Educating the community through past events

The Society provides programs that are rich in cultural heritage. Educating the community through publications, curriculum, exhibits, tours and more. Here are some examples of past events.

The Musical Legacy of Samuel E. Goldfarb Concert & Celebration

Goldfarb’s contributions as “the father of Jewish music in America” were legion and took place on both coasts of the country.  He was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and studied music at Columbia University.  In 1930 while visiting in Seattle Goldfarb accepted the offer to serve as the music director of Temple de Hirsch, a position he held for more than 35 years.
With his brother, Israel Goldfarb, he composed hundreds of songs, which are sung in Jewish schools across the country.  Many of these appeared in the first collection of such songs ever printed, The Jewish Songster, published by the Goldfarb brothers in 1925.  As a young man in New York he wrote a song that has become a classic throughout the Jewish world during Chanukah, the Dreydel song.

The Way We Were: Jewish Youth Groups of the 1940’s and 1950s

This program explored the history of Jewish youth of the 40s and 50s. On April 2, 1939, a youth movement came into fruition. The night’s event was called Good Fellowship Night, and it introduced members of the various youth organizations and gave them the opportunity to become acquainted with each other. The Youth Council to Seattle Jewry was established and a new form of socializing was open to all.

The Sephardim and the Pike Place Market

In 1902 the first Sephardic Jews arrived in Seattle. Many more came, and some found in the new Public Market the right ambience and camaraderie, as well as very efficient informal school of business, math and language. This program retold the history of 18 Sephardic families who worked, learned and thrived at the Pikes Place Market. Learn more about this Sephardim and Pikes Place with the Sephardim and the Pike Place Market documentary.