Letter from the CEO: Connecting Our Community at Events and Beyond

A Note from Solly Kane

Reflections from Federation’s President & CEO

A Note from Solly Kane

Reflections from Federation’s President & CEO

Only have one minute?
Three things to know from this letter:

Only have one minute?
Three things to know from this email:

Happy Tu B’shvat! Our Federation recently approved a $50,000 grant to plant nearly 3,000 fruit trees in the north of Israel.
Over 100 people came together in Olympia for Jewish Community Lobby Day last week – our largest ever Lobby Day.
300 women came together at Connections yesterday to hear from Georgia Hunter about her family’s story of survival during the Holocaust.

February 2, 2026

Dear Seattle Community,

Today is Tu B’shvat, the Jewish New Year for Trees. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks taught that “we must see ourselves as the guardians of the world, for the sake of future generations.” Just last week, our Federation board approved a $50,000 grant to ReGrow Israel to plant nearly 3,000 fruit trees in the north of Israel, replacing four acres of fields that were destroyed during the last two years of war. The timing of this grant on behalf of our Seattle community feels appropriate as we celebrate Tu B’shvat.

In addition to marking Tu B’shvat, we are also marking the fact that for the first time since 2014, there are no Israeli hostages in Gaza. I hope that the return of Ran Gvili’s body last week can allow us to finally turn the page from the painful chapter of October 7 in Israel. May Ran’s memory be a blessing.

Like many of you, I have been watching the news across our country over the last few weeks. I grew up in Minneapolis. I have heard from community members deeply concerned about what immigration enforcement currently looks like in the United States. Many are worried that Seattle could be the next Minneapolis. As Jews, we know that a society that upholds democratic norms and values and welcomes all people is a society where Jews can find safety and belonging. Our work is to help ensure that those democratic norms continue to exist and that all people are treated with dignity and respect.

That dual mandate of Jewish safety and belonging, coupled with ensuring all people are treated with dignity and respect, is what we focused on last Thursday in Olympia. Over 100 people, including a great group of enthusiastic middle schoolers from Jewish Day School, joined us in Olympia for our largest-ever Jewish Community Lobby Day. We met with 50 different legislative offices to share who we are as Jews and to advocate for our priorities.

We advocated for safe worship zones around synagogues, protecting funding for the state’s nonprofit security grant program and hate crimes and bias hotline, and securing state recognition of Jewish and other minority faith holy days. We heard from an interfaith panel representing Baháʼí, Buddhist, and Sikh traditions, and we knew we are not standing alone.

Upholding our mission of building a thriving community, last week was one of the busiest weeks of the year at the Federation, with over 700 community members coming together across different events and programs.

We hosted a gathering for Israeli expats, and separately an event for tech professionals. Our National Young Leadership Cabinet members and their families gathered for a Shabbat dinner, bringing together 75 people as part of Cabinet Shabbat dinners held all across North America. And over 100 parents with young children enjoyed a musical Tu B’Shvat celebration, dancing and singing together, through PJ Library®.

Finally, more than 300 people gathered yesterday for Connections, our annual women’s event. We heard from Georgia Hunter, author of We Were the Lucky Ones, about the remarkable story of her family’s survival during the Holocaust. Georgia’s painstaking research over the course of 15 years brought black and white photographs and faded documents to life, made even more poignant at a time when Jewish history seems to be erased and rewritten. It was a powerful presentation and a meaningful opportunity for women of all ages to connect.