Remembering Pamela Seubert

Throughout her professional life, Pamela Seubert played an integral role in delivering refugees from persecution and promoting public policy to improve their lives once in the U.S.

Seubert, who worked for the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Chicago for over 30 years, died January 15 at age 72.

At first blush, Seubert was an unlikely Jewish communal worker. Reared as a Catholic on a Blackfeet Indian reservation in Montana, Seubert came to JUF in 1980 and went on to serve the organization in progressively responsible positions. She was Senior Policy Advisor in the Government Affairs department when she retired in 2011.

“Pam was a truly wonderful colleague,” said Steven B. Nasatir, JUF Executive Vice Chairman. “Though not Jewish, she was utterly devoted to our mission and approached her work with great passion and compassion. Pam was tireless in serving as a voice for the voiceless,” Nasatir said.

A nationally-recognized expert on domestic safety-net services, Seubert was responsible for extensive public policy, education, and advocacy at the federal and State levels on issues ranging from welfare reform to health care.

Her earlier assignments included oversight of all aspects of the refugee resettlement program-including coordination of the Chicago Jewish community’s direct resettlement of 30,000 émigrés from the former Soviet Union-along with lead responsibility for policy analysis pertaining to federal welfare and immigration reform.

Over 200,000 immigrants, refugees, and victims of ethnic cleansing from 35 countries were resettled during Seubert’s tenure, including Vietnamese Buddhists who fled Cambodia; East European Jews; Bosnian and Sudanese Muslims; Iraqi Christians, and Cambodian and Tibetan Buddhists.

Seubert also was instrumental in the development of refugee self-help groups, including the Chinese Mutual Aid Society.

“Her work impacted the lives of quite literally thousands of refugees coming to Chicago,” Nasatir said.