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Member of the Gareshefsky family with his wagon, Seattle, Washington (USA), c1910
Member of the Gareshefsky family with his wagon, Seattle, Washington (USA), c1910

The Jewish Community of Seattle

Seattle

Seattle is the largest city in Washington State, USA.
 
The seaport city of Seattle is home to the largest Jewish community in the state of Washington. At approximately 63,000 people (2015), nearly one percent of the total population, the Jewish community of Seattle is the largest in the Pacific Northwest. Indeed, since 2001 the number of Jewish residents living in the Seattle metro area has increased by 70 percent. According to the 2014 study of the Greater Seattle Jewish Community, much of this growth has come from an influx of Jewish families and individuals from out of state. The Jewish population has even outpaced the city's overall growth rate, which itself was the fastest among the country's 50 most-populous cities in 2013. The areas with the densest population of Jewish families are in Seattle's central metropolitan neighborhoods of Capitol Hill, Madron, Madison Valley, and the Central District. In Seward Park, next to Lake Washington lives the majority of Seattle's Orthodox Jewish community. About 40 percent live in the city's North End; 35 percent live on Mercer Island and Bellevue; and the rest resides in Seattle's south end.

Seattle's Jewish community is more than 120 years old and composed of both Sephardim and Ashkenazim. While Ashkenazi Jews make up the bulk of the city's total Jewish population, Seattle's Sephardic community is the third-largest in the United States. Despite living in many of the same neighborhoods, intra-community tensions brought about by cultural differences led to a long lasting social divide. After decades of forming their own organizations, Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews recently began to establish friendlier relationships, with representatives from both communities serving as members of the city's principal Jewish institutions, including the Vaad Ha'rabanim.

The Jews of Seattle play an active role in business, media, art, and entertainment. There are numerous Jewish institutions located in several neighborhoods throughout the city. In addition to the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle there are several organizations serving the community, providing social and welfare programs, educational programming, and religious-based services. Among the most influential are The Seattle Kollel, Jewish Family Service, Spokane Area Jewish Family Services, the Anti-Defamation League, Teen Philanthropy (a Federation sponsored program), JLI Teens (Chabad), the Hebrew Free Loan Association, and the Washington State Jewish Historical Society. Kosher food can be found at a number of grocery stores, bakeries, and butcheries, while kosher catering companies, home delivery services, and restaurants make kosher food readily available. Circulated throughout the Greater Seattle area are the community's Jewish periodicals: JTNews and Jewish in Seattle, a community-based bi-monthly magazine published by the Jewish Federation.

Jewish religious life in Seattle is quite diverse. Of the many synagogues in operation, seven are Orthodox, five are Reform, and two are Conservative. The city's largest congregations are Bikur Cholim-Machzikay Hadath, Congregation Ezra Bessaroth, Sephardic Bikur Holim, the Seattle Hebrew Academy, and Capitol Hill Minyan. Seattle also has an eruv and multiple mikvaot (ritual baths), including the Mikvah Mei Menachem and the Seattle Mikvah. The city's Jewish religious institutions additionally offer various educational and social programming. These include Seattle's nine day camps and five overnight camps, as well as the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization (BBYO), the Chabad Teen Network (CTeeN), the Jewish Student Union, the North American Federation for Temple Youth, and the B'nai Mitzvah Discovery Club.

In addition to the number of Jewish congregations that offer extracurricular and supplementary educational programming for children and young adults, Seattle is also home to several private Jewish schools. Seattle has three early childhood education centers and six Jewish day schools, including the Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Seattle, the Menachem Mendel Seattle Cheder, Torah Day School of Seattle, the Northwest Yeshiva High School, Seattle Jewish Community School, and the Seattle Hebrew Academy. The Seattle Kollel provides daily lessons and evening courses for students of all ages. Jewish Educational Resources, an organization which offers cutting edge educational programming for early childhood, supplementary, and Jewish day schools, supports Jewish educators throughout Greater Seattle.

The city of Seattle boasts a number of historic Jewish landmarks. At Pioneer Square, located at First Avenue and Yesler, is the area which had been the center of the business district during the Gold Rush era, where the site of the Jewish-owned Schwabacher Hardware Building can be found. Built in 1889, the name is still visible on the façade of the building. The Schwabacher Wharf on Alaskan Way and Union remains the only pier to have survived the fire of 1889.

One of Seattle's most frequently visited tourist destinations is the Pike Place Public Market. While known for their fresh fish, produce, and crafts, the Market is a significant landmark for Seattle's Jewish community. In the 1920s, when Jewish immigrants began to arrive from areas within the Ottoman Empire, many found work at the market. Stores like the City Fish Market and Pure Food Fish Market were both founded by young Sephardic-Jewish immigrants from the Ottoman Empire, and as of 2015, both stores have remained in operation. Also located at Pike Place Market is Starbucks' first store, which opened not long after the company was co-founded by Zev Siegl in 1971. And not far on East Pike is Seattle's largest and oldest Reform congregation, whose synagogue was originally built in 1906.

