Visit Seattle, Weather Or Not
LEWIS ERIC LACHTER
Special to The Jewish News
T
he weather is often
described as "mild and
moderately moist" in
Seattle, Wash.
One of the city's many nicknames
is the Caffeine Capital of the world.
Why? The Starbucks chain started
here. It's a vibrant city and the Jewish
community, 40,000 strong, has a
long history.
The Herzl-Ner Tamid
Conservative Congregation is on
Mercer Island. Many of the shul's
members are Boeing engineers; they
were instrumental in designing the
unusual sanctuary, which is an out-
standing work of aerodynamic art.
Mercer Island is also the home of
one of the two Jewish community
centers. The other is in the north
end near Washington University.
There are several kosher restau-
rants in town. For a current list, call
...
Tracing Jewish History
In Worms, Germany
RUTH ROVNER
Special to The Jewish News
he simple stone building
stands at the end of a cob-
blestone courtyard. At the
entrance, Shlomo Lion
paused before going inside. "You don't
see a sight like this every day," he said,
standing with his grandson Itamal Lavi.
"It really stirs deep feelings."
They were standing outside the
Rashi Synagogue in Worms,
Germany. It is named in honor of the
eminent scholar, Rabbi Solomon ben
Isaac, better known as Rashi, who
came to Worms in 1060 and spent
five years studying in Worms when
the city was a center of Jewish intel-
lectual life.
It's a replica of one of the oldest
T
"It's beautiful!" said Itamal, a native
Israeli who lives in Jerusalem. "I can't
even find the words to say how excit-
ing it is to visit an ancient and impor-
tant place like this." It's even more
meaningful, he added, because he's
been studying Rashi's commentaries
in his Hebrew school in Jerusalem.
"And now I can see the place where
he studied, which is very exciting," he
said.
Other visitors, too, are drawn to
this tranquil town near Frankfurt
because of its venerable Jewish sites,
which include not only the Rashi
synagogue and study room but also
the oldest Jewish cemetery in
Europe.
Before we entered the synagogue,
we noted the original dedication stone
Pike Place Market in Seattle
Fifteen percent of Seattle's Jews
are Sephardim, making this the
third-largest Sephardic community
in the United States; New York and
Los Angeles are first and second. The
first Sephardim came here from the
Isle of Rhodes and Turkey in 1902.
The two groups set up separate syna-
gogues: Bikur Holim for the Turkish
Jevvs and Ezra Beasaroth for those
from Rhodes. Both congregations
began and remain Orthodox.
Ashkenazic Jews first came to
Seattle from Poland and Russia by
way of China and Japan during
World War I. Today, these Jews, and
the ones who followed, belong to the
many synagogues that flourish in the
Seattle area: Seward Park, Mercer
Island and Bellvue.
Downtown Seattle is the head-
quarters for the Jewish Federation,
the Jewish Historical Society and the
Jewish Transcript, which publishes an
annual Guide to Jewish Washington.
Many of the early Jewish settlers
sold fish in the outdoor waterfront
shopping area that is now called Pike
Place Market. Nearby is Seattle's cen-
tral synagogue, Temple De Hirsch
Sinai.
12/25
1998
the Kashruth Board, (206) 723-
0970.
In addition to the market area,
downtown houses the Seattle Art
Museum, with 2,500 pieces of art.
If you like jazz or contemporary
music, Seattle offers more than 50
clubs and cafe's for dancing or listen-
ing to music every night of the week.
And, of course, coffeehouses are
everywhere.
For theatrical entertainment,
check out the Seattle Center with its
repertory theater, opera, symphony
ballet and children's theater. The
Seattle Center has 74 acres of educa-
tional and cultural sites for the fami-
ly.
For a bird's-eye view of Elliott Bay
and the Cascade and Olympic
mountains, take the elevator to the
top of the Space Needle.
Pioneer Square, a national histori-
cal district, offers blocks of restored
turn-of-the-century buildings that
now house fine art galleries, bou-
tiques and restaurants.
Seattle offers year-round fun and
is a quite livable city. Cl
The Rashi Synagogue
synagogues in Europe — and
renowned enough to be in the exhibit
of famous synagogues from around
the world, models of which are in the
Museum of the Diaspora in Israel.
For Lion and his grandson, the visit
to Worms was a highlight of their nine
days in Germany. Lion, who lives in
Haifa, was born not far from Worms.
"So this is especially interesting because
these are my roots, and I wanted to
show my grandson," he said.
on the outside door, with the date
1034 clearly etched.
The synagogue we entered is not
the original structure but a faithful
reconstruction. Inside, it is a simple
high vaulted sanctuary, with a large; --1
brass menorah and stone ark.
Although there's no Jewish com-
munity in Worms, this much-visited
synagogue is often used for services
and special events by the Jews of
Frankfurt, Mannheim and
Heidelberg.