April 1, 2026
Last month, the Federation launched Shared Table, a pilot program bringing together Jews from across Greater Seattle with diverse perspectives. Over four weeks, participants explored some of the community’s most challenging issues, practicing listening, empathy, and dialogue. Led by Rabbi Jason Levine, the Federation’s Associate Jewish Community Relations Council Director, Shared Table provided a safe space for connection and reflection. Read his reflections on the program and what comes next below.
What would happen if dozens of Jews in the Seattle community with a range of political and religious perspectives met every week for a month to discuss some of the most controversial and polarizing issues of our age? Would there be learning or cautious conversation? Would there be arguments or even intense fights?
Shared Table, an initiative of the Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Council, was our attempt to find that out. This four-session pilot showed that there is a deep desire among local Jews to have meaningful conversations and to connect, even when they disagree.
This program arrives at a critical time as Seattle’s vibrant and diverse Jewish community of nearly 75,000 has been tested in many ways. There is a level of internal divisiveness more profound and persistent than anything we have experienced in decades. This polarization risks more than just siloing or heated arguments; it threatens our people’s collective resilience at a time when we need one another most.
Understanding the pressing need of this moment, our remarkable cohort of 50 participants showed up and committed to practicing vital communication skills. Their purpose was not to debate or win arguments, but to learn how to listen, connect, and understand each other.
Each session focused on developing a different skill: building trust through personal storytelling, demonstrating curiosity, embracing frustration and complexity, and learning as a community.
What I found most helpful was meeting other Jewish people who may come from diverse backgrounds and discussing important topics together. Before Shared Table, I did not feel I had any outlet or community support to be actively engaged on a weekly basis, find confidence in my Jewish voice, and have people understand my thoughts and feelings.”
– Shared Table participant
Shared Table was no shrinking violet either. Prompts for conversation didn’t stray from the most heated issues of our day – the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, antisemitism, racism, and American politics. But the participants stayed courageous, honest, and open about how they chose to respond, despite their differences. The program tapped into something at the core of the Seattle Jewish community: a need for connection that hasn’t been fully met.
“Most meaningful was a felt sense of understanding and safety with a member of our table who had a very different Jewish life orientation than me, and an interest in furthering our connection.”
– Shared Table participant
Shared Table isn’t about changing policies or opinions. Its goal is to shift perspectives and help connect our community members, starting with this initial cohort of 50 and moving beyond. Participants are now embarking on their own conversations within their communities through a microgrant program that will help them share their newly learned skills with others across our region. The Federation is to continue this program next year, and we will be speaking about this program at Limmud Seattle on April 26. We hope you join us for the presentation!
To everyone who pulled up a chair at our Shared Table – thank you. We are ready to make our tables bigger, adding more seating, and continuing this work. We can’t wait to see the ripple effect of this initiative, connecting hearts and minds at tables across our community.
“My sense is this is something that the Federation should do continuously. It is the first time I have attended anything Jewish in Seattle in my 15 years here, when I left feeling included and hopeful for engagement in the community.”
– Shared Table participant
Rabbi Jason Levine
Jewish Community Relations Council Associate Director
Rabbi Jason R. Levine is the Associate Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Seattle, where he leads on intergroup relations, civil discourse and bridge building within the Jewish community, and member engagement of the 36 organizations and many lay leaders that make up the JCRC. He currently serves on the Board of the Faith Action Network and is in the Common Good Cohort for the Western States Center. He previously served as the Associate Rabbi of Temple Beth Am in North Seattle for over a decade and as the Chair of the Washington Coalition of Rabbis.
Rabbi Levine was trained as part of a nation-wide multi-denominational Resetting the Table Facilitator Intensive designed to open up courageous conversations across differences and support communication across divides within their communities and networks.
Rabbi Jason Levine
Jewish Community Relations Council Associate Director
Rabbi Jason R. Levine is the Associate Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Seattle, where he leads on intergroup relations, civil discourse and bridge within the Jewish community, and member engagement of the 36 organizations and many lay leaders that make up the JCRC. He currently serves on the Board of the Faith Action Network and is in the Common Good Cohort for the Western States Center. He previously served as the Associate Rabbi of Tempe Beth Am in North Seattle for over a decade and as the Chair of the Washington Coalition of Rabbis.
Rabbi Levine was trained as part of a nation-wide multi-denominational Resetting the Table Facilitator Intensive designed to open up courageous conversations across differences and support communication across divides within their communities and networks.
Questions?
To learn more about the work of our Jewish Community Relations Council, click here or contact us at jcrc@jewishinseattle.org.
