BOARD PRESIDENT

Ross has served as Funeral Director for Seattle Jewish Chapel for over 25 years, supporting the Jewish community in times of loss and facilitating healing. He is also in private practice as a licensed marriage and family therapist with a focus on helping couples develop healthier communication. He is fortunate to have a loving family, including his wife Ruth, two children and four grandchildren, all residing in the Seattle area.

VICE PRESIDENT

Kayla Higgins grew up in New York City and moved to Seattle in 2018 to live with her husband, a Seattle native. She is a Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for Snohomish County, but also has experience in immigration law, civil litigation, and federal appellate law.

She lives with her husband, daughter, and their dog in North Seattle and enjoys spending time with friends and family, dancing, going to stand-up comedy shows, and searching for delicious baked goods.

TREASURER

Matthew grew up in Virginia, and moved with his wife, Terri Ash, and their (now) 9-yr old daughter to Seattle in 2020.

His day (and sometimes night) job is as an PE at Meta, after working at Oracle, Akamai, MarkitServ and Lehman Brothers.

He has lived in Ithaca, NYC, Boston, & Modiin.

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Dina is an entrepreneur and consultant with over a decade of experience in the tech industry. She moved to Seattle from California in 2017, where she lives with her husband and two daughters. She loves tending to her garden and fruit trees and is always striving to cultivate an “urban kibbutz”. She loves being part of the Seattle Jewish community and is excited to contribute to our kehillah’s growth. Look out for her at the local pun slam!

BOARD MEMBER

Aliza grew up in Teaneck, NJ and moved to Seattle in 2018 for (you guessed it) a tech job. She is passionate about community building and is excited to help Mercaz grow. In her spare time, she loves craft projects and taking advantage of Seattle’s beautiful nature. She lives in Bryant with her husband, Benny.

BOARD MEMBER

Dr. Yaakov Kimelfeld, whose background encompasses Eastern Europe, Israel, and New York, has now made Seattle his home along with his wife and two daughters, who are all enthusiastic supporters of the Mercaz community.

He is dedicated to ensuring that the community not only stays connected in the digital era but also discovers ways to enrich their Jewish practices through technological innovation. His work skillfully addresses the challenges and opportunities that technology brings to contemporary Jewish life.

BOARD MEMBER

Eli Levin is a Bay Area native turned Seattleite with a track record of building and scaling tech companies across industries, from marketing technology to enterprise data platforms. He’s currently leading a team at a large fintech company focused on maximizing the efficiency of launching new products. Outside of work, Eli is a passionate car enthusiast, musician, and creative spirit, diving into everything from painting to cooking. He also studied architecture and organizes an annual music festival with friends. Above all, Eli cherishes quiet moments with his wife, who is pursuing her doctorate at the University of Washington.

BOARD MEMBER

Sarah grew up in Edmonton, Canada, and previously lived in Washington DC and Ottawa, Ontario. Sarah is committed to fostering Jewish engagement within the community and seeks to create meaningful connections among members and guests. Professionally, Sarah is an attorney representing claimants in private antitrust litigation matters. She has a passion for cooking and enjoys bringing people together through food, along with her husband and son. Sarah moved to Seattle in 2023 to be closer to family and the great outdoors; she is also passionate about skiing and hockey.

BOARD MEMBER

Born and raised in Seattle, Zelle attended several local Jewish schools before studying at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and then Brandeis University. Over the years, Zelle has worked in film, education, real estate, and technology management consulting. One of her most impactful volunteer endeavors was the time she spent at Crisis Connections, formerly the King County Crisis Line. Zelle has a passion for personal growth and building bridges between communities. As such, she recently completed programs through the Anti-Defamation League, Leadership Tomorrow and Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle. Zelle is currently the Director of Institutional Advancement at Northwest Yeshiva High School, her alma mater. She is excited to join the Mercaz Board to give back and support our growing community. Fun Fact: Growing up, Zelle had lizards as pets, which she caught herself.

BOARD MEMBER

Morris Sharp is excited to join the Mercaz Seattle board, bringing a unique blend of community spirit and professional expertise. Previously, Morris served as the kiddush coordinator at Mercaz, where his efforts helped bring people together to celebrate and connect through food. He has made Seattle his home since 2018 with his wife and two daughters. By day, he contributes his talents at Microsoft, and by night—or whenever the weather permits—he enjoys Seattle’s great outdoors, from snowboarding and biking to playing ultimate and baseball. Morris looks forward to deepening his connection with the community and supporting Mercaz’s vibrant mission.

BOARD MEMBER

Hillary is a retired educator and Hebrew textbook writer with a BA and teaching credential from Princeton University. A Los Angeles native, she currently splits her time between LA and Seattle, where her five grandchildren (and their parents) live. She spends her time volunteering at the SHA library and teaching Hebrew online to Hispanic Jews. She enjoys reading, traveling, cooking, doing jigsaw puzzles, and watching too many terrible TV shows.