Author and interfaith expert Rabbi Anson Laytner is the executive director of the Seattle Chapter of the American Jewish Committee (AJC). Rabbi Laytner came to the AJC after 11 years as the executive director of Multifaith Works, a Seattle non-profit agency that provides housing assistance and emotional and practical support to people living with AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses, and 10 years as head of the Seattle Jewish Federation's Community Relations Council. He helped found the Washington Association of Jewish Communities, the Interfaith Council of Washington, and the North American Interfaith Network.

As an author of Arguing With God: A Jewish Tradition and over 60 feature articles, Rabbi Laytner has explored dozens of faith-related subjects ranging from Jewish theology to the Arab-Israel conflict. His goal in his in-progress work, Letting Go of God, is to study god-concepts and the meaning of suffering.

Rabbi Laytner collaborated with long-term colleague and friend Rabbi Daniel Bridge to translate and adapt The Animals' Lawsuit Against Humanity. This story is an incredible multi-faith adaptation of an ancient Iraqi tale in which animals all speak a common language and try to demand humane treatment from the humans who just won't listen. The story is an uplifting allegory to how we treat all life on Earth, including animals, the environment, and even other human beings. At the conclusion of the story, the reader is left with a feeling that there is hope for humanity, the entire animal kingdom, and maybe even the planet.

Rabbi Laytner holds a BA, summa cum laude, from York University in Toronto and a Masters degree in Not-for-Profit Leadership from Seattle University. He has a Masters degree in Hebrew Letters and rabbinic ordination, along with an honorary Doctorate of Divinity, from Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati.