Steve Dishler Email Address

Assistant Vice President

The Community Foundation for Jewish Education of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago (CFJE) serves as JUF's department of Jewish Education. CFJE's mission is to advance imaginative, compelling, collaborative, and experiential Jewish education. Working in partnership with the other departments of JUF as well as Jewish educational institutions throughout Chicagoland, CFJE seeks to serve the community as a convener of networks of education professionals| a research and development laboratory for new and innovative ideas for supporting Jewish education in Chicago| a thought leader across the broad spectrum of Jewish education| a facilitator of professional development and learning for Jewish educators, and a catalyst for systemic improvement of Jewish education in Chicago through strategic investment.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” This quote by Albert Einstein strikes a deep chord with me because it is so indicative of the need for a shift in thinking before resolution of a problem or issue can occur. This is what I do for a living and where my passion lies: advocating a position effectively enough to change minds, policy and in the process, perhaps lives. I do this on a global scale for the Jewish Federation of Chicago, but I also do it on behalf of other causes. In Chicago, I established a city-wide coalition to protest the violence in Darfur. I’ve organized cross-cultural conferences on counter-terrorism and was part of a select group asked to help recommend U.S. policy on Iran. When asked what I do, I sometimes quote from my CV and say, “I build strategic relationships with key constituents then deliver persuasive arguments that support my position and objectives.” If eyes glaze over, I say, “I work to get others to accept my point of view.” My stockpile of weapons consists of honed and pointed words, which I used in the Israeli Military Reserves, for example, as part a U.N. force organized to ensure compliance with the Israeli-Jordan cease fire agreement. I’ve received many awards, but none exceeds the trust leaders place in me to win the trust of people they don’t trust very much. I’ve been honored to advocate for the Jewish Federation for 13 years, but it’s time to follow Einstein and embrace change myself. I’m looking for a high level position with a “substantive” governmental, diplomatic, political, corporate, social, or cultural organization. I’d like to use my leadership abilities, fierce determination and quick wit in a collaborative and spirited environment focused on generating good on a greater scale. I believe that your life’s work should be a feast and I would like to be appreciated for the experience, energy argumentative and diplomatic skills that I bring to the table.