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From Milken to Washington, D.C., Daniel Bleiberg ’09

As a policy adviser to Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Daniel Bleiberg ’09 has a wide-ranging portfolio that includes foreign policy, defense and homeland security issues. He also helps Senator Rosen run a group she cofounded called the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combatting Antisemitism, which includes over half the Senate. Daniel’s career is on an influential upward trajectory – and he traces its roots back to his time at Milken.

“In high school, we went on a trip to Washington, DC, where Milken arranged for us to meet with political powerbrokers like [former] Representative Henry Waxman,” Daniel recalls. “I’d never had an experience like that before, and seeing first-hand how Washington operated sparked an interest. Now here I am, having lived and worked in DC for the past seven years. I can draw a direct line from that high school trip to where I am today.”

Daniel arrived at Milken from public school in ninth grade. “My parents and I were drawn to Milken because it was a pluralistic Jewish school, one that emphasized values we felt were strongly aligned with ours and that also offered a rigorous secular education,” he says. His expectations were high – and Milken delivered.

“It’s so much more than a school,” he enthuses. “I got an amazing education, but as importantly, I learned to take that education and put it into practice. For me, what made Milken so great were the opportunities to have life-changing, hands-on experiences.”

One of those experiences was a semester-long trip to Israel as part of the inaugural class of Milken’s Tiferet Israel program. Daniel traveled to Israel with approximately 40 of his Milken peers, living under one roof, studying together and touring the country. “It’s difficult to describe the impact Tiferet had on me,” he says. “To leave my parents and everything familiar in order to immerse myself in Jewish history and culture was absolutely transformative.”

After graduating from Milken, Daniel went on to earn a degree in international relations from Tufts, then returned to Israel for an international master’s program in political science (with a focus on security studies) at Tel Aviv University. In 2014, he moved back to the States, settling in the nation’s capital.

“I’ve been fortunate to have great mentors throughout my time on Capitol Hill. I started my career in Congress as a legislative assistant for Congresswoman Lois Frankel (D-FL). I started in Senator Rosen’s office right before the start of the pandemic, in 2020,” he says.

If the seeds of Daniel’s success were sewn at Milken, so too were the fires of his intellectual curiosity. “Some of my classes truly shaped how I look at the world. My senior year, I took a Jewish ethics class where we analyzed and debated Jewish philosophy from over the past two centuries. The individual attention I got from my teacher, and our classroom discussions, made me a better writer and critical thinker,” he says. “These experiences prepared me for college and even gave me a comparative advantage because I was so used to being intellectually challenged.”

Daniel says high school also provided him with a strong foundation for building enduring relationships. “Even though I haven’t lived in LA since I was 18, the people who are closest to me in my life – the ones I draw on for guidance and support – are from Milken. They’re remarkable people, and what’s incredible is that they’ve all taken a personal interest or passion and found a way to incorporate it into their careers,” he says. “There’s a special spirit at Milken, and we’ve all benefitted from it.”
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  • Nicole Grinstein
    Daniel Bleiberg is an amazingly talented and brilliant individual. Most importantly, his smarts are equally matched by his kind heart and open mind. I have learned so much from Daniel, whether about Jewish history or how our political system works, and am so grateful to know him! He certainly is one of the best examples of an alum who took passions and ran with them at full speed into his challenging public service!
  • Cori Drasin
    Daniel’s trajectory in both career and ethics is to the stars and beyond! So proud to know him and to live vicariously through his profound successes!
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