Anson Laytner

Anson Laytner is a happily retired rabbi, living in Seattle, whose career focused on building positive interfaith and interethnic relations in our community.

During his career, he served as program manager for Seattle University School of Theology and Ministry's Interreligious Initiative, as a hospice chaplain at the Kline Galland Home and a grant-writer for the Jewish Family Service of Seattle, as interim rabbi at Congregation Kol HaNeshamah, and as executive director of the Seattle Chapter of the American Jewish Committee and of Multifaith Works, a Seattle non-profit agency that served people with AIDS. He also directed the Seattle Jewish Federation's Community Relations Council.

He is the author of the cult classic “Arguing with God”; “The Mystery of Suffering and the Meaning of God”; “Choosing Life After Tragedy”; and his first (and probably only) novel “The Forgotten Commandment”. He co-authored with Dan Bridge, “The Animals’ Lawsuit Against Humanity” and co-edited with Jordan Paper “The Chinese Jews of Kaifeng”.

As a volunteer, Laytner serves as president of the Sino-Judaic Institute and edits its journal, Points East. He is a past president of Northwest Interfaith and also served on the advisory board of End of Life Washington. He is an active supporter of the New Israel Fund and J Street.

Laytner has a BA, summa cum laude, from York University in Toronto, a Masters of Hebrew Letters (MAHL) and rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College, a Masters in Not-for-Profit Leadership (MNPL) from Seattle University, and an honorary Doctorate in Divinity from Hebrew Union College.

Rabbi Laytner is married to Richelle Harrell. He has two living daughters, three sons-in-law and five grandkids.

For more information or to contact him, go to ansonlaytner dot com.