Six Months of Growing Seattle’s Jewish Early Childhood Education Through ElevatEd
Feb. 4, 2025
At the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, we believe that a strong Jewish community begins with a strong early childhood foundation.
That foundation is built in the classrooms where young children take their first steps into learning, discovery, and Jewish life. Last August, we were proud to bring ElevatEd to Seattle, a transformative initiative designed to strengthen Jewish early childhood education for generations to come.
“Investing in our Jewish preschools is an investment in creating a robust Jewish life from the ground up. It is a key entry point to Jewish life.”
– Sonya Basseri,
Federation’s ElevatEd Community Manager
ElevatEd was launched in 2023 as a national effort to address the urgent shortage of early childhood Jewish educators. Recognizing that high-quality early education is key to engaging young families and fostering lifelong connections to Jewish community, ElevatEd provides beginning and mid-career educators with training, mentorship, and financial support to help them thrive. For the past six months, Seattle has joined a growing network of communities working together to uplift this critical field.
“Investing in our Jewish preschools is an investment in creating a robust Jewish life from the ground up. It is a key entry point to Jewish life,” said Sonya Basseri, Seattle’s ElevatEd Community Manager.
Seattle’s first ElevatEd cohort launched in August 2024 and will continue through August 2026, directly benefiting 46 educators across 10 Jewish preschools: Congregation Beth Shalom ECE, Seed ECS at Temple Beth Am, Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Seattle, Queen Anne Jewish Preschool, Seattle Hebrew Academy, Seattle Jewish Montessori, SJCC Early Childhood School, Solomike Early Childhood Center at Temple B’nai Torah, and Jennifer Rosen Meade at Temple De Hirsch Sinai.
Educators at these schools are benefitting from a year of professional learning, 18 months of mentorship, and financial assistance toward earning early childhood education credentials.
Seattle’s ElevatEd program has already seen remarkable success.
Among the 10 local Jewish preschools participating, ElevatEd saw an initial cohort of 16 emerging educators, 9 mentors, and 12 directors. As word spread, interest surged—two additional educators, two more mentors, and five more directors joined.
“We had so many teachers interested in enrolling in this program that we created a waitlist for teachers,” Basseri said.
Directors who had never met before came together for the first time at an August meet-and-greet with national ElevatEd staff. Following that, a September kickoff event at the Stroum Jewish Community Center buzzed with excitement as directors and teachers connected in person. By December, those relationships had deepened, culminating in a Chanukah gathering that blended celebration with hands-on professional development. Local musician Eran Sabo led a workshop on incorporating Hebrew and Jewish music into early childhood classrooms.
“We are creating a culture of collaboration and community professional development among our directors and schools,” said Basseri, reflecting on the ongoing connections that have formed amongst the cohort over the past six months.
The Talmud teaches, Lo alecha hamlacha ligmor, v’lo atah ben chorin l’hibatel mimena: “It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it.” (Pirkei Avot 2:16)
The journey of strengthening Jewish early childhood education does not end here. Thanks to a combination of national and local support, ElevatEd continues to make a lasting impact in Seattle. Over the next two years, $363,700 in funding will provide direct support for educators, including credentialing assistance, stipends for teachers, mentors, and directors, and a dedicated professional to lead the program. This investment ensures that more educators have the tools, training, and encouragement they need to thrive—ultimately enriching the lives of the children and families they serve.
Your support of the Federation makes this work possible. By investing in our educators today, you are shaping the Jewish future, ensuring that our youngest learners have strong, nurturing spaces to begin their lifelong journey of Jewish connection and discovery.
You can learn more about ElevatEd’s work here.
