“As in the rest of America…growth and success did not extend to all in Seattle.” This passage from Carolee Danz’s history of JFS isn’t a contemporary reference. It’s the description of Seattle, circa 1892, the year the women of this Jewish community first organized to collect and distribute aid to the most vulnerable. Those acts…
Placing Our Hearts
We are living in an era when attention spans are assumed to be 140 characters or less — two bits as my dad would say. That’s how much we are willing to “pay” for our attention. In Hebrew, “pay attention” is literally translated as, “place your heart.” Placing our hearts requires effort. It requires us…
In Response to Charlottesville
Elie Wiesel once said, the opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference. The Nazis came to power in Germany because of the bystanders as much as the persecutors. Today, none of us can be bystanders. Silence is guilt. We must call on our leaders, no matter their party affiliation, to stand against bigotry…
Celebrate the Home Runs
“The home run today doesn’t win the ballgame tomorrow,” my dad would say when he felt I needed perspective or a dose of humility. I believe in that saying — to some degree. But I also believe that celebration, tempered with humility, is just as necessary. This year has been rough. Our clients continue to…
Walking With Our Clients
Lani works with our seniors — survivors, fighters and the ones who never seem to catch a break. She is one of those dedicated people who has pictures of her with her clients above her desk. The type of person we would want taking care of our parents, or of ourselves. When I stopped by…
What Happens Now?
“What happens now?” was the question my children asked me last night as I was putting them to bed. “What can we do? What will we do?” We can hold our place while not denying others theirs. We can walk with the vulnerable so they know they are not alone. We can be a place…
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