The Story Booth
The Story Booth allows us to capture stories from Jewish community members in the Washington area by bringing recording equipment directly to their workplaces, learning environments, community centers, and more. By meeting the Jewish community where they're at, the Story Booth accomplishes collection and outreach goals in tandem.
The booth itself is a 3x6 ft sound isolating system equipped with comfortable seating, lighting, and professional camera and recording gear. WSJHS staff guide participants through the process—introducing the concept of oral history, reviewing consent forms, and conducting brief, subject-focused interviews. Participants are invited to share their stories, with each interview tailored to the specific environment in which it takes place.
UW Hillel
Seattle, WA: February 2025
At the concluding feast of the Seattle Sephardic Network's Sephardic Cooking Class, we invited students to discuss Jewish life on campus, their experiences at the Hillel center, and their relationship to Sephardic food.
Stroum Jewish Community Center
MERcer island, wa: March 2025
We attended a screening of "Carla the Rescuer" as a part of the Seattle Jewish Film Festival and interviewed attendees about their experience of the films, their relationship to the Seattle Jewish Film Festival and to the Stroum Jewish Community Center.
Whidbey Island Center for the Arts
Langley, Wa: April 2025
The WSJHS sailed to Whidbey Island to attend a production of "Fiddler on the Roof". We interviewed actors and audience members alike to explore their relationships to Jewish community and to the themes of the show.
Come back soon to hear their stories!
Oral History Happy Hour
mercer island, WA: May 2025
Special nominees attended our in-office pop-up recording event, Oral History Happy Hours. Local community leaders relayed their relationship to WSJHS as an institution and to the preservation of history more generally.
Come back soon to hear their stories!