A trip through Capitol Hill where many of the original homes still stand offers a look at Seattle's historic German-Jewish community. Between 12th and 20th Avenue, along Cherry Street and Yesler Way, is another historic Jewish neighborhood. From 1900 to 1930 this area was home to Jews from both Eastern Europe and the Ottoman Empire. The Langston Hughes Community Center located at 17th and Yesler once served as the original place of worship for the Orthodox Ashkenazi Congregation Bikur Cholim-Machzikay Hadath.

One of the city's most important Jewish cultural sites is its Holocaust Memorial. The memorial was designed by Gizel Berman, an Auschwitz survivor who settled in Washington after the war. The sculpture features six Hebrew letters which come together to form the Biblical command 'Thou Shalt Not Forget.' Surrounding the sculpture is a wall of names, which memorializes the victims related to residents of Washington State. Serving as a major center of Jewish cultural life is the Stroum Jewish Community Center, which offers a wide variety of social, recreational, and community services. The Jewish community also hosts a number of events, including the Jewish Film Festival and Music of Remembrance, a program developed by an organization that performs music that had been created in the ghettos and concentration camps of Europe. These performances take place at the Benaroya Hall, Seattle's music hall and home to the Seattle Symphony. Benaroya Hall was founded in 1993 with the help of a donation from Jack Benaroya, the son of Jewish immigrants from Lebanon.

HISTORY

Since the late 19th century, the coastal seaport of Seattle has been a destination for Jewish immigrants from around the world. The first Jews to arrive came during the 1860s. One of these early Jewish settlers was Bailey Gatzert, who arrived in 1869. After becoming the mayor of Seattle, an elementary school and steamboat were named after him.

In 1880 the Jewish population in Seattle was numbered at 56 people. Three years later, this small community established a B’nai Brith lodge. A congregation was also established in 1887 but was short lived. The oldest surviving congregation, Bikur Cholim (Orthodox), was founded in 1889. The second oldest, Temple De Hirsch, was organized in 1899 as a Reform congregation. Until 1890, there were no religious leaders in Seattle; all of those who served the Jewish community were brought from Victoria, British Columbia.

Following the discovery of gold in Alaska at the turn of the century, the Jewish population of Seattle increased considerably. At this time, Seattle became the port of embarkation for the Yukon and Klondike, and many Jews became merchants and outfitters to the gold miners and prospectors. Following the end of the Gold Rush, a number of Jews from Canada and the United States who had been in the Yukon region settled in Seattle, where they too became merchants.

Seattle's first Sephardim arrived from Turkey and the Island of Rhodes in 1902. These early pioneers included David Levy, Jack Policar, Solomon Calvo and Nessim Alhadeff. Many of the Sephardim worked as laborers, artisans and fish vendors. Calvo and Alhadeff both went into the seafood business with Solomon Calvo founding the Waterfront Fish and Oyster Co. and Nessim Alhadeff founding the Palace Fish and Oyster Co. During the early years of Seattle’s famous Pike Place Market, the Sephardim dominated the fish and produce stands. By 1910, Seattle was home to approximately 40 Sephardi families. The first Jewish services held by the Sephardi community were during the High Holy Days in a rented hall. Once they had attained financial security, they purchased the old Ashkenazi synagogue, Bikur Holim and immediately encouraged their friends and family to join the congregation. While Bikur Holim followed Levantine traditions, Ezra Bessaroth, a separate Sephardi congregation maintained the traditions of Rhodes. The spiritual leader of Seattle’s Sephardim was Rabbi Solomon Maimon of Sephardi Bikur Holim.

In 1970, Seattle had seven synagogues located throughout the city and two more in suburban areas. Serving the Jewish community of Seattle was the Federated Jewish Fund, a Jewish Community Center, a community newspaper and chapters of all national Jewish organizations. The synagogues maintained religious schools and several youth organizations. While many members of the community were engaged in merchandising, the presence of the University of Washington in Seattle encouraged the population to strive for college education, leading to their entry into various professions; many Jews began to be employed as engineers in the aerospace industry and served as state legislators and judges. In the 1960s, Solie Ringold was Superior Judge. Several Jews have also taught at the university as well as in Seattle’s public schools.

The Jews of Seattle have been active participants in all of the city’s social and cultural activities and are also known for their philanthropy and community service. Caroline Kline Galland donated 1,000,000 in 1907 for a Jewish home for the aged. Nathan Eckstein was voted Seattle’s most useful citizen in 1928, and a junior high school was later named after him.

