Reflections From the Federation’s First Advocacy Fly-In to Washington, D.C.
Written by Hannah Lidman
May 29, 2026
In May, members of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle’s Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) traveled to Washington, D.C. for the Federation’s first advocacy fly in to Capitol Hill. Timed during Jewish American Heritage Month, the trip brought together Federation staff, JCRC leaders, and community advocates to meet directly with members of Washington’s congressional delegation and share the realities facing the Jewish community amid rising antisemitism and growing concerns around communal safety and civil rights.
The delegation met with elected officials and senior staff to advocate for stronger nonprofit security funding, hate crime prevention efforts, and online accountability measures aimed at combating extremist and antisemitic content.
In this reflection, JCRC Chair Hannah Lidman shares what the experience was like.
Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (middle), pictured with JCRC leaders Eric Babchin, Aliza Mossman, Hannah Lidman, Jenna Goltermann, Elaine Simons, and Michael Tarlowe.
To open our gathering, each participant completed an identity mosaic, a reflective exercise mapping the static, fluid, and interwoven dimensions of identity. The activity deepened our understanding of one another and prepared us to enter meetings with our Congressional delegation. It also grounded us for the work ahead — telling the stories of Washington State’s Jewish community, a community too often flattened into a single image but in reality made up of multi-dimensional people with distinct voices and experiences.
JCRC leaders in conversation with Congresswoman Kim Schrier (second from right)
We were there to share what our lives are like in a world of rising antisemitism and what we need from the federal government to protect our children and communities. But not just our Jewish community – every priority we advocated for is a broader policy working to protect the safety and security of all targeted groups.
We advocated for:
And then, just days after our return, another terrible attack struck a faith institution: the Islamic Center of San Diego. We mourn with the Muslims of San Diego, Washington State, and the entire nation. We stand with them in solidarity. We know intimately what it is like to rely heavily on security, to harden our communal spaces, and to carry that heavy financial and emotional burden.
Amidst the grief of these past days, there was one ray of sunlight. The Jewish American Safety Act, introduced to fight antisemitism, is supported by an incredibly diverse array of Jewish organizations across the political spectrum. In many ways, the bill reflects the priorities we advocated for in D.C., with the addition of addressing antisemitism in educational settings.
Senator Maria Cantwell (middle), pictured with JCRC leaders Elaine Simons, Max Patashnik, Stuart Kaufman, Michael Tarlowe, Linda Bookey, Hanna Esther Begoun, Eric Babchin, Jacob Riegel, Jenna Goltermann, Hannah Lidman, and Aliza Mossman.
In the coming months, the JCRC will be offering regular opportunities for you to advocate.
And when our next Lobby Day comes – whether in Olympia or Washington, D.C., we ask you to join us because your story, your voice, your lived experiences are a vital part of our collective story.
Because what we learned in D.C. is that advocacy, at its best, looks less like a megaphone and more like a mosaic – with many distinct pieces, each essential, forming something no single voice could on its own. We hope you will add to it.
Hannah Lidman
JCRC Chair
Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle
Timed during Jewish American Heritage Month, the trip brought together Federation staff, JCRC leaders, and community advocates to meet directly with members of Washington’s congressional delegation.
Today, we need you to add your voice to ours by calling on our elected leaders to support The Jewish American Security Act.
We have created a collection of educational resources that you can share with your community leaders, your school administration and educators, and elected representatives so they can engage with Jewish American Heritage Month.
Join the Federation and the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History for a presentation about their new curriculum, Stories That Shaped a Nation: Jewish Lives in America.
