Sponsored: Washington’s Jewish Community Is Finally Playing Political Offense

A message from Washingtonians for a Brighter Future

“Being Jewish in America, and especially in Seattle, is getting dangerous,” Judy Schocken says after she and her husband Joe were trapped in their car after a community event on April 19. Masked protesters surrounded them, screaming anti-Israel and antisemitic slogans, pounding on and throwing a rock at their car until they were rescued by police. Another attendee at the StandWithUs event was punched in the jaw. About 75 shouting activists blocked the entrance Town Hall Seattle, harassing and threatening attendees.

How did Seattle’s mayor respond? No comment. City Council? Crickets. King County officials? Silence.

“We need elected leaders who care enough about the safety of the Jewish community to speak up,” says Nevet Basker, co-chair of Washingtonians for a Brighter Future (WBF). “There needs to be a political cost to antisemitism and a benefit to standing with our community,” adds Carolyn Hathaway, WBF’s co-founder. “Our goal is to change the political discourse, and to change who gets elected.”

“The Jewish community needs elected officials to speak out against all forms of Jew-hatred,” says Hathaway. Basker adds, “It’s easier to get bills, budgets, proclamations, and legislation passed by friendly legislators.”

WBF educates candidates and elected officials on escalating antisemitism in Washington State. “Many non-Jewish elected officials are genuinely unaware of how bad the environment has gotten for the Jewish community,” says Basker. “We ask candidates and officials to publicly stand against antisemitism.” In return, candidates can display the WBF Endorsement.

Influencing elections is the second goal of WBF’s work. The mandate is straightforward: Support allies, oppose detractors, and get out the vote when it can make a difference. Decisions are made by an Advisory Council representing the diversity of the Jewish community.

2025 was WBF’s first full election cycle and their first major win. The co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America in Pierce County challenged Tacoma City Councilmember Joe Bushnell, an ally of the Jewish community. The DSA candidate ran on a platform to “end the genocide in Gaza” – not a Tacoma local issue – sparking hate-filled discussions.

Councilmember Bushnell was initially considered the underdog. WBF changed the dynamics of the race through an independent expenditure campaign highlighting Bushnell’s track record and the detractor’s dangerous rhetoric. After winning reelection, Bushnell was selected by his peers as deputy mayor of Tacoma, and he is now running for a seat in the state legislature. Even the Tacoma News Tribune cited WBF’s involvement as instrumental in Bushnell’s election.

“Some people wonder whether the Jewish community is large enough or strong enough to influence outcomes,” says Hathaway. “In Tacoma, WBF showed that when we pick the right race and invest strategically, we can move the needle.”

There is much to do in state and local races. “We can counter the hostility and raise awareness of antisemitism in politics, schools, and public discourse. We ask our leaders to stand up against Jew-hatred, to make it socially and politically toxic in the same way they stand with every other community,” says Hathaway. “We help our allies reach and retain elected positions. Through WBF, you can be part of the solution.”

WBF is accepting community involvement and donations ahead of the 2026 election cycle. Learn more at wa4future.org.