By Stephen Silver

In his eight years as mayor of Philadelphia and eight more as governor of Pennsylvania, Edward G. Rendell was often associated with his advocacy of the city’s sports teams, even appearing for years on the Eagles’ postgame show while serving as governor.

But Rendell’s legacy as mayor is also reflected in his support for the arts. As mayor in the 1990s, he was instrumental in the creation of the Kimmel Center and the Avenue of the Arts. For those reasons and more, Rendell was honored on May 30 at the third annual Great Stages Gala by the Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts Philly.

Rendell, elected in 1991, was the first and only Jewish mayor of Philadelphia. He was elected governor in 2002, becoming the second Jewish governor of the state; Josh Shapiro is the third.

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