It’s worth remembering that Flavio Valle is only 26 years old — because when you read what he’s accomplished so far, it’s nothing short of extraordinary.
From a very young age, Flavio was drawn to politics. At just 19, he wrote a letter to the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro:
“I told him, ‘I want to work with you, because one day I want to replace you. How do I do that?’ He replied, ‘You’ll need to work hard, focus on the issues you care about — but you don’t start as mayor. You start small. As an intern, then an advisor — and one day, you’ll get here.’”
Flavio took that advice to heart — and he’s well on his way.
Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Flavio grew up in a home that wasn’t particularly connected to Jewish tradition.
“We didn’t go to synagogue or celebrate holidays. I didn’t even have a bar mitzvah. All I knew about Judaism was a bit of family history.”
That changed when he began university and met Jewish friends who opened a new door for him.
“One day, one of them asked if I’d ever heard of Birthright. I was curious — and that’s how I came to Israel for the first time. When I got back, I felt a strong desire to learn Hebrew and go to synagogue. Something inside me had awakened.”
The experience was so powerful that Flavio decided to return to Israel for a longer stay — this time through Masa Onward Hillel, where he interned at the start-up Sonovia, which, at the height of the COVID pandemic, was developing fabric-based technology to combat the virus.
“It was an amazing time. When you’re in Israel for an extended program, you build a real daily routine — you go to work, shop for groceries, and really live like a local.”
After returning to Brazil, Flavio was chosen by Hillel to serve as its representative for Latin America, a role that deepened his connection to both Israel and public life.
Soon after, thanks to the letter he had written years earlier, he was invited to intern in Rio’s Department of Finance. With a degree in economics, he quickly impressed city officials — and just one year later, the mayor, from the Partido Social Democrático (PSD), appointed him Deputy Mayor (“Subprefeito”) of Zona Sul, one of Rio’s most prominent districts.
He was only 22 years old, becoming the youngest deputy mayor in Rio’s history. After two years in the role, and on the mayor’s advice, Flavio decided to run for office himself — and won.
Today, he serves as Rio’s youngest-ever City Council member and, notably, the only Jewish city council member in all of Brazil.
One of Flavio’s key focuses in parliament is protecting and empowering the Jewish community.
“I try to help synagogues, Jewish schools, and institutions in whatever way I can,” he says.
Among his most impactful achievements was leading the effort for Rio de Janeiro to officially adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
“We had to adapt the original text to Brazil’s legal framework. While we were working on it, October 7 happened. A week later, I went to the mayor and asked him to sign the definition officially — and he agreed. We became the first city in Brazil to do so. Since then, 13 other cities have followed our lead.”
“By adopting this definition,” Flavio adds, “Rio publicly recognized our place here as Jews. It was a crucial step toward self-definition and mutual respect.”
When asked what advice he would give to young Jews seeking to make a difference, Flavio says:
“Get out of your comfort zone. Nothing changes by itself — you need to identify problems and solve them. Changing the world is a big dream, but you start small — with your home, then your street, then your city. That’s where I am right now. Maybe next year I’ll run for a regional seat, and after that — for national office. That’s why I’m in politics. Yes, one day, I aspire to be president.”