[1] 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.

He was strongly influenced by the comic tradition of Jews in America—the Marx Brothers, borscht belt stand-up comedians, Woody Allen and Lenny Bruce, to name a few.

On November 7, 2017, he was posthumously ordained a rabbi by the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism at a ceremony in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

[1] He continued his creative efforts in Israel, developing CD-ROM and video content for a multimedia company, Hed Arzi Music, and teaching.

[2] Several of his properties were located in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago, where Steiner started a book club for homeless individuals in that area.

During this time, Steiner also served as director of the religious school at Congregation Solel in Highland Park, Illinois, and completed his doctoral degree in education at National Louis University.

[1] During this time, Steiner resumed his rabbinical studies at the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, as well as extensive training as a mediator.

[1] Steiner's documentary Saving Barbara Sizemore was released in the U.S. on August 27, 2016, at the Capital City Black Film Festival in Austin, Texas.

[4] 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.

The film documents the school's unique methods, which rely heavily on African culture, customs and social structure.

[4] In the mid-2000s, when Steiner lived in Tel Aviv with his wife and children, his young son had befriended a pair of South Sudanese boys.

[1] Steiner and Egen brought with them Sarah Giroux, a camera operator from Chicago, as well as two of the kids who helped make Saving Barbara Sizemore.

However on December 26, 2016, Steiner was killed in a bus accident, as their vehicle was hit at high speed by a reckless driver outside of Iganga, Uganda, after the crew attended a holiday party.

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.

His articles drew upon his vast knowledge of Jewish history, philosophy and liturgy, as well as popular culture and contemporary themes and issues.