Steve Nasatir serves as Executive Vice Chairman of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Chicago (JUF/Federation). He served as President of JUF/Federation from 1979-2019, guiding the community through four decades of tremendous change and challenge.
Steve grew JUF/Federation into the hub of one of the largest humanitarian networks in the nation. During his tenure, JUF/Federation raised more than $8 billion to provide help, hope and healing to countless millions in need.
He is a staunch Zionist and leading advocate for Israel and its people. Steve is also a visionary when it comes to engaging children and their parents in Jewish life. Prominent examples include large and successful projects such as the Day School Guaranty Trust, Right Start, and IsraelNow, which Steve helped conceive and launch.
A graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he earned his master’s from Roosevelt University and his doctorate from Northwestern University. He has taught or has been a visiting professor or lecturer at the University of Illinois, Chicago, Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, University of Michigan, Brandeis University, George Williams College, and others.
He repeatedly has been named to The Forward’s 50 list of top Jewish leaders in the nation and to the Crain’s “Who’s Who in Chicago Business” listing. Roosevelt University honored him with its Franklin D. Roosevelt Humanitarian Award, and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago recognized him with its highest honor, the Julius Rosenwald Memorial Award.
He serves or has served on the boards of the Jewish Agency for Israel, the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute in Jerusalem, the Covenant Foundation, United Way, Chicago and a number of family foundations. Steve has published numerous articles that have appeared in scholarly journals in the fields of Jewish Communal Studies and Education and in Jewish periodicals and general metropolitan and international newspapers and has appeared on numerous TV news and interview shows, (CBS, NBC, ABC, WTTW, WJUF, WGN, CNN) and radio news and talk shows.