Ben Stein papers and oral history interview, 1920-1972

Born around 1890 in the Russian-controlled Belarusian city of Minsk, Ben Stein arrived as an immigrant to the United States in 1915. Initially landing in Seattle, he soon traveled east across the country and tried his hand at a series of professions. Stein