Lea Hamlin

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Lea Hamlin was born and raised in Seattle to Sephardic parents. Her grandparents came from Rhodes, Turkey, and Beirut (when it was part of the Ottoman Empire). Her parents are Elazar Behar and Mary Leon Behar. Lea's family life revolved around Congregation Ezra Bessaroth growing up, where her grandfather, Reverend David J Behar was Hazzan and religious leader for over 40 years and her father worked tirelessly in many capacities, most importantly as Gabbai of the synagogue.

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Lea earned a BA in Sociology from the University of Washington and a Masters in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University, where she trained as a mental health therapist.

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She served on the boards of the Jewish Community Center and The Jewish Day School. In recent years, she has focused more on her Sephardic roots and traditions, participating on the committee for the 'Sephardic Day at the J' and attending as many Sephardic events as possible. 

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Lea lives on Mercer Island with her husband Larry.