Steve Lear

“The Middle East is bizarre. But then, so is the United States.”

Get ready for an engaging discussion with speaker Steve Lear, who provides context for the history happening in this complicated region. Steve integrates the historical relationships between Turks, Persians, Arabs, and Jews as he explains why events occurred. In addition, he provides participants with a broad perspective, examining these events through religious, economic, cultural, and leadership lenses.

He believes we will never understand why it is so hard for these people to “just get along” until we learn about the challenges they face.

Attending one of Steve’s presentations is a learning experience, not a lecture. He shares personal wisdom from his eleven trips to Israel – including his February 2024 mission trip to wartime Israel –
and provides insights into Palestinian culture and viewpoints from his seven visits to the West Bank.

Steve’s presentation style is interactive and dynamic. He includes question-and-answer sessions because he understands that people are interested in learning; however, he is often surprised by how much he continues to learn from conversations with his audiences.

Steve is a well-known community activist specializing in leadership training, financial literacy, and philanthropy. He has been instrumental in creating the following programs:

• NECHAMA-Jewish Response to Disaster
• The JCRC Speakers Bureau (through the Jewish Community Relations Council of MN and the Dakotas)
• The Bias Inside Us ( through the Smithsonian Institution)
• The Financial Matters Program (through Best Prep)
• The Financial Literacy Coalition of Minnesota (through the Minnesota Council on Economic Education)
• SteveLear.org (an interactive learning center for personal finance, generosity planning, and leadership)

Since 2002, Steve has given over 200 presentations on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. In addition, he has been working to improve lives for over 40 years as a financial planner. He has received numerous awards for his community service and, in 2020, was recognized on AARP Minnesota and Pollen Midwest’s 50 Over 50 list.

However, Steve’s proudest achievement is his family. He and his wife, Sheri, live in Minneapolis, where they enjoy spending time with their seven children, sons and daughters-in-law, and eight grandchildren.