Steeped in Stories
The Washington State Jewish Historical Society presents Steeped in Stories: An Exhibit Celebrating Two Decades of History in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month and in recognition of the leadership and service of longtime Executive Director Lisa Kranseler. For decades, WSJHS has actively collected oral histories and preserved the stories of Jewish communities across Washington State for two decades, and this page brings together the breadth of that work in one comprehensive exhibit.
Here, you can access our current collections featured in the exhibit. After the event, revisit this page for photos and videos of the event and program.
WSJHS Programs
The Musical Legacy of Samuel E. Goldfarb
The Samuel E. Goldfarb exhibit page highlights a special June 2006 reunion concert at Temple De Hirsch Sinai that brought together former choir members under Goldfarb’s direction, inspired by his former junior choir director, Lucy Spring. The concert featured memorable performances, including Althea Stroum and a reenactment of a beloved duet skit by Lucy Spring and Kathie Barokas, celebrating his lasting musical legacy. A curated physical exhibit organized by Lisa Kranseler, with assistance from his grandson David Goldfarb, displayed artifacts honoring his life and work. The page also provides background on Goldfarb as a renowned American composer, longtime Temple music director, and creator of “The Dreidel Song,” whose influence shaped generations of Jewish music.
In the Land of Rain and Salmon: Jewish Voices of the Northwest 1880–1920
This theater production was created in collaboration with Book-It Repertory Theatre, using oral histories and archival materials to tell the stories of Jewish pioneers in Washington State. The script was developed with contributions from Lisa Kranseler and performed at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, the former Congregation Bikur Cholim synagogue, creating a meaningful return to a historic space for many community members. Through performance and place, the production brought regional Jewish history to life while connecting past generations with present-day audiences.
Haggadah: Telling Your Stories in the Time of Coronavirus
These stories, collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, preserve the everyday experiences of a historic period that might otherwise have been forgotten, documenting how suddenly life changed as synagogues, workplaces, schools, and universities were forced to shift online and ensuring future generations can understand the challenges and disruptions of the era. In 2020, the community shared their stories with us, reflecting on how their daily lives changed, how they stayed connected with friends and family during social distancing, how their education and businesses were affected, and how that year differed from any other. This provided a framework that helped us persevere. Interested in hearing more stories? View this playlist.
WSJHS Exhibits
B. Marcus Priteca: Renowned Architect
Born in Glasgow in 1889, B. Marcus Priteca emigrated to Seattle in 1909 and became one of the most influential theater architects of the early 20th century. Best known for his collaboration with vaudeville impresario Alexander Pantages, Priteca designed more than 150 theaters across North America, including the Hollywood Pantages Theatre and Seattle’s Admiral and Magnolia Theatres. Renowned for creating a sense of luxury on modest budgets, he remained active in architecture for decades and was named a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1951.
Six-Generation Family Trees
This exhibit, curated by Helen Stusser, showcases 77 six-generation family trees, revealing overlapping connections within the community. Displayed at Congregation Ezra Bessaroth, the exhibit featured artwork by Denny Warshal and genealogical research by Alise Tarica, offering hundreds of visitors a chance to explore their heritage—sometimes meeting cousins or extended relatives for the first time. Later re-curated into 11 panels, the exhibit traveled to the Stroum Jewish Community Center and other venues, celebrating the rich interconnections of Seattle’s Jewish families.
Dolls for Democracy
This exhibit showcases the B’nai B’rith Dolls for Democracy, hand-crafted by Cecil Bullard Weeks from the 1940s–1970s, depicting historical figures like George Washington, John F. Kennedy, and Haym Salomon. Originally created for the B’nai B’rith Women as educational tools, the dolls taught children that people of all backgrounds can contribute to society. Now the world’s largest collection of its kind, held by the Washington State Jewish Historical Society, the exhibit has been displayed at the Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art and continues to travel to community venues.
Passport to Washington
This digital exhibit explores the stories and lasting contributions of Jewish migrants to Seattle, highlighting their impact across fields such as arts, education, music, food and wine, science and medicine, public affairs, and technology. Curated by Joel Magalnick, former editor of JT News, the exhibit features thematic groupings of educators, legislators, scientists, and other leaders, each sharing their migration journeys, their contributions to Washington, and how their work connects to their Jewish values.
Shalom! Sefarad
Shalom! Sefarad is a collaborative exhibit created by the Washington State Jewish Historical Society and the University of Washington León Center for Spanish and Portuguese Studies to explore how Sephardic Jewish life in Seattle continues to thrive more than 500 years after the expulsion from Spain. Supported by Honorary Consul Luis Fernando Esteban Bernaldez and director Anthony Geist, the exhibit debuted at the University of Washington Study Abroad Center in León, traveled across Spain with the Red de Juderías de España, and was later presented at the Stroum Jewish Community Center and the international Sephardic conference Erensya in May 2019.
Discover Seattle’s Sephardic Story: A Guided Walking Tour
The Seattle Sephardic Walking Tour, offered by the Seattle Sephardic Network in partnership with the Washington State Jewish Historical Society, explores the rich history and culture of Seattle's Sephardic Jewish community. It focuses on the Central Area, where this community once thrived, highlighting its synagogues, schools, and businesses. The tour features community members as guides who share their personal stories and experiences. This exhibit is an extension of the Shalom! Sefarad exhibit.
