Ohio’s (Jewish) Chief Justice in Washington, New York

Funny, his name doesn’t sound Jewish.

But maybe that’s one of the reasons Ohio Supreme Court Justice Eric Brown did a swing through Washington and New York this week – to get the word out to the Jewish political community that he’s running for reelection next month and could use some support.

Brown, a Democrat, could have a tough go of it, since the rest of the Court is a solid wall of Republicans; hence the need for a jolt of political money.

So if you’re running in Ohio for a state office, what are you doing in Washington and New York, I ask?

“A number of things: meeting with people to talk about my campaign to continue as Chief justice for a full term, fundraising, generating support,” Brown said.

In both cities, he also met with “law firms with ties to Ohio,” and discussed one of his pet issues: using the courts to make foreclosure mediation easier.

“Foreclosure cases are a huge problem in Ohio, in terms of foreclosures; there were more than 14,000 in Cuyahoga Count county along last year,” he said.

What about being Ohio’s first Jewish Chief Justice, and one of few state chief justices in the nation’s history?

“There aren’t many of us around,” he said. “It’s important because my Jewish tradition has helped bring me to where I am today. The concept of Tikkun Olam is what caused me to choose a life of public service. ‘The reality is that I have talked about being Jewish everywhere I go throughout Ohio; it’s not something I pull out only when talking to a Jewish audience.”