January 27, 2025
The Francine R. Loeb Leadership Institute (LLI) is the Federation’s year-long training program that prepares emerging Jewish leaders for future service. LLI Fellows develop the skills to make a lasting impact in the community through board service, workshops, and personalized mentorship. Get to know Jessica Peskin, a member of the 2025-2026 LLI cohort, below!
After October 7, like so many others, I felt a calling to get involved and to give back to the Jewish community. I wanted to learn how to be an effective leader, particularly as part of a board, and how my voice can help shape our community’s institutions.
Growing up in the Seattle Jewish community, I was involved in many different organizations. It always felt like I knew everyone in every corner of the community (and if I didn’t, someone in my family did). I have been awestruck by the number of people involved in the broader Jewish community today with whom I had no prior connection, and I also appreciated reconnecting with familiar faces.
I’ve always loved connecting different facets of our community. To me, a thriving community is one with healthy amounts of overlap between organizations. I want to be a connector, bringing more people into the spaces I love to call home (most recently, Mercaz Seattle and Hillel UW) and exploring new places where my family can thrive.
Our community has so much to offer! We have so many passionate leaders from so many different walks of life, all involved in organizations working closely together. It makes our community special. Our institutions all have different needs, and I’ve enjoyed learning what that means practically.
I’ve already been able to apply lessons I’ve learned not only during my board residency but also in my professional and family life. The Seattle Jewish community is my home. I’m fortunate to learn about what it means to be a leader in this community, and I look forward to putting it into practice!
Jessica Peskin was born and raised in Seattle. She developed her early leadership skills through active involvement in local Jewish institutions, including Jewish Day School of Seattle, Herzl-Ner Tamid, and Northwest Yeshiva High School. After participating in the Nativ College Leadership Program in Israel, she continued her leadership journey at the University of Washington, where she was involved with Hillel, Students Supporting Israel, and the Coalition of Husky Allies for Israel.
Jessica Peskin was born and raised in Seattle. She developed her early leadership skills through active involvement in local Jewish institutions, including Jewish Day School of Seattle, Herzl-Ner Tamid, and Northwest Yeshiva High School. After participating in the Nativ College Leadership Program in Israel, she continued her leadership journey at the University of Washington, where she was involved with Hillel, Students Supporting Israel, and the Coalition of Husky Allies for Israel.
After a few years in New York, she returned to what she considers the most beautiful city in the U.S. and has remained engaged in the Jewish community through Mercaz Seattle and Hillel UW. Jessica works professionally as a software engineer. In her free time, she enjoys knitting, crocheting, and baking. In another life, she imagines herself as an aurora chaser.
Explore the Francine R. Loeb Leadership Institute
Learn about the program, meet more fellows, and find out how you can join next year’s cohort.
