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.