No Jewish Officeholders in SA by Judge Steve Walker

No Jewish officeholders in San Antonio
By Steve Walker

In a recent perspective column “At issue: Jews in Office,” by Steve Kellman, Professor of Comparative Literature @ UTSA, Kellman points out the strides Jews in America have accomplished over the years since the time of the liberation of Auschwitz to successfully win elected office.

He also listed 12 current US Senators who are Jewish and one who does not identify himself as Jewish, although his mother is a holocaust survivor.

According to Kellman, “Jews constitute barely 2 percent of the American population yet hold at least 12 percent of the seats in the Senate and almost 7 percent in the House of Representatives.”

He also points out the number of nationwide mayors (NY City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for example) who hold office along with 3 current Supreme Court Justices to include: Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Elena Kagan & Stephen Breyer.

Currently in Bexar County there are no Jewish elected officials. Former District Judge Sam Katz & Justice of the Peace, Pct. 2 Marcia Weiner, along with former State Rep. David Leibowitz no longer hold office.

Leibowitz like me is only half Jewish. Both Leibowitz and I have Jewish fathers, which technically by Jewish law disqualify us as Jews since our mothers are not Jewish.

My grandfather, Robert Ginsberg studied to be a rabbi in Vilna, Lithuana, and my great grandfather; I am told taught in the rabbinical school in Russia in the 1800s. One of 12 brothers and sisters, Grandpa Ginsberg migrated to America during WWI through Ellis Island with his two brothers, (my uncles) Charlie & Julius. He served in World War I with the British Intelligence in Palestine with other Jewish volunteers. He spoke 7 languages when he migrated. He became a US citizen in 1927.

With relatives lost in the holocaust, I did meet a cousin Sofia, in Israel in 1972 who survived one of the death camps as a little girl. I also worked on a Kibbutz in Tel Aviv for a week to see what it was like to work in the fields. Back breaking to say the least!

My father changed his last name from Ginsberg to Walker during the 2nd World War to avoid the stigma of the rising anti-Semitism at the time.

Over the years I have been fortunate as a former military and civilian journalist to write about the holocaust for Army newspapers as a Public Affairs Specialist and a stint at the Express-News. During my year stationed in Germany, I visited Dachau and later the Hertzel Museum in Israel and eventually the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. when assigned at the Pentagon as a Reservist.

Growing up catholic in the 50s attending catholic school, I also felt the sting of cruel comments directed at me about the Jews being responsible for killing Jesus. That hurt has never gone away.

And of course, don’t forget all the stereotypes to include Jews pictured with horns killing babies, Jews dominating Hollywood, Jews owning all the banks (shysters) and so much more.

Currently I am the only elected official in Bexar County with Jewish blood in my veins. Although not a practicing Jew, I hope I can for the time being represent the Jewish community till more Jews are elected in Bexar County.

Justice of the Peace, Pct. 2 Steve Walker is also a Vietnam Veteran and former Journalist. This commentary is currently in this month's June/July edition of the Jewish Journal.

Editor's Note: Oops. My bad. My deepest apologies, Just in-Texas Speaker of the House Joe Straus is Jewish as is Shavano Park Mayor David Marne & two Alamo Heights Councilmen Elliot Weser & Bobby Rosenthal!!!!