Dear Seattle Community,

Last Friday, I met with the University of Washington’s new President, Robert J. Jones. President Jones and I had a good conversation about the importance of ensuring that the University of Washington is a place that is safe and welcoming for all, including the Jewish community. I look forward to continuing to work with President Jones, as well as our on-campus partners at Hillel and Chabad, as we work to ensure a positive campus experience for all Jewish community members.

Earlier this week, our Security Director, Lee Yates, participated in a community panel on hate crimes and safety in North Seattle. The panel also included representatives from the Seattle Police Department (SPD) and the US Attorney’s office for Western Washington. Hosted at Congregation Shaarei Tefillah-Lubavitch, this event focused on how to report hate crimes, potential threats to the Jewish community, and what Seattle’s new Mayor can do to improve safety for Jewish residents.

As part of the Federation’s investment in communal security and our partnership with the Secure Community Network (SCN), Lee provides training sessions for Jewish organizations and community members across the state. If your organization is interested in situational awareness training, emergency preparedness support, or security assessments, please be in touch with Lee.

I hope you will join the Federation on January 29 in Olympia for our annual Jewish Community Lobby Day, an opportunity to come together and serve as a voice of Jewish Washington. Our 2026 legislative priorities are based on the feedback we collected in the state-wide survey last fall. We received a record high number of responses to the survey from the community, and your top concerns are Jewish safety and inclusion, protecting civil liberties, and upholding human rights. On Lobby Day, we will advocate for safe worship zones around synagogues, protecting funding for nonprofit security grants, protecting funding for the Hate Crimes & Bias Incident Hotline, and state recognition of Jewish and other minority faiths’ holy days.

Even if you do not have any advocacy experience, we hope you will consider joining us. Everyone is welcome, and our pre-Lobby Day virtual workshop will teach you all the skills you need to know to make your advocacy day successful. Register to join us!

If you are up for a meaningful journey – beyond Olympia – consider joining our Community Leadership Mission to Israel, April 19-23. We will visit communities in the South of Israel directly affected by October 7th and meet with members of the Knesset and senior Israeli officials for in-depth briefings. And there is no better place to experience Yom HaZikaron and celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Memorial Day and Israeli Independence Day) than in Israel! Limited spots are available, so I hope you secure your spot and join me.

For families with teens, I encourage you to explore our Teen Israel Scholarships, offered in partnership with the Samis Foundation. These scholarships reduce financial barriers and support transformative travel experiences for teens, helping them create a strong connection to Israel and their Jewish identities. The first round of applications is due on February 1 – you can learn more here.

Lastly, I wanted to share that our annual women’s fundraiser, Connections, is right around the corner on February 1, featuring best-selling author Georgia Hunter, who wrote about the remarkable story of her family’s survival during the Holocaust. Her book, We Were the Lucky Ones, is now an award-winning Hulu limited series. If you love books or just want to spend a meaningful afternoon over brunch in the community of Jewish women, join this event!

Shabbat Shalom,