In 1969, approximately 10,500 Jews lived in Seattle.

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The Jewish Community of Seattle

Seattle

Seattle is the largest city in Washington State, USA.
 
The seaport city of Seattle is home to the largest Jewish community in the state of Washington. At approximately 63,000 people (2015), nearly one percent of the total population, the Jewish community of Seattle is the largest in the Pacific Northwest. Indeed, since 2001 the number of Jewish residents living in the Seattle metro area has increased by 70 percent. According to the 2014 study of the Greater Seattle Jewish Community, much of this growth has come from an influx of Jewish families and individuals from out of state. The Jewish population has even outpaced the city's overall growth rate, which itself was the fastest among the country's 50 most-populous cities in 2013. The areas with the densest population of Jewish families are in Seattle's central metropolitan neighborhoods of Capitol Hill, Madron, Madison Valley, and the Central District. In Seward Park, next to Lake Washington lives the majority of Seattle's Orthodox Jewish community. About 40 percent live in the city's North End; 35 percent live on Mercer Island and Bellevue; and the rest resides in Seattle's south end.

Seattle's Jewish community is more than 120 years old and composed of both Sephardim and Ashkenazim. While Ashkenazi Jews make up the bulk of the city's total Jewish population, Seattle's Sephardic community is the third-largest in the United States. Despite living in many of the same neighborhoods, intra-community tensions brought about by cultural differences led to a long lasting social divide. After decades of forming their own organizations, Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews recently began to establish friendlier relationships, with representatives from both communities serving as members of the city's principal Jewish institutions, including the Vaad Ha'rabanim.

The Jews of Seattle play an active role in business, media, art, and entertainment. There are numerous Jewish institutions located in several neighborhoods throughout the city. In addition to the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle there are several organizations serving the community, providing social and welfare programs, educational programming, and religious-based services. Among the most influential are The Seattle Kollel, Jewish Family Service, Spokane Area Jewish Family Services, the Anti-Defamation League, Teen Philanthropy (a Federation sponsored program), JLI Teens (Chabad), the Hebrew Free Loan Association, and the Washington State Jewish Historical Society. Kosher food can be found at a number of grocery stores, bakeries, and butcheries, while kosher catering companies, home delivery services, and restaurants make kosher food readily available. Circulated throughout the Greater Seattle area are the community's Jewish periodicals: JTNews and Jewish in Seattle, a community-based bi-monthly magazine published by the Jewish Federation.

Jewish religious life in Seattle is quite diverse. Of the many synagogues in operation, seven are Orthodox, five are Reform, and two are Conservative. The city's largest congregations are Bikur Cholim-Machzikay Hadath, Congregation Ezra Bessaroth, Sephardic Bikur Holim, the Seattle Hebrew Academy, and Capitol Hill Minyan. Seattle also has an eruv and multiple mikvaot (ritual baths), including the Mikvah Mei Menachem and the Seattle Mikvah. The city's Jewish religious institutions additionally offer various educational and social programming. These include Seattle's nine day camps and five overnight camps, as well as the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization (BBYO), the Chabad Teen Network (CTeeN), the Jewish Student Union, the North American Federation for Temple Youth, and the B'nai Mitzvah Discovery Club.

In addition to the number of Jewish congregations that offer extracurricular and supplementary educational programming for children and young adults, Seattle is also home to several private Jewish schools. Seattle has three early childhood education centers and six Jewish day schools, including the Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Seattle, the Menachem Mendel Seattle Cheder, Torah Day School of Seattle, the Northwest Yeshiva High School, Seattle Jewish Community School, and the Seattle Hebrew Academy. The Seattle Kollel provides daily lessons and evening courses for students of all ages. Jewish Educational Resources, an organization which offers cutting edge educational programming for early childhood, supplementary, and Jewish day schools, supports Jewish educators throughout Greater Seattle.

The city of Seattle boasts a number of historic Jewish landmarks. At Pioneer Square, located at First Avenue and Yesler, is the area which had been the center of the business district during the Gold Rush era, where the site of the Jewish-owned Schwabacher Hardware Building can be found. Built in 1889, the name is still visible on the façade of the building. The Schwabacher Wharf on Alaskan Way and Union remains the only pier to have survived the fire of 1889.

One of Seattle's most frequently visited tourist destinations is the Pike Place Public Market. While known for their fresh fish, produce, and crafts, the Market is a significant landmark for Seattle's Jewish community. In the 1920s, when Jewish immigrants began to arrive from areas within the Ottoman Empire, many found work at the market. Stores like the City Fish Market and Pure Food Fish Market were both founded by young Sephardic-Jewish immigrants from the Ottoman Empire, and as of 2015, both stores have remained in operation. Also located at Pike Place Market is Starbucks' first store, which opened not long after the company was co-founded by Zev Siegl in 1971. And not far on East Pike is Seattle's largest and oldest Reform congregation, whose synagogue was originally built in 1906.

