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The Cleveland Jewish News published this story, ” ‘Jewish Power’ mushrooms in Ohio” today. After listing numerous individuals in positions that support the headline’s notion, veteran statehouse news reporter Bill Cohen writes,
…political analysts and activists agree this new level of Jewish power is a logical culmination of political and civic involvement by Jews over the years.
“Jews do have a tremendous commitment to public service,” notes Garver Keller. “Jews are so engaged in their community.”
Ohio has been good to the Jewish immigrants who came here a century ago, notes Fingerhut, and now their grandchildren are “giving back because that’s part of what we’re taught to do.”
Jews have learned a lesson from the Holocaust, says Fisher: “Being political is not a luxury, but a necessity.” He notes that many of the Jews who are active in government today got their first taste of political battles decades ago in “the idealism that engaged people in civil rights, the women’s movement, and the environmental movement of the 1960s.”
The article states that Jews in Ohio tend to lean left and that 80% of the Jewish vote went to Strickland. Of course, at least two Jews I know – State Senator and judicial candidate David Goodman and my state rep., Josh Mandel, are both with the GOP.
No sooner had I thought to myself that I should find out what John Green at the Bliss Institute would say about this article’s premise than I read this in the article:
That’s the link that University of Akron political scientist John Green makes to explain the extraordinarily high level of leadership this year by Jews in state government n Jews’ traditional political activism behind the scenes pays off when allies take power. “Jews are strong Democrats and thus prominent in Democratic Party circles. So, when the Democrats do well, it is likely that more Jews will hold high public offices,” says Green.
…
…today’s high level of Jews in leadership roles indicates a relative lack of religious prejudice in mainstream politics, says political scientist Green. “To me the most remarkable thing is not the number of Jewish officeholders, but the fact that it has hardly caused any comment. It is rather like the fact that a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court is Catholic.”
Lest conspiracy folks spiral out of control:
While Jews seem to hold a disproportionately high number of key posts in the executive branch of Ohio government, the number of Jews in the legislature is closer to the tiny percentage of Jews in the general population. Out of the 132 lawmakers in the Ohio House and Senate, three Jews are serving n Democratic State Rep. Armond Budish (Cleveland), Republican State Rep. Josh Mandel (Cleveland), and Republican Sen. David Goodman (Columbus). That small percentage of Jewish lawmakers (about 2%) has held fairly steady for decades.
As some may know, Goodman is term-limited out this year, Mandel hasn’t been in Columbus since August 2007 and won’t be returning until this spring (he volunteered to return to Iraq) and Budish is being talked up as a possible house speaker should the Dems take control.
As reinforcement that voters should not let gender, race or religion factor into who they support,
Some leaders in the Jewish community issue a word of caution to fellow Jews: Don’t see these statewide officials who happen to be Jewish as Jews first and public officials second. Gutterman stresses the office-holders must feel free to do their job of serving all Ohioans and not cater to any specific group. The Jewish community “should not expect them to do a Jewish agenda,” says Gutterman.
Although, I confess, I completely understand this final sentiment, having had to go through the very exact problem when I was at Georgetown (of a reunion being scheduled on that day):
…statehouse lobbyist Garver Keller expects to have the new Jewish office-holders help out with one fairly narrow Jewish issue that has sometimes been a headache in the past. Now, she says half-jokingly, “I won’t have to explain to any of them why they should not plan a government meeting on Yom Kippur.”
Thanks to Bill Cohen for a great article.
NB: The blogger connection here is that activism, getting engaged, getting active, down the road leads to running and representing. Regardless of whether you’re a member of a group currently not well-represented or you just want to have more of a hand in the political process. Talk, read, listen, write, observe, go, run, lead. That’s what it’s all about.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:40 am February 1st, 2008 in Government, Jewish, Judaism, Ohio, Politics, Religion
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Very interesting. Thanks for providing this.
Very sadly, Roland, I’ve seen some absolutely awful tear-downs of this article at places that I’d never heard of before – a white supremicist blog or forum called Vanguard news network – or something like that. It was vile. I remember last year or a little more time ago than that, I came across that kind of thing, over and over – I can’t remember what was going on. And oh my God – I just had no idea people felt such hatred toward Jews. I honestly cannot understand it – it’s seems absurd to me.
Have you read that kind of stuff on the Internet before?
Well, Jill, I have indeed seen that kind of stuff on the internet before. I am always amazed (even though I know I should not be amazed) at what I come across in both the cyber and real world. People are so interesting.
Incidently, as you may (or may not) know, I have a winter home in Mesa, Arizona. Just a couple weeks ago, anti-semitic posters were being placed on commercial water coolers (the kind where folks can purchase 1 to 5 gallons of drinking water) that are located in a couple of common areas in one of the 55+ communities. I won’t mention the Dreamland Villa community — oops, it slipped out.
LOL- ok – I won’t mention it either.
A friend in Cincy sent me an article about vandalism at a Jewish cemetary in W. Price Hill but the police insist that it’s never about hate, only about anger. They have got to be kidding.