Best of the City
The Best of Jewish Education in Washington

Image: Briana Ashby
Spotlight on Beth Huppin
Project Kavod
Teaching is “a deeply spiritual experience” for Beth Huppin. “Time stops,” she says. “I feel connected to the people in the room and to the history of the Jewish people. I always discover something new.” A veteran educator for 30 years, Huppin currently directs Project Kavod/Dignity, which guides Jewish Family Service staff, board, and volunteers in Jewish text study to deepen the understanding and implementation of the organization’s core work. Huppin received a National Covenant Award for Excellence in Jewish Education in 2010, when she was a teacher at the Seattle Jewish Community School. “I was very moved by being honored,” she says. “They like to honor people who are just doing the work.” Ever humble, Huppin adds that she’s only as good as the people around her. “I feel blessed to have the opportunity to teach.”
Readers' Picks
Educator
1st Place
- Rivy Poupko Kletenik, Head of School, Seattle Hebrew Academy
Runners-Up
- Beth Huppin, Project Kavod, JFS
- Rabbi Janine Schloss, Director of Education, Temple Beth Am
Schools
1st Place
- Seattle Hebrew Academy - “SHA hums with creativity, joy, and caring. Happy beautiful place, and intellectually alive.”
Runners-Up
- Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Seattle - “Such loving teachers. Great curriculum. Awesome community.”
- Seattle Jewish Community School - “Wonderful atmosphere with thriving kids.”
Camps
1st Place
- Camp Kalsman- a reform summer camp in Arlington.
Runners-Up
- Camp Solomon Schechter- a conservative camp outside Olympia.
- Sephardic Adventure Camp - a place to learn the values and beauty of Sephardic life.
Youth Groups
1st Place
Runners-Up