A trip through Capitol Hill where many of the original homes still stand offers a look at Seattle's historic German-Jewish community. Between 12th and 20th Avenue, along Cherry Street and Yesler Way, is another historic Jewish neighborhood. From 1900 to 1930 this area was home to Jews from both Eastern Europe and the Ottoman Empire. The Langston Hughes Community Center located at 17th and Yesler once served as the original place of worship for the Orthodox Ashkenazi Congregation Bikur Cholim-Machzikay Hadath.

One of the city's most important Jewish cultural sites is its Holocaust Memorial. The memorial was designed by Gizel Berman, an Auschwitz survivor who settled in Washington after the war. The sculpture features six Hebrew letters which come together to form the Biblical command 'Thou Shalt Not Forget.' Surrounding the sculpture is a wall of names, which memorializes the victims related to residents of Washington State. Serving as a major center of Jewish cultural life is the Stroum Jewish Community Center, which offers a wide variety of social, recreational, and community services. The Jewish community also hosts a number of events, including the Jewish Film Festival and Music of Remembrance, a program developed by an organization that performs music that had been created in the ghettos and concentration camps of Europe. These performances take place at the Benaroya Hall, Seattle's music hall and home to the Seattle Symphony. Benaroya Hall was founded in 1993 with the help of a donation from Jack Benaroya, the son of Jewish immigrants from Lebanon.

HISTORY

Since the late 19th century, the coastal seaport of Seattle has been a destination for Jewish immigrants from around the world. The first Jews to arrive came during the 1860s. One of these early Jewish settlers was Bailey Gatzert, who arrived in 1869. After becoming the mayor of Seattle, an elementary school and steamboat were named after him.

In 1880 the Jewish population in Seattle was numbered at 56 people. Three years later, this small community established a B’nai Brith lodge. A congregation was also established in 1887 but was short lived. The oldest surviving congregation, Bikur Cholim (Orthodox), was founded in 1889. The second oldest, Temple De Hirsch, was organized in 1899 as a Reform congregation. Until 1890, there were no religious leaders in Seattle; all of those who served the Jewish community were brought from Victoria, British Columbia.

Following the discovery of gold in Alaska at the turn of the century, the Jewish population of Seattle increased considerably. At this time, Seattle became the port of embarkation for the Yukon and Klondike, and many Jews became merchants and outfitters to the gold miners and prospectors. Following the end of the Gold Rush, a number of Jews from Canada and the United States who had been in the Yukon region settled in Seattle, where they too became merchants.

Seattle's first Sephardim arrived from Turkey and the Island of Rhodes in 1902. These early pioneers included David Levy, Jack Policar, Solomon Calvo and Nessim Alhadeff. Many of the Sephardim worked as laborers, artisans and fish vendors. Calvo and Alhadeff both went into the seafood business with Solomon Calvo founding the Waterfront Fish and Oyster Co. and Nessim Alhadeff founding the Palace Fish and Oyster Co. During the early years of Seattle’s famous Pike Place Market, the Sephardim dominated the fish and produce stands. By 1910, Seattle was home to approximately 40 Sephardi families. The first Jewish services held by the Sephardi community were during the High Holy Days in a rented hall. Once they had attained financial security, they purchased the old Ashkenazi synagogue, Bikur Holim and immediately encouraged their friends and family to join the congregation. While Bikur Holim followed Levantine traditions, Ezra Bessaroth, a separate Sephardi congregation maintained the traditions of Rhodes. The spiritual leader of Seattle’s Sephardim was Rabbi Solomon Maimon of Sephardi Bikur Holim.

In 1970, Seattle had seven synagogues located throughout the city and two more in suburban areas. Serving the Jewish community of Seattle was the Federated Jewish Fund, a Jewish Community Center, a community newspaper and chapters of all national Jewish organizations. The synagogues maintained religious schools and several youth organizations. While many members of the community were engaged in merchandising, the presence of the University of Washington in Seattle encouraged the population to strive for college education, leading to their entry into various professions; many Jews began to be employed as engineers in the aerospace industry and served as state legislators and judges. In the 1960s, Solie Ringold was Superior Judge. Several Jews have also taught at the university as well as in Seattle’s public schools.

The Jews of Seattle have been active participants in all of the city’s social and cultural activities and are also known for their philanthropy and community service. Caroline Kline Galland donated 1,000,000 in 1907 for a Jewish home for the aged. Nathan Eckstein was voted Seattle’s most useful citizen in 1928, and a junior high school was later named after him.

In 1969, approximately 10,500 Jews lived in Seattle.

Written by researchers of ANU Museum of the Jewish People