Sen. Howard Metzenbaum (D-Ohio), a strong advocate of church-state separation and a longtime supporter of Israel, announced this week that he would not run next year for a fourth six-year Senate term.
Metzenbaum, a liberal and one of 10 Jews currently serving in the Senate, has represented Ohio as a senator for 17 years.
He has been an advocate for positions taken by the Jewish community on a variety of domestic issues, including civil rights, hate crimes laws, religious freedom and voting rights. He has also voted consistently with supporters of Israel.
In 1973, Metzenbaum served as chair of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism. He also served as a national officer of the American Jewish Congress before his Senate service and chaired an AJCongress national convention.
At 76 years of age, the senator decided it was time to spend more time with his family, including his wife of 46 years, Shirley, and their seven grandchildren.
“I’ve concluded that it’s time to turn the final pages of this chapter in my life and begin another. It’s a decision I have struggled with, and one I am convinced is sound,” Metzenbaum said in a statement announcing his retirement plans.
Metzenbaum, a lawyer and former businessman, is perhaps best known for his tenacious questioning during televised, high-profile hearings of the Senate Judiciary Committee. But he also serves on the Environment and Public Works Committee, the Labor and Human Resources Committee, and the Select Committee on Intelligence.
He is the author of a 1987 amendment that placed limits on arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
