Gabrielle Giffords

Gabrielle Dee Gabby Giffords is an American politician from the U.S. state of Arizona. As a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, she represented Arizonas 8th congressional district from January 3, 2007 until her resignation on January 25, 2012, after surviving an assassination attempt that left her with a severe brain injury. She is the third woman in Arizonas history to be elected to the U.S.160Congress. Considered a Blue Dog Democrat, her focus on health care reform and illegal immigration were sources of attention for those opposed to her candidacy and made her a recipient of criticism from various conservative groups.

Gabrielle Dee Giffords was born and grew up Tucson, Arizona, to Gloria Kay and Spencer J. Giffords. She was raised in a mixed religious environment by her Jewish father and Christian Sciencepracticing mother. Her grandfather, Akiba Hornstein, was a Jewish immigrant from Lithuania who changed his name to Giffords to avoid antiSemitism. Through her father, Giffords is a second cousin of actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Giffords has identified herself solely with Judaism since 2001, belonging to Congregation Chaverim, a Reform synagogue, in Tucson. She was Arizonas first Jewish congresswoman.

Source: Wikipedia