Just before sunset in Horizon House’s Fireside Lounge in Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood, residents fill the 50 chairs facing the window where a table holds a menorah. It’s the third night of Hanukkah, and a resident begins by reading a Hanukkah story from childhood. Later, they all sing “The Dreidel Song” and recite the traditional blessing before lighting the menorah candles. Afterward, everyone mingles, sharing stories and, tonight, latkes!
It’s a typical celebration—except that there are often more non-Jewish residents than Jewish ones.
This is what makes Horizon House different: inclusive senior living that’s not diversity as policy, but genuine celebration. It’s a Life Plan Community where people of all faiths, and no faith at all, find acceptance and belonging.
Designed for Diversity
Linda Purdy has served as our director of inner wellbeing and spirituality for nearly 11 years. As a board-certified chaplain, her role differs from a traditional pastor: “A pastor teaches a congregation what to believe. A chaplain supports people in what they already believe.”
At this First Hill community, that difference shapes everything.
Even the department’s name—”Inner Wellbeing and Spirituality”—was intentionally crafted. “We have a large group of secular humanists who are atheists,” Linda explains. “Spirituality isn’t important to them, but wellbeing is.” The dual naming ensures everyone sees themselves reflected, whether they’re deeply religious, spiritual but not religious, or neither.
It’s inclusion by design, not as an afterthought.
A Month of Meaning
December at this Seattle retirement community reveals how inclusive senior living works in practice. Linda’s department alone hosts seven different events—and that’s before the regular Thursday Protestant services or resident-organized programming.
Hanukkah: Eight Nights of Sharing
The Hanukkah celebrations are resident-led. Jewish residents from New York, Chicago, and Seattle recruit each other to share family traditions. They read childhood storybooks, explain customs, light candles, and teach blessings.
One year, a 95-year-old retired rabbi insisted on leading a session. “He heard too many questions about what Hanukkah means and why,” Linda recalls. “He said, ‘OK, I need to do the history.'”
Why do non-Jewish residents attend? “Sometimes it’s out of curiosity, sometimes it’s to support their neighbors,” Linda says. “Folks here love to celebrate one another.”
Mary P. attends to “promote community worship,” explaining: “What I get from it is an affirmation of faith, especially when one considers the basis of our Christian faith is our Jewish heritage.”
Last year, a couple from New York convinced the kitchen staff to prepare a traditional Jewish dinner for the entire community on Thursday buffet night—unfamiliar to many Seattle residents but enthusiastically received. “Jewish residents love it because they get to share their traditions,” Linda notes. “It’s about neighbors being genuinely interested in each other’s stories.”
The Longest Night: Darkness and Light
On December 21, the night of the winter solstice, residents gather in the Sky Lounge for the “Longest Night” ceremony—spiritual but not religious, accessible to everyone.
As a harpist plays softly in the candlelit room, Linda guides residents through acknowledging the year’s difficulties: losses, grief, struggles. As each candle is lit, there’s silence for release.
The final act: lighting the tallest candle to celebrate the light of the coming year.
A resident once told Linda she focused too much on darkness. Linda listened and now spends more time on the promise of the coming light. Even criticism becomes dialogue here.
The Full Range
Secular humanists meet during Sunday service times, watching discussion videos led by a retired United Church of Christ pastor who’s now an atheist, and another resident who’s a retired history teacher. Linda supports their exploration even though—and often because—it doesn’t involve faith.
Bill J., who identifies as a secular humanist and helps coordinate the group, observes: “This is a progressive community where many viewpoints are welcome. My perspective is respected here.”
On Christmas Eve, Linda’s team leads an ecumenical service combining scripture, music and poetry. During the community choir’s holiday concert, Jewish and Christian songs share equal billing—Jewish residents singing Christmas carols, Christian residents learning Hanukkah songs.
The volume and variety signal that every tradition, and every rejection of tradition, has space here.
More than Tolerance
This isn’t mere coexistence—it’s genuine curiosity. When Horizon House hosts its Yom Kippur service, about a third of attendees aren’t Jewish. They’re there to support friends, to learn, and to participate in something meaningful.
Ellen L., a longtime resident, remembers her turning point: “When I saw everyone line up for the Gay Pride parade, that’s when I realized—wow, this place is very welcoming to gay people.”
Why does it matter? Because identity doesn’t diminish with age—it deepens. The freedom to express your whole self affects your daily quality of life in profound ways.
Linda offers clear guidance for prospects exploring LGBTQ-friendly senior living options: “Look for openness and willingness to be diverse. Watch how people interact across different backgrounds. See if celebrations feel authentic or performative.”
Consider the retired rabbi who chose Horizon House over the Jewish retirement community two blocks away. He wanted to become a poet and not remain defined by his professional identity. That choice says everything about this community—a place where you can finally become who you’ve always wanted to be.
Mary P. puts it simply: “There is an openness to individual diversity that promises the ability to worship or not worship according to one’s own conscience.”
Your Place Here
So, will you fit in at Horizon House?
If you value intellectual curiosity over conformity, you will.
If you want neighbors interested in your story rather than your résumé, you will.
If you’re looking for a community where you can worship—or not—according to your own conscience, you will.
As Ellen L. puts it: “If there’s prejudice around here, I haven’t felt it.”
This inclusive retirement community on Seattle’s First Hill isn’t trying to make everyone the same. It’s living out its mission: purposeful living in a diverse community. Whether that means celebrating Hanukkah, gathering for the winter solstice, attending Christmas Eve service, or finding meaning through secular humanism, there’s space to be fully yourself.
As Bill J. observes, “Our beliefs may be different, but we’re all on the same journey.”
And latkes are excellent.
Ready to experience this inclusive Life Plan Community on Seattle’s First Hill? Call 206-382-3100 or visit horizonhouse.org to schedule a tour of Horizon House and discover what truly inclusive senior living looks and feels like.
