Both Steve and his wife Sandra are co-chairs of Houston New Leadership and past co-chairs of AABGU’s Greater Texas Region. Steve is on the Executive Committee of Texas Hillel, which serves The University of Texas at Austin campus. He is a former general chairman, State of Israel Bonds, Houston; former president of the Houston Prime Ministers’ Club; and on the board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston.

Steve also serves on the National and Houston Advisory Councils of AIPAC and the national board of directors of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs. He is a board member of the Anti-Defamation League-Southwest Region, Camp Young Judaea Inc., Center for Medicine after the Holocaust, and the Houston Jewish Community Foundation.

Steve’s dad Wolf Finkelman managed to survive the Holocaust when his concentration camp was liberated shortly before its sick and starving inhabitants would have perished. He spent many of his later years telling his story — again and again — so that people would never forget those who were not as fortunate. See Wolf’s story here.

The Finkelmans have three children, all of whom attended Houston Jewish day schools. Steve is advisor for the Holocaust Garden of Remembrance at King’s Harbor.