Laura discovered Bet Alef during the pandemic and joined as a member in 2021. She is grateful for this time of return to her Jewish roots, having previously pursued various alternative spiritual orientations. Laura enjoys spending time with friends and family. Her interests include hiking and road biking, volunteering as interpreter and translator (Spanish) for local organizations such as the NWIRP and SKC medical clinics and writing short fiction in the style of Jorge Luis Borges and Italo Calvino.

Laura is a professor emerita of Women’s and Gender Studies from Virginia Tech, and holds a Ph.D. in Spanish and Latinx Studies. Her writing and teaching centered on feminist and critical race theories, especially as these shed light on the social-structural forces underpinning Latina migration, work and violence at the US-Mexico border. In addition, she worked within grassroots communities, bridging the university and historically marginalized groups in order to foster institutional accountability. She is eager to bring her knowledge and experience of community organizing and institutional structures to

Steve is very pleased to be part of the Bet Alef community.  He grew up in Oklahoma and moved to Seattle after law school.  He and his spouse Pam Cowan are founding partners of Cowan, Miller & Lederman P.S. a Seattle law firm, which practices exclusively immigration law.   Steve served on the Bellevue College Board of Trustees 2005-2018, the Bellevue School Board 1993-2004 and was a founder of the League of Education Voters.  He is a former chair of the Washington State chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.  He presently serves on the Community Advisory Committee for Law Enforcement Oversight for King County.  He and Pam have three children and five grandchildren.  He loves hiking, reading, community engagement and spending time with the grandchildren.

Stephanie first came to Bet Alef in 2009 and felt at home.

Rabbi Olivier’s Torah scholarship and understanding of mystical Judaism make Bet Alef a unique place to continue the spiritual journey. After 14 years of membership, she considers it is fitting to give back to the community by serving on the Bet Alef Board.

Stephanie has a degree in Political Science from Reed College and two degrees in Nursing from the University of Washington: Advocacy is a passion. She lives in Bellevue with her husband Ted, a long-distance hiker, and cat Tenzing, a retired climber.

Pete joined Bet Alef in 2016 with his wife Anita and his three children. Pete was formerly Executive VP of Temple B’nai Torah and is on the Advisory Board of Boston University Hillel.

Pete works in technology and spent 18 years at Microsoft and 14 years in Silicon Valley and Boston. He is originally from New Jersey, grew up as a Reform Jew at Temple Beth Or, and remains a loyal Yankees and Giants fan.

David joined our board in August 2016 after being a dedicated member since 2012 with his wife, Michelle, and children, Abby and Julia. They live on the Eastside and happily make the trek in to Bet Alef frequently. They moved to the Seattle area from Chicago in 2010.

David is currently serving as Treasurer and has contributed to our membership committee since 2015. David works internationally as a global finance director, and is excited to bring his organization, communication, and financial skills to Bet Alef.

Since her first Shabbat service at Bet Alef in 1999, Posy recognized an interpretation and practice of Judaism that was relevant, compelling and a spiritual path she longed for. Still, her relationship grew slowly from “lurker” to “member.”

Since 2018, she opened a new relationship as “belonging,” because she moved to California and stayed connected through Bet Alef’s online presence. She is delighted to explore and serve the board as the voice of other remote members.

Posy retired from her business of aiding leaders and teams to be more effective. She has an MA in organizational leadership from Seattle University.

Alan grew up in the eastern suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. He attended Hampshire College in Amherst Massachusetts for his undergraduate degree, and the Boston Architectural College for his professional degree in Architecture.  After working in the field for 12 years, he opened his own firm in 1990 in Seattle, specializing in residential remodeling with a green touch. After 30 years he retired and closed his firm. 

He currently contributes tips on Green Remodeling through the “Touch the Earth Collective.”

He lives in Wallingford with his wife.  Nearby lives his daughter, her husband and their three-year-old son. His adult son also lives in town. Alan enjoys birdwatching and the Seattle Storm (WNBA).  He is a longtime meditator with the Shambhala Center, where he teaches classes and guides meditation students.

Jan grew up in the Detroit suburbs, the oldest of 4 in a family deeply invested in music and education.  She majored in anthropology at Eastern Michigan University.  After numerous years of service, activism, and adventure, she completed a joint PhD in Clinical Psychology and Gender/Women’s Studies at the University of Michigan. In 2011, she moved to California, where she works as an associate professor at Palo Alto University.

Finding Bet Alef in 2020 felt at once like coming home and opening a window to deeper meaning in spiritual practice and community. She attends services remotely and comes up to Seattle whenever possible for High Holy Days and Passover

With a Modern Orthodox, Sephardi background, Rabbi Olivier has been a student of  Torah and of the Jewish way for most of his life. He lived in Israel for close to 10 years, where he studied in Jerusalem with many teachers of the Jewish spiritual path, both in Yeshivas and scholarly circles. He received a B.A. and a Masters Degree in Jewish Studies from Hebrew College in Newton, MA. He was ordained as a Rabbi in 2009.

Dianna Rose has been a member of Bet Alef since 2001, and the Music Director since 2012.  She became an adult Bat Mitzvah at Bet Alef in 2003 and her son a Bat Mitzvah in 2019. Along with her training as a percussionist and vocalist, Dianna is also a Board Certified Music Therapist, and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, focusing on the Expressive Arts and Energy Psychology within her private practice.  Her vocational background also includes 30 years in radio broadcasting and voice work.  Dianna enjoys creating a spiritual conduit at services through which the energies of music, sound, and song can inspire, center, and uplift others.

Chanté, having recently relocated from Southern California, is grateful to be a part of the Bet Alef family. She has over 15 years of bookkeeping experience and is the owner of Mama Bear Bookkeeper, a company committed to helping small businesses & entrepreneurs. Chanté enjoys the beauty & weather of Washington, baking for others, and spending time with her husband, son, and her tuxedo cat Mew.