New Partnership with the Secure Community Network
August 13, 2025
Dear Seattle Community,
The Federation exists to ensure a thriving Jewish community today and tomorrow. There are many pieces to that work, but at a foundational level, a thriving Jewish community starts by being a safe and secure Jewish community.
As has been widely talked about, antisemitism in America has surged to alarming levels, deeply impacting Jewish security. According to a recent report released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Jewish community remains the most targeted group in the United States. The report documents nearly 2,000 anti‑Jewish hate crimes in 2024, including terroristic plots, assault, vandalism, harassment, burglary, false bomb threats, and swatting across the country. Jews make up just over 2% of the U.S. population, yet remain the targets of a disproportional share of attacks—16% of all hate crimes and a staggering 70% of religion-based hate crimes. Locally, since October 7, 2023, over 400 security concerns have been reported to the Federation.
The Federation’s communal security program, SAFE Washington, has been working tirelessly to keep our community safe since 2007. It is one of the oldest Jewish communal security programs in the country and has served as a leader in many areas over the last two decades. We are pleased to announce today that we are investing in a significant expansion of the SAFE Washington program, committing $2.25 million over the next three years to the safety and security of our Washington State Jewish community.
As one part of this investment, we have formed a new partnership with the Secure Community Network (SCN), the official safety and security organization for the Jewish community in North America, to strengthen our SAFE Washington program. This partnership will provide greater access to training, physical assessments, threat mitigation resources, and expertise for our Jewish communal institutions across the state.
Dear Seattle Community,
The Federation exists to ensure a thriving Jewish community today and tomorrow. There are many pieces to that work, but at a foundational level, a thriving Jewish community starts by being a safe and secure Jewish community.
As has been widely talked about, antisemitism in America has surged to alarming levels, deeply impacting Jewish security. According to a recent report released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Jewish community remains the most targeted group in the United States. The report documents nearly 2,000 anti‑Jewish hate crimes in 2024, including terroristic plots, assault, vandalism, harassment, burglary, false bomb threats, and swatting across the country. Jews make up just over 2% of the U.S. population, yet remain the targets of a disproportional share of attacks—16% of all hate crimes and a staggering 70% of religion-based hate crimes. Locally, since October 7, 2023, over 400 security concerns have been reported to the Federation.
The Federation’s communal security program, SAFE Washington, has been working tirelessly to keep our community safe since 2007. It is one of the oldest Jewish communal security programs in the country and has served as a leader in many areas over the last two decades. We are pleased to announce today that we are investing in a significant expansion of the SAFE Washington program, committing $2.25 million over the next three years to the safety and security of our Washington State Jewish community.
As one part of this investment, we have formed a new partnership with the Secure Community Network (SCN), the official safety and security organization for the Jewish community in North America, to strengthen our SAFE Washington program. This partnership will provide greater access to training, physical assessments, threat mitigation resources, and expertise for our Jewish communal institutions across the state.
Through this partnership, SCN and the Federation have hired Lee Yates, a new Regional Security Advisor for Washington State, who will lead our SAFE Washington work moving forward. Lee is embedded as a member of the Federation/SAFE Washington team and is available as a resource for all of our Jewish organizations.
Through this partnership, SCN and the Federation have hired Lee Yates, a new Regional Security Advisor for Washington State, who will lead our SAFE Washington work moving forward. Lee is embedded as a member of the Federation/SAFE Washington team and is available as a resource for all of our Jewish organizations.
Joining SCN in July 2025, Lee brings 29 years of experience from the FBI’s Seattle field office, where he served as a Special Agent specializing in counterterrorism and counterintelligence. His roles included seven years supervising investigations into domestic terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and hate crimes. While at the FBI, his experience included working with Jewish communal leaders.
Through this partnership, SCN and the Federation have hired Lee Yates, a new Regional Security Advisor for Washington State, who will lead our SAFE Washington work moving forward. Lee is embedded as a member of the Federation/SAFE Washington team and is available as a resource for all of our Jewish organizations.
