Mimi Rosen is excited to be President of the Washington State Jewish Historical Society. She believes strongly that knowing your past helps to illuminate the future and is critical in preserving stories from the past. The WSJHS’s mission is very close to Mimi’s heart.

Mimi was born and raised in the Seattle area. She attended Jewish Day School, Garfield High School and then earned her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Michigan. Afterwards, she returned to Seattle to begin her career as a Property Assistant with the real estate company, Trammel Crow. She then gained valuable experience as a Financial Analyst with a local mortgage brokerage company. She is now an owner/principal of Rosen Harbottle Commercial Real Estate, where she works along side her father, Stan Rosen, her sister, Leslie Rosen, and her brother, Jack Rosen. Mimi is actively involved in overseeing the Property Management and Accounting Divisions, and she works closely with the other principals on acquisitions, sales, financing and asset management.

Mimi is involved in many local charitable organizations and has served on multple local boards and committees including: the Women’s Endowment Foundation, Hillel at the University of Washington, the Stroum Jewish Community Center and the Jewish Day School. She is also currently a board member of Seattle Academy. The Rosen family has always been very involved in the community, and giving back was taught to Mimi at a very young age. Mimi and her husband, Nathan Goldberg, are continuing the tradition by teaching their three children about the importance of supporting their community.

Ronald Waldbaum, born in Seattle to Ken and Sue Waldbaum, is a fifth generation at Temple De Hirsch Sinai and has been a member at the Jewish Community Center since his childhood. He attended the University of Washington and was an active member in Zeta Beta Tau fraternity and Hillel. Ron met his wife, Toni Calvo Waldbaum, while at the University. Upon graduation Ron went to work in the family business, Direct Buying Service Discount House, started by his grandparents and the business grew in size under his fathers leadership. Ron eventually took over the company and after running the business for several years, Ron sold the company and joined Leibsohn & Company as a commercial real estate broker and is now currently CEO. Ron has been a Temple De Hirsch Sinai board member for six years. Previous vice president and treasurer at the Washington State Jewish Historical Society, he is now president elect. 

Dennis Goldstein was born in Spokane, WA. Dennis moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington and was a member of Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity (one of the predominately Jewish houses). Upon graduation, he began a career in accounting and currently owns a CPA practice in Bellevue. Dennis has been involved in the Greater Seattle Jewish community, first with B'nai B'rith, Greater Seattle chapter, serving as Treasurer and later it's President, followed by his involvement with the Washington State Jewish Historical Society, again first as Treasurer and then as it's President. Dennis married Robin Rogel in 1981, has two children, Briana ( Jeff Roberts) & Seth, and two wonderful grandchildren Gabriel and Jemma.

Seth Goldstein was born in Seattle, WA.

Seth has been active in the Greater Seattle Jewish Community, participating and serving on the chapter board of Seattle’s USY chapter and spending summers at Camp Solomon Schechter.

After high school, Seth participated in Nativ, USCJ’s college leadership program in Israel, attending Hebrew University in Jerusalem and volunteering in Be’er Sheva.

After Nativ, Seth attended the University of Washington studying French and Law, Societies, and Justice. He was a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity and served as the chapter’s Housing/Risk Manager and Alumni Relations Chair. After graduating, Seth moved to Washington, DC to explore a career in politics, interning in the House of Representatives and working at the Council on Foreign Relations. Upon moving back to Seattle, Seth started his career in Consulting, working on projects at Microsoft and Meta.

Seth and his fiancée Melanie welcomed their first child, Eli, in 2022.

Neil has a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting/Music from Claremont McKenna College and is a licensed CPA in Washington State. Following several years of public accounting, he joined Puget Sound Pipe and Supply Company, a family-owned business founded in 1917, as its Controller in 2000, where he has served since.

Neil was born in Seattle and raised at Temple de Hirsch Sinai, where he has served for 14 years on their board. Neil is the fifth generation of his family at TDHS, with his ancestors being founding members of the congregation. He also provides musical services as a cantorial soloist since 2000 at TDHS as well as other congregations in Washington and Oregon, and has been the High Holiday Cantor for Congregation Bet Chaverim in Des Moines, WA and Temple Emanuel of the South Hills in Pittsburgh, PA. Neil continues to teach in the TDHS Religion School, with 2023 being his 33rd year teaching as well as training young song leaders.

A lover of baseball, music, and a self-proclaimed "foodie," Neil has been married to Denise Weinstein, an early-childhood specialist, since 1993 and is the father to Madeline and Noah, both of whom live and work in the greater-Seattle area.

Joel Arensberg has been a WSJHS board member since June 2019. Joel was born in Seattle on September 30, 1964, and was raised in Bellevue. His parents, Dick and Dianne, lived in the house he and his sister, Jodeen, grew up in for over 55 years. Joel currently lives in Newcastle with his wife, Amy, and twin children, Ethan and Marisa.

While attending Washington State University (WSU) Joel was involved with the Jewish Students Organization. The JSO was a small group, but gathered to observe various Jewish holidays and meet socially. It was nice to have a Jewish community 300 miles from home.

After graduating with a broadcast journalism degree from WSU, Joel went to work for his father and Uncle Bill at Arensberg Sons Company which was founded by his grandfather, Joseph, in 1917. Located on Capitol Hill in Seattle, Arensberg Sons Company was a wholesale distributor of shoe "findings", servicing shoe repair and shoe stores across the Pacific Northwest. In October 2002, Arensberg Sons Company was sold.

A month later, Joel joined Rosen Supply Company in Tacoma which was founded by his maternal grandparents, Max and Sara Rosen, in 1946. Rosen Supply Company is a wholesale plumbing distributor still proudly serving Western Washington.

The Arensberg family have been members of Temple De Hirsch Sinai for over a century. Joel's grandmother, Anna Arensberg, was in the TDHS confirmation class of 1914! Joel's bar mitzvah in 1977 and wedding in 2002 were held in the TDHS Seattle sanctuary. Joel has volunteered in the Sisterhood gift shops for 10 years and has been a co-manager of the Sisterhood gift shops for the last two years.

Joel's hobbies include telling really bad Dad jokes, watching any type of comedy, listening to classic rock and R&B, following local sports teams, and when the weather is decent, riding his bicycle. Go Cougs!

Jeff considers himself lucky to be a 3rd generation Seattleite on both paternal (Ashkenazi) and maternal (Sephardic) sides of his family. This good fortune, and starting out like his grandparents and parents living in the center of Jewish life in the Cherry Street neighborhood, has fueled Jeff's interests and connection to Seattle’s Jewish history. After a career in corporate real estate management at the Boeing Company for over forty years and also being on the board of directors for FareStart, (a Seattle non-profit helping people in our community through food, life skills and job training), Jeff now enjoys a full life in retirement with his three wonderful daughters, partner, and her children, all of whom were born and raised in the Seattle area Jewish community.

Nance Morris Adler loves history and using the lessons of history to inspire her students to know that they can make a difference in the world. The power of stories to engage and teach is key in how she teaches history. Nance teaches at JDS where she has been since 2005. She is an internationally recognized Holocaust educator and has traveled to Australia and Germany as a guest scholar, as well as being involved in the work to memorialize the Bielski Partisans in Belarus. She received a grant from the US State Department for her lecture tour in Australia on how she creates Upstanders. Nance has a Master’s in Jewish Studies from The Jewish Theological Seminary and a BA in European History/Russian Studies from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College. She is a Museum Teacher Fellow and Lesson Reviewer at the USHMM, an ambassador for the Defiant Requiem Foundation, and a Powell Fellow at the Holocaust Center for Humanity. She received the Rabbi Dr. William H. Greenberg Z”L Master Teacher Award from the SAMIS Foundation in 2020. In addition to teaching all of Middle School Judaics at JDS, she is the Mashgiah Ruhani – Custodian of Values –and MS Co-coordinator. Nance lives in N. Seattle with Steve, who is a Seattle native. They are members of Beth Shalom.

Dean Altaras was raised in Seattle/Bellevue as an active member of both the Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jewish communities. He graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in Urban Planning. Dean has been an active broker in the greater Puget Sound commercial real estate community for over 34 years. 29 of those years were spent with his friend and mentor, Morris Piha. His broad scope practice includes retail, office and industrial leasing in addition to investment sales in both commercial and multi-family properties. Dean has enjoyed long-standing relationships with his many clients and has a well-known reputation in the industry. This comes through creating effective results, putting his client’s interests first, providing exceptional service, and maintaining the highest level of professionalism and integrity. He has also been an active commercial real estate investor for many years. This experience gives him a deep understanding of the dynamic relationship between landlord/tenant and buyer/seller, which provides added value for his varied clientele.

Yuval was raised in Spokane, WA to an Israeli family and attended Lewis and Clark High School. Growing up, he was very active in the Jewish community, both in the synagogue and in USY. He moved out to Seattle to attend the University of Washington where he received a BA in Philosophy and Education. During his time at UW, he was the President of Hillel UW's Student Board where he led student programing through the COVID pandemic, as well as many different interfaith dialogues.

Following graduation in 2021, he worked for WSJHS as the first Engagement and Education Coordinator. During his time, he was involved in various projects such as the launch of the Sephardic Tour, helping the WSJHS Board in developing a new mission statement and refocus for the organization, creating education programs, and supported fundraising.

Yuval is currently the Assistant Director of Development at the University of San Francisco. Previously he worked as a Legislative Assistant for State Representative Tana Senn. Yuval actively works in Jewish political groups around the country.

In his spare time he plays with his dog Jax, goes on hikes, camps, skis, plays games, and travels.

A Colorado native who grew up in Austin, Texas, David holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas and a master's degree in management from the University of Denver, Daniels College of Business. 

David spent 25 years honing his expertise in leadership development, youth development, risk management, and love of camping while working at the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ). He held positions for URJ Camps in Texas and Pennsylvania, as the Associate Director of Camping and Israel Programs, and as the inaugural director of URJ Camp Kalsman in Arlington, WA.  David served with distinction as the project manager for Jacobs' Ladder, a distribution center for hurricane relief supplies established by the Union for Reform Judaism in response to Hurricane Katrina. Additionally, David served as the head of safety and security for major URJ events since 2003.

Most recently, David managed the URJ's COVID-19 response and positioned the system's programs for a successful opening for the 2021 season.

A former firefighter and EMT, David spends most of his free time with his wife (Keely), two children (Naava and Samuel), and Labrador Retriever enjoying everything the Pacific Northwest offers.

Andrée Aelion Brooks is a journalist, author and lecturer specializing in Jewish history. Formerly a contributing columnist for the New York Times, she is an Associate Fellow, Yale University, and founder of the Women’s (political) Campaign School at Yale. Her award-winning books include a comprehensive biography of Dona Gracia Nasi, a Jewish leader who was the richest woman in Renaissance Europe; Russian Dance, about a Jewish Bolshevik spy; Out of Spain, a children’s program in Sephardic history. She was honored in 2013 by the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame. More info at her website: andreeaelionbrooks.com 

I live in Kirkland, WA and am a member of Temple De Hirsch Sinai (TDHS). I grew up in Sudbury, MA, and received my BS in Applied History from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. I have been in Washington for over 30 years. I’m married to Mario Goertzel and we have three children. The youngest just started her Senior year at University of Redlands. My middle child is a RN at Seattle Children’s Hospital and my oldest works at a startup computer security company.  

I was on the TDHS Board for a dozen years, including many on the Executive Committee. I worked on many different projects during my tenure on the board including Project 613 (the creation of a newly scribed Torah), the Development committee and the preschool committee. 

Joe is thrilled to join the Washington State Jewish Historical Society. Their mission to preserve and share the rich history of Jewish life in Washington state deeply resonates with him. Joe is excited to collaborate with other dedicated community volunteers and leaders who help make the WSJHS a cornerstone for preserving and celebrating Jewish contributions to Washington's history and growth. 
 
Joe was born in Yakima, WA, where he was raised by his mother, who immigrated from Moscow (via Jerusalem), and his father, who was also born and raised in Yakima. A graduate of the University of Washington, Joe is a business operations professional at The Boeing Company with over 24 years of experience in information systems, cost management, financial planning & analysis, program management, strategy, international business, and manufacturing operations. Joe is a graduate of Leadership Eastside and most recently served on the executive committee of the University of Washington Hillel board of directors. 
 
Joe lives in Kirkland, where he treasures spending time with his wife Anna, son Eli, and their two playful, and mischievous pugs. 

Janet has practiced law for 43 years. She is a member of Ogden Murphy Wallace PLLC and practices in its Bellevue office, where she exclusively represents clients in the areas of estate planning, probate administration, taxation and planned charitable giving. Janet works with clients to find innovative solutions to reduce their estate and gift tax liability, while taking into consideration the clients' personal wishes, family needs and philanthropic goals.

Janet finds her passion through philanthropic work and is a founding member of the Ripple Giving Fund, a U.S. based donor advised fund that partners with NGOs throughout India which support at risk young women and children, with the goal of ending human trafficking, child marriage and forced labor. She, along with her fellow Ripple members, will take her 6th trip to India in late 2024 to visit the various projects that Ripple supports.

Janet’s former Board service for Jewish organizations includes:

• Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, Former Board Member, and Former Chair of Endowment Committee
• Founding Member, Women’s Endowment Foundation of Jewish Federation
• Jewish Family Service, Former Board Member
• Kline Galland Center, Former Board Member
• Hillel at University of Washington, Former Board Member and Member of Endowment Committee
• Stroum Jewish Community Center, Former Board Member

In her free time, you can find Janet with her husband, Brad Rind, her growing family, and, especially, playing with her five grandsons.

I have deep roots in my community of Vancouver, BC, where I first discovered the joy of community involvement thanks to a great mentor. My journey began with youth groups like BBYO, USY, and NCSY, which sparked a lifelong commitment to Jewish life and leadership. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work with organizations such as the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University, and have even helped bring Jewish education to remote areas around Vancouver.

Since moving to the Seattle area, I’ve continued this path by volunteering regularly in the community, helping plan and execute events at The Jewish Day School in Bellevue, and serving as a long-standing Board Member of The Bellevue Youth Theatre Foundation. My passion for history and deep love for my heritage make being part of WSJHS an energizing and meaningful experience.

Zack Ellis is the Founder & CEO of TheirStory, an end-to-end oral history platform. Zack was a Division 1 wrestler at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned his Bachelor's in bioengineering. After college, Zack spent six years in Silicon Valley working in industries ranging from API management to home health care and Math Education Technology. As the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, he founded TheirStory in 2018 as a means of sharing and preserving family stories. Since then, however, TheirStory has evolved into a platform used by over 120 organizations to collect, preserve, and share the stories of their community members, for generations to come.

Annie Livingston is an oral historian, with a background in philanthropic advising. She works with individuals, foundations, nonprofit organizations, and archival institutions, including the Gates Foundation, Panorama Strategies, the Schultz Family Foundation, and various private family offices.

Previously, Annie spent over a decade advancing the mission of the Gates Foundation. She was chief of staff for Bill Gates Sr., directing his grantmaking, public outreach, and advocacy. Annie managed high-profile programs, built relationships with philanthropic leaders, developed strategies, and made grants for programs spanning HIV prevention, the rule of law, and the arts. In 2007, Annie lived in Beijing to launch the Gates Foundation’s China office. 

Earlier in her career, Annie worked on policy at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and on art acquisitions for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Annie has been a Trustee of the Henry Art Gallery and served as a Partner for Social Venture Partners. She holds an MBA from George Washington University School of Business, focused on nonprofit management, and a BA in Art History from Yale University. She has additional training from the University of California at Berkeley’s Oral History Center.

Alisha Babbstein, Director of Collections and Exhibitions at OJMCHE, manages the Museum’s archives, oral history projects, collections database, permanent and temporary exhibitions, as well as many interns and volunteers. Alisha holds a Master’s of Library Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and received her BS with a double major in Women’s & Gender Studies and Biology from the University of Oregon. Before returning to school to work on her MLIS, she served as herd manager for a dairy farm. In her spare time, she loves to build things, play pickleball, and is a Dolly Parton aficionado. 

Alison DeRiemer is a museum collections and archives professional with over ten years of experience working with oral history. She holds an MA in Museology from the University of Washington, with a concentration in Special Collections, and a BA in Art History and Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Since 2023, she has managed a project with the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, working to edit, digitize, catalog, and publish a collection of over 80 oral history interviews with twentieth-century women artists and curators. She previously served as Archivist and Oral History Specialist at the National Nordic Museum, for which she managed multiple oral history projects and oversaw the implementation of oral histories into temporary and core exhibitions. Additionally, she has worked with the Ballard (Seattle) Historical Society as a consultant and publication contributor. She is based in Portland, Oregon.