JCIJ Voices: Meet Diane, JCIJ Co-Founder & Immigrant Justice Advocate!

By Hannah Kurland, JCIJ Advocacy Intern

The five founders of the Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice at JCIJ’s Summer Gathering in August 2026. At front is Diane; at back, from left to right are Katie, Ruth, Dina, and Andrea.

As a founding member of the Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice (JCIJ), Diane has been a driving force behind the coalition’s advocacy and accompaniment since its early days. 

Born in Chicago, Diane grew up immersed in her local Jewish community and with a strong understanding of her family’s immigrant roots. As a child, stories of her family’s life before immigrating to the United States were frequent topics of discussion; Diane remembers her father proudly sharing tales about people and life in his shtetl. As a young adult, Diane became increasingly interested in immigration stories – an interest that would serve her well at JCIJ. 

After moving to Seattle, Diane joined Temple Beth Am, whose community was heavily engaged in social justice. Human rights and immigration were areas to which she was introduced there more deeply. Diane had been engaged in activism, but quickly came to understand this as not just in line with her moral values but also her Jewish values. In an interview, Diane noted that the commandment to welcome, protect, and love the “stranger” – often translated as “immigrant” – appears thirty-six times in the Torah. This biblical commandment became a guiding principle for Diane as she became involved in local interfaith social justice work through Beth Am and local organizations such as the Church Council of Greater Seattle and Faith Action Network.

Over time, Diane came to realize that while many in the Jewish community were active participants in local immigration and interfaith work, they lacked a unified coalition with which to organize themselves. Resolved to build a distinctly Jewish voice for immigrant justice in the Pacific Northwest, Diane, along with four other multigenerational women from other synagogues, co-founded JCIJ in 2017.  

The early days of JCIJ were, in Diane’s words, “gritty” and “down to earth.” Volunteers initially focused on outreach to the local Jewish community and fundraising for the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network’s bond fund, all while simultaneously learning the complexities of the immigration system. While the work was difficult, the Jewish community’s enthusiastic response to JCIJ made it clear that there was a real need for a Jewish voice on immigration issues. Local congregations volunteered to host events; members of the community mobilized to support migrants through accompaniment and raising funds. After becoming a 501(c)(3) in 2023, JCIJ expanded its efforts to also include legislative advocacy work on the federal, state, and local levels. 

As JCIJ expanded into advocacy, Diane tapped into some skills she had gained through advocacy on other issues. She fondly recalled participating in JCIJ’s advocacy for the Keep Washington Working Act, which limited state and local involvement in federal immigration enforcement. “Advocating was fantastic,” Diane reminisced. What surprised her most was how accessible the process felt. Legislators are “just human beings. I [could] actually talk to them and say exactly what was on my mind,” she shared. Further, “I’m one of their constituents [..] I’m actually their boss.” The experience was empowering and reinforced Diane’s belief that change is possible through collective action.

Today, Diane encourages anyone interested in immigrant justice work to begin by recognizing the humanity of every person. This recognition, she believes, is the first step toward extending much-needed kindness and understanding towards all. 

There are many ways to get involved in, or deepen your involvement with, JCIJ’s work. If you are interested in learning more about JCIJ’s advocacy efforts or would like to join the JCIJ Advocacy Committee, please feel free to contact team@jewishcoalition.org. For information about other volunteer opportunities, please visit jewishcoalition.org/volunteer.