The Story Booth at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts
The WSJHS team set sail to pop-up our Story Booth at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts' production of "Fiddler on the Roof". We interviewed attendees and actors alike about their relationship to the Jewish community and their thoughts on the themes of the show, especially on tradition and change.
Paulette Becker
Paulette Becker shares stories from her deep friendship with Jewish community members Robert and Sonia Hemberger. She explores the importance of embracing diversity and understanding that differences among people are natural.
EJ Bergevin
EJ Bergevin shares their long-standing connection with "Fiddler On The Roof" and their joy at playing in the show at present. EJ Bergevin shares about their family's lifelong tradition of music.
Bonnie Bishop
Bonnie Bishop describes her connection to the Jewish community through her family, and the importance she recognized in celebrating her family's Jewish heritage and overcoming prejudice. She shares her appreciation for Passover and the tradition of adding items to the seder plate.
Jim Carroll
Jim Carroll played Lazar Wolf in the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts' production of "Fiddler On The Roof". He explores the themes of tradition and change in his own life and family, and shares his experiences working with the cast and crew on this production.
Dov Matthews
Dov Matthews shares his Jewish heritage and fond childhood memories of "Fiddler On The Roof". He explores the meaning of representing his personal heritage onstage. Dov Matthews also shares some details about growing up in Washington and his family traditions.
Todd Menenberg
Todd Menenberg shares the story of his family's migration from Kiev to the United States in 1905, fleeing pogroms. He explores the relationship of his family's story to the narrative of "Fiddler On The Roof", and finally shares his experiences as a Jew living on Whidbey Island.
Carol Viebrock
Raised in an Orthodox household in New York, Carole Viebrock moved to Whidbey Island in recent years and describes her special few encounters with fellow Jews in a rural area. She reflects on the themes of "Fiddler On The Roof", particularly the tradition of arranged marriages.
Marina Pierce
Marina Pierce shares about her upbringing in a Jewish, musical-theater family. Following in her mother's footsteps as an actor, Marina Pierce played Hodel in the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts' production of "Fiddler On The Roof". She shares details about Seattle's Jewish theater scene.
Hannah Votel
Actor Hannah Votel played a younger villager in a production of "Fiddler On The Roof" as a child and is proud to once again act in this Jewish classic as a young adult. She describes her connection to cultural rather than religious Judaism and shares some details from her family's traditions.
Geri Dube
Geri Dube moved from Pittsburgh to attend the University of Washington. After settling on Mercer Island and starting a family, she fostered an especially strong connection with the Stroum Jewish Community Center. She discusses the importance Seattle Jewish Film Festival as an educational tool.
Ellen Goldblatt
Ellen Goldblatt reviews her experience at the Seattle Jewish Film Festival, and shares her family's history in relationship to the Holocaust. She discusses growing up in an Orthodox community in Cleveland, Ohio and highlights the central role of the local JCC in her life and in the lives of many Jewish families in the area.
Kristine Hoover
Producer of "Carla the Rescuer", Kristine Hoover discusses the film, highlighting the ongoing relevance of Carla's actions, even as she continues to engage with the world at the age of 101. Kristine shares about her previous experience documenting stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things with the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations.
Clement Lye
Director Clement Lye discusses his film "Carla the Rescuer" which was screened at the Seattle Jewish Film Festival in March, 2025. He discusses his background in filmmaking and his motivation to create this film.
Leslie Mickel
Leslie Mickel describes her relationship with the Stroum Jewish Community Center as well as with the Seattle Holocaust Center for Humanity. She also discusses her recent book on the topic of Danish Jewish rescuers during the Holocaust.
Vivian Morrison
Vivian Morrison makes connections between the Jewish Community Center she grew up with in Chicago and the Stroum Jewish Community Center on Mercer Island. She was a former volunteer for the Seattle Jewish Film Festival.
Jacky Nelson
Jacky Nelson shares about her move to Seattle in 1985 and her relationship to the Seattle Jewish Film Festival and to the Stroum Jewish Community Center.
Lucy Pruzan
Lucy Pruzan discusses her longstanding relationship with the Stroum Jewish Community Center and the Seattle Jewish Film Festival. She mentions her role as a former president of the board and her consistent attendance at the festival since its inception 30 years ago. She reflects on the significant growth of the SJCC and its impact on her family.
Paul Regelbrugge
Director of Education for the Holocaust Center for Humanity in Seattle, Paul Regelbrugge discusses his organization's involvement in the Seatte Jewish Film Festival. Paul shares some family history as well as his connection to the film, "Carla the Rescuer".
Carol Schapira
Carol Schapira describes her family's longstanding relationship to the Stroum Jewish Community Center, where her children learned to swim and attended summer camp.
Sylvia Angel
Sylvia Angel shares about her longstanding relationship to the Stroum Jewish Community Center, including working with singles groups and senior groups, noting her children's participation at the SJCC as well. She discusses the role of the Seattle Jewish Film Festival as well, and describes the growth she's witnessed over the past thirty years.