish immigrants from Russia and Austria, identifies as Jewish and has been deeply involved in Jewish communal life in Nevada. Prior to her political career, she served for two decades in various leadership roles at Congregation Ner Tamid, the largest Reform synagogue in Southern Nevada, including as membership chair and president from 2014 to 2017. During her presidency, Rosen oversaw initiatives such as the installation of one of Henderson's largest solar arrays on the synagogue's roof, reflecting her emphasis on fiscal responsibility and community sustainability. Her synagogue tenure, marked by efforts to modernize operations like computer system upgrades ahead of the millennium, positioned her as a connector within the congregation, according to Rabbi Sanford Akselrad.

Rosen's Jewish affiliations extend to broader philanthropy, where her pre-political volunteer work informed her approach to leadership and community building. As the first former synagogue president to serve in the U.S. Senate, she has drawn on this background to advocate for Jewish community interests, including protections for religious centers against threats.