Rabbi, Staff and Leadership

Rabbi Seth Goldstein

Rabbi Seth Goldstein is both committed to creating vibrant Jewish community and using a spiritual voice to speak to issues of social justice and common concern.

He has been at TBH since graduating from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 2003, and also holds an MA in Jewish Studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Washington. He is currently the Immediate Past President of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association.

He has completed the Clergy Leadership Program of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, is a Rabbis Without Borders fellow and was a Brickner Rabbinic Fellow through the Religious Action Center. He was a member of the third cohort of the Clergy Leadership Incubator program, and was named as one of “America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis” by the Forward in 2016.

Rabbi Goldstein is the author of numerous published articles, essays and liturgy. He writes regularly on his blog, Rabbi 360 and has produced both a weekly podcast, Torah tl;dr, and a webseries, Carpooling with Rabbi. Most recently he creates Jewish content on TikTok.

He is deeply engaged in local community affairs and active in Interfaith Works of Thurston County and the Faith Action Network, a statewide advocacy organization. He has testified in front of the Washington State Legislature on numerous occasions.

E-mail Rabbi Seth: rabbi@bethhatfiloh.org

Catherine Carmel, Director of Jewish Family Life and Learning

Catherine comes to TBH with a public school teaching background. She taught in Hawaii, Texas and for the Department of Defense in Germany before teaching in Washington. She is a middle school generalist who did her graduate level specialization in literacy instruction. Catherine’s interest in interfaith cooperation, social justice and tikkun olam have led her to become a board member for Interfaith Works, where she coordinates the summer camp, Interfaith Explorations. She is also chair of the board of RENA, Reconstructionist Educators of North America, where she coordinates Zoom meetings to bring together Education Directors like herself, for professional development and support. Catherine is married to Rob, a retired Army Sergeant Major. Together they share a love for their expanding family, including four grandchildren. 

E-mail Catherine: beitsefer@bethhatfiloh.org

Kayla Iverson, Director of Operations & Engagement

Kayla brings her educational background in Religious Studies and work experience in non-profit leadership to TBH as Director of Operations & Engagement. She got her Masters Degree in Religion at Yale, focused on Second Temple Judaism. Her background in non-profits includes work in community outreach, marketing, and development.  Kayla moved to Olympia in 2018 with her husband Andrew. Together, they have two sons, Nathan & Eli, whose antics can be seen at Tot Shabbat.

E-mail Kayla: tbh@bethhatfiloh.org

Board and Governance

TBH is governed by a Board of Directors, elected each spring by the membership. The dedicated volunteers of the Board manage the affairs of the congregation, set policy and work with clergy and staff on fulfilling TBH’s mission of being a Jewish center for Olympia and beyond. Board meetings, which are open to TBH members, are held once a month.

2022-2023 TBH Board
Allyson Brooks, Co-President
Leslie Goldstein, Co-President
David Hanig, Vice President
Gary Schneider, Treasurer
Melinda Holman, Secretary

Board Members At Large
George Chappell
Daniel Farber
Susan Finkel
Laura Hurtado-Webb
Traci Moran
Barbara Soule