David J. Steiner

David J. Steiner (February 2, 1965 – December 26, 2016) was an American documentary filmmaker, educator, rabbi, real estate investor, mediator and political activist, best known for the documentary film Saving Barbara Sizemore.

Early life

David Jay Steiner was born in Chicago, Illinois to a Jewish family, and was raised in nearby Lincolnwood, Illinois. His parents, Robinn Schulman, a nurse whose family owned the company that manufactured Shane Toothpaste (now known as AloeSense), and Joseph Steiner, a figurative painter and art instructor, divorced when he was young, but maintained an amicable relationship. As a youth, he began a lifelong affiliation with Habonim Dror, the labor Zionist youth movement.

Education

Steiner was educated in Lincolnwood, Illinois area public schools until his sophomore year of high school, when unaccompanied by his family, he moved to Israel. In accord with his socialist values, he lived in the kibbutz community of Hakfar Hayarok. On the kibbutz, Steiner was assigned to the dairy, and was put in charge of the artificial insemination and midwifery process for cows. For the rest of his life, Steiner would incorporate bovine imagery into his work; he really loved cows. Steiner served in the Israel Defense Forces and fought in the 1982 Lebanon conflict.

Career After earning his art degree at UCLA, Steiner returned to Chicago and soon thereafter moved back to Israel, where he married and had three children.

The film depicts story of the students, teachers and parents of the Barbara A. Sizemore Academy, a charter school in the Englewood area of Chicago. Barbara A. Sizemore Academy serves an African-American community which is economically disadvantaged and beset by violence. The film documents the school's unique methods, which rely heavily on African culture, customs and social structure.

This spurred Steiner to action, and he contacted his friend and UCLA film school classmate, David Bret Egen. He and Egen decided to make a documentary film about the refugee crisis, one that would incorporate the stories of his son's South Sudanese friends into a new documentary, to be filmed in the United States, Israel and Uganda, where the South Sudanese boys were living after their removal from Israel—away from their parents, who were living in war-torn Juba, South Sudan. As of November 2017, with the film partially completed, the Steiner family and Egen have taken steps to continue and complete the film, as a tribute to Steiner and his legacy.

Writings and political activism

David Steiner was a prolific writer of articles, blog entries, screenplays, and academic writings. His blog, titled The Radish: On The Beet with David Steiner, ran for six years (2008-2014), and in it, Steiner discussed a variety of topics related to causes that where close to him—peace in the Middle East, the refugee crisis, Israeli politics, mediation, baseball, and more. The name of the blog was derived from the first letters of his name: Rabbi Doctor Shteiner. Israel was always on the forefront of Steiner's mind, and his writings reflected his advocacy for an inclusive Jewish homeland, one built on democracy, tolerance and progressive values.

Steiner was a regular contributor to eJewish Philanthropy, a resource for Jewish organizations and professionals. His articles drew upon his vast knowledge of Jewish history, philosophy and liturgy, as well as popular culture and contemporary themes and issues.

Steiner was an early supporter of Barack Obama, and in February 2007, traveled to Springfield, Illinois in freezing cold weather to watch Obama declare for the presidency at an outdoor event. In the 2016 election cycle, he strongly supported Senator Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign. Near the end of his life, Steiner also actively supported protests related to police brutality, more particularly those related to police-involved shootings of unarmed African-Americans.

Among those who noted the passing of Steiner in December 2016, was Ameinu, the progressive Zionist organization, whose leadership lauded Steiner for "providing thoughtful writings and event programs that fused Jewish scholarship, Israel education and social justice engagement."

In 2017, the Barbara A. Sizemore Academy renamed their media studies center the "David J. Steiner Digital Media Department", in honor of the man whose film helped save their school. As another posthumous honor, the Chicago chapter of the Center for Conflict Resolution named its annual David Steiner Dedicated Volunteer Award after Steiner, acknowledging that the over 200 disputes he mediated in just two years is a record that likely will never be broken—or indeed, even approached.

Personal life Steiner had a son and two daughters from a previous marriage. At the time of his death, Steiner was engaged to Diane Silverberg, Steiner is buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie, Illinois. On June 6, 2018, Steiner's son Itamar was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 40th round of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft.

Filmography Year Film Role Notes 2016 Saving Barbara Sizemore Self Director, Producer: Chicago