Since 2007, SAFE Washington has primarily been led by two people—Andrew Chadick, on the Federation staff, and Jeff Slotnick, a security expert who has dedicated countless hours as a volunteer. We are extremely grateful to both Andrew and Jeff for their deep dedication and commitment to the Federation and SAFE Washington. Our Jewish community owes them a debt of gratitude for all they have done to keep us safe. Andrew is shifting into a new role at the Federation as Director of IT, Cybersecurity, and Operations, where his deep technical expertise will continue to serve the broader community in the realm of cybersecurity. Jeff is continuing his service on the Federation board and is serving as the Chair of our newly formed Security Committee. We are grateful that Andrew and Jeff are both continuing their service to the community.
Our community knows firsthand the impact of deadly violence targeting the Jewish community. We have been proud to operate the SAFE Washington program for nearly two decades, and our new collaboration with SCN represents a major expansion in keeping our Jewish community safe. With Lee’s leadership and SCN’s partnership, we are ensuring that Jewish institutions across Washington State have the professional expertise and support needed to be both secure and welcoming. At this difficult time for the Jewish people, there is nothing more important than the safety and well-being of our Jewish community, and this investment reinforces our commitment to that.
Please join us in welcoming Lee Yates to our team.
L’shalom,
Joining SCN in July 2025, Lee brings 29 years of experience from the FBI’s Seattle field office, where he served as a Special Agent specializing in counterterrorism and counterintelligence. His roles included seven years supervising investigations into domestic terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and hate crimes. While at the FBI, his experience included working with Jewish communal leaders.
Since 2007, SAFE Washington has primarily been led by two people—Andrew Chadick, on the Federation staff, and Jeff Slotnick, a security expert who has dedicated countless hours as a volunteer. We are extremely grateful to both Andrew and Jeff for their deep dedication and commitment to the Federation and SAFE Washington. Our Jewish community owes them a debt of gratitude for all they have done to keep us safe. Andrew is shifting into a new role at the Federation as Director of IT, Cybersecurity, and Operations, where his deep technical expertise will continue to serve the broader community in the realm of cybersecurity. Jeff is continuing his service on the Federation board and is serving as the Chair of our newly formed Security Committee. We are grateful that Andrew and Jeff are both continuing their service to the community.
Our community knows firsthand the impact of deadly violence targeting the Jewish community. We have been proud to operate the SAFE Washington program for nearly two decades, and our new collaboration with SCN represents a major expansion in keeping our Jewish community safe. With Lee’s leadership and SCN’s partnership, we are ensuring that Jewish institutions across Washington State have the professional expertise and support needed to be both secure and welcoming. At this difficult time for the Jewish people, there is nothing more important than the safety and well-being of our Jewish community, and this investment reinforces our commitment to that.
Please join us in welcoming Lee Yates to our team.
L’shalom,
Joining SCN in July 2025, Lee brings 29 years of experience from the FBI’s Seattle field office, where he served as a Special Agent specializing in counterterrorism and counterintelligence. His roles included seven years supervising investigations into domestic terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and hate crimes. While at the FBI, his experience included working with Jewish communal leaders.
Since 2007, SAFE Washington has primarily been led by two people—Andrew Chadick, on the Federation staff, and Jeff Slotnick, a security expert who has dedicated countless hours as a volunteer. We are extremely grateful to both Andrew and Jeff for their deep dedication and commitment to the Federation and SAFE Washington. Our Jewish community owes them a debt of gratitude for all they have done to keep us safe. Andrew is shifting into a new role at the Federation as Director of IT, Cybersecurity, and Operations, where his deep technical expertise will continue to serve the broader community in the realm of cybersecurity. Jeff is continuing his service on the Federation board and is serving as the Chair of our newly formed Security Committee. We are grateful that Andrew and Jeff are both continuing their service to the community.
Our community knows firsthand the impact of deadly violence targeting the Jewish community. We have been proud to operate the SAFE Washington program for nearly two decades, and our new collaboration with SCN represents a major expansion in keeping our Jewish community safe. With Lee’s leadership and SCN’s partnership, we are ensuring that Jewish institutions across Washington State have the professional expertise and support needed to be both secure and welcoming. At this difficult time for the Jewish people, there is nothing more important than the safety and well-being of our Jewish community, and this investment reinforces our commitment to that.
Please join us in welcoming Lee Yates to our team.
L’shalom,
Solly Kane
President & CEO
Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle
Gabriel Scherzer
Board Chair
Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle
