Reflections from Federation’s President & CEO
A Note from Solly Kane
Reflections from Federation’s President & CEO
Only have one minute?
Four things to know from this letter:
Only have one minute?
Four things to know from this letter:
June 26, 2026
Dear Seattle Community,
As you may have seen in the news, a few days ago, a fire seriously damaged the Tahara (Jewish burial preparation) facility at Bikur Cholim Machzikay Hadath (BCMH) synagogue in Seward Park. The facility serves families across the community seeking traditional Orthodox funeral preparations. While there is no suspicion of arson, the fire destroyed the building.
Insurance is not expected to cover all of the costs, and there are significant expenses to both operate a temporary off-site location and rebuild a permanent structure. If you would like to help restore this sacred community resource, please consider making a donation here.
In happier communal news, Seattle has a new kosher-certified restaurant! Capitol Hill’s Aviv Hummus Bar recently became certified by the Vaad of Seattle, expanding access to kosher dining. If you haven’t been yet, I encourage you to visit Aviv; in addition to now being kosher-certified, their food is excellent!
At last night’s Federation Annual Meeting, we celebrated a year of impact, welcomed new board leadership, thanked our dedicated volunteers, and honored community leaders.
During the reception, guests enjoyed lively klezmer music performed by Temple Beth Am’s KlezKidz while learning about Federation programs spanning every stage of Jewish life—from PJ Library, which nurtures young families, to the newly integrated Washington State Jewish Historical Society, which preserves our community’s history, to our advocacy efforts to protect victims of hate and bias.
Congratulations again to our 2026 community award recipients:
A highlight of the evening was a conversation with local Jewish leaders about balancing communal security and Jewish joy. Amy Lavin, CEO of the Stroum Jewish Community Center, and Rabbi Ilana Mills, Director of URJ Camp Kalsman, joined me in conversation to share the challenges and successes of their work keeping our community safe, joyful, and vibrant.
That conversation was especially meaningful as we approach the 20th anniversary of the shooting at our Federation offices. On July 28, 2006, the attack claimed the life of our beloved colleague Pamela Waechter, injured five others, and forever changed our community. We are honored to co-host a special commemorative service with Temple B’nai Torah, where Pamela was deeply involved. I hope you will join us for this on Friday, July 17.
I am grateful to all of you for your support this year, and I look forward to another year of impact and community-building.
Shabbat shalom,
Solly Kane
President & CEO
Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle
Solly Kane
President & CEO
Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle
