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 a well-known reputation in our 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.

Dean and his wife, Gigi, are Seattle natives and they reside on Mercer Island. Their sons, Jordan and Justen, reside in Barcelona and Seattle. Dean is a current member of the Seattle Executives Association, the Washington State CCIM Chapter, the Washington State Commercial Association of Realtors, and the Seattle Sephardic Brotherhood. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Seattle Executives Association, the Eastside District YMCA and the Millionair Club Charity.

Dean currently serves on the Board of Directors of the WSJHS. Gigi volunteers her time with ADL. They are current members of Temple De Hirsch Sinai.

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, have 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 15 year old twins, Ethan and Marisa.

While attending Washington State University (WSU) Joel was involved with the Jewish Students Organization. The JSO were 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!

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 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 

Kathryn is very happy to be a board member of the WSJHS. Kathryn is an attorney with the Washington State Attorney General's Office. Married to Grant Degginger whose family includes Simon Degginger (a founding member of Temple De Hirsch in Seattle) and Fannie Degginger (the first president of the Ladies Auxilary of Temple De Hirsch) at the turn of the last century, the Degginger family has always been active in community service in the Pacific Northwest. Kathryn and Grant are residents of Bellevue and the parents of Daniel and David Degginger. Preserving the special Jewish heritage of the Pacific Northwest is important to their family and to WSJHS.

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.

Albert Israel is a Seattle native, a Rainier Beach High School and University of Washington graduate. Albert's involvement in the Jewish Community began in the early 1990s when he was asked to serve on the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle board. It was a very rewarding experience, and was the catalyst for future leadership positions. 

Albert's next venture into the Jewish organizational world was serving as vice president and then president of this Washington State Jewish Historical Society. Enjoying five productive years in those roles, during which time our cook book and sports books were published. Immediately following that experience,  Albert was elected and honored to serve as president of congregation Ezra Bessaroth. Serving from 2019 to 2021, Albert was involved in many synagogue activities including the hiring of EB's new, dynamic Rabbi. 

With so much past history to be captured, along with unparalleled history being made today still left to capture, Albert looks forward to his one year presidency, engaging the board members in proactive and productive assignments, and also looks forward to assisting the society through the direct involvement of its board members, who will no doubt prove to be the most involved and effective board Seattle has ever experienced. 

Brad Lowenstein is a Seattle resident of 4 years. He grew up in a reform community in Westchester, NY as the grandson of a Holocaust survivor. He attended the University of Pennsylvania studying economics and computer science. Brad spent 3 years working in finance in NYC before moving to Seattle where his connection to Judaism was reinvigorated. Brad was a participant in the Advanced Leadership Development Program and the Courageous Leadership Incubator programs run by the Seattle Jewish Federation. Brad is also a leader of the Nowgen Giving Circle, a philanthropic initiative that develops young adult community leaders. Brad works for Amazon as a data engineer in the AWS Finance organization. Brad is an avid skier, spending most winter weekends skiing at Crystal resort or in the backcountry, and a loyal New York Jets fan. 

Jacquelyn's community involvement was learnt from her Bobba, whose roots
were deep in circles of Vancouver, B.C. For Jacquelyn, it began with BBYO, USY and NCSY. She has
worked with the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, with Canadian Friends of the Hebrew
University and with Jewish classes in remoter areas of Vancouver. Over the recent years, she was a
regular participant in the planning and execution of events at The Jewish Day School in Bellevue,
volunteered in various outlets in the community and is currently a long-standing Board Member of The
Bellevue Youth Theatre Foundation. Jacquelyn's passion for history, and her love of her heritage,
equates to an energizing bond which she looks forward to utilizing with the WSJHS.

Mimi Rosen is excited to be involved with the Washington State Jewish Historical Society.  She believes strongly that knowing your past the helps to illuminate the future and of critical importance is preserving stories from our 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 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.  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 daughters about the importance of supporting their community.

As a second generation Seattleite, Sue has been active in Jewish Life since high school - serving in many roles in BBYO, University of Washington Hillel, National Council of Jewish Women, and at Herzl Ner Tamid Congregation.

Ronald Waldbaum born in Seattle to Ken and Sue Waldbaum, is fifth generation at Temple De Hirsch Sinai and has been a member at the Jewish Community Center since his childhood. He attanded 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 the CEO. Ron has been a Temple De Hirsch Sinai board member for six years. Now treasurer at Washington State Jewish Historical Society.