Agents of Change
Agents of Change is a digital exhibit highlighting 20 Jewish women in Washington who were actively shaping history through their achievements in fields such as arts, activism, athletics, education, business, diplomacy, law, politics, religion, and philanthropy. Through interviews, photographs, and, in some cases, video recordings, the exhibit documents their personal stories and lasting impact. Curated by Jeff Schwager, the project features narrative exhibit panels and a series of four companion podcasts, collectively showcasing the breadth and depth of Jewish women’s leadership and influence in the state and beyond.
Samis Foundation: Life & legacy
During his lifetime, Samuel Israel believed in giving back. Born in 1899 in the Sephardic community of Rhodes, then part of the Ottoman Empire, he and his family immigrated to Seattle in 1919. Sam had apprenticed as a shoemaker prior to emigrating to the US and, shortly after arriving, founded a series of successful shoe repair businesses in downtown Seattle, eventually landing a contract to repair shoes for the United States Army. Sam invested his earnings in real estate, amassing a significant portfolio of properties and assets currently valued at approximately $180 million.
The Soviet Jewish Experience: Washington State Stories
The history of Jews in Soviet Russia was defined by persecution, poverty, and state-sponsored antisemitism, from restrictions on religious practice to violent purges like the Night of the Murdered Poets and the Doctor’s Plot. Despite this repression, the Kremlin refused to let Jews emigrate, creating the “Refuseniks”—those denied exit visas who often lost jobs, homes, and their place in society. Their struggle gained international attention, with protests stretching from Seattle to Spokane. In this collection are the stories of those who led the fight for the freedom of Soviet Jews who ultimately built new lives in our state. These profiles are from "The Soviet Jewish Experience: Washington State Stories" digital exhibit.
Confronting Hate Together
Confronting Hate Together is a collaborative exhibit produced by the Black Heritage Society of Washington State, the Wing Luke Museum, and the Washington State Jewish Historical Society as a unified response and call to action against bias, bigotry, and division affecting our communities. The exhibit highlights shared histories, resilience, and the importance of solidarity in confronting hate. In September 2024, it was featured during a special one-night program and panel discussion hosted by Temple De Hirsch Sinai, with support and guidance from the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and its Jewish Communal Relations Council, helping foster dialogue, education, and collective action.
WSJHS Publications
Yesterday's Mavens, Tomorrow's Foodies
Food is history, culture, connection, community, ritual, nourishment, sustenance, survival, and memory. Through the lens of your kitchen, your grandmother's kitchen, your children's kitchen, Yesterday's Mavens, Today's Foodies tells the story of our Sephardic and Ashkenazic traditions and combines them with the pioneer spirit of the Pacific Northwest region's bounty of fresh food products and growing foodie culture.
Distant Replay! Washington's Jewish Sports Heroes
Who beat the world featherweight champion in 1933? Who was the MVP of the 1959 World Series? Who brought the Seahawks to Seattle? Who saved the Seattle Storm? With 180 fascinating stories, Distant Replay! celebrates Jewish individuals in Washington State who have contributed to our rich athletic history.
Family Of Strangers: Building A Jewish Community in Washington State
"History comes alive in such appealing photos as the portraits of smiling teenage girls in their modest swimming dresses, at a Luna Park picnic organized by Jewish groups in 1912, and of hardy young members of the Sephardic Young Men's Hebrew Association hiking in the Cascades around the same time." -- Misha Berson Seattle Times. Very limited availability, contact the WSJHS office to order.
Jewish Experience in Washington State, 1845-2015: A Chronology
This newly released fourth edition sourcebook presents key events, organizations, and figures that have shaped Jewish communities across Washington State, arranged chronologically. Revised by professional archivists and historians, it features 125 photographs and archival documents. With a bibliography, index, and table of contents, it's a valuable resource for students, scholars, genealogists, and history enthusiasts.
WSJHS Testimonials
Distant Replay
In the WSJHS publication Distant Replay: Washington’s Jewish Sports Heroes, we highlight the stories of athletes, team owners, managers, broadcasters, and more who have shaped the world of sports. We invite you to share your own story. What memories stand out from your experiences in sports? How has participating in sports shaped your Jewish identity or how has your identity influenced your connection to sports? Do you or someone you know have a connection to Distant Replay? Submit your reflections using the link below and help us preserve these shared experiences.
Six-Generations Family Trees
This WSJHS exhibit features more than 77 six-generation family trees, revealing the connections that weave families together across time. We invite you to share your own family story. What traditions, values, or memories have been passed down through generations? Have you discovered new relatives or unexpected branches in your family tree? If your family tree could speak, what message or moment would you want future generations to remember? Add your voice through the link below and help preserve and grow the story of Jewish families for generations to come.
Stories and Memories of Washington Jewish Businesses
Jewish-owned businesses have played a vital role in shaping Washington State’s economic and civic life. We invite you to share your story. Do you have a memory of a Jewish business past or present that left a lasting impression? What did it mean to you, your family, or your community? Did you work, volunteer, or spend meaningful time there? How has that experience shaped your sense of identity? We also welcome you to highlight newer Jewish-owned businesses that are meaningful to you today. Share your story through the link below and help preserve the legacy and future of Jewish life and community in Washington.
America 250
As official partners of Washington State's efforts to commemorate this historic year, we are capturing the Stories of Place and Belonging: how Washington shapes Jewish identity and connects us to our roots. The testimonials we gather will be curated into a collection and published at the end of the year. Click the link below to share your reflections and help foster connections with Jewish communities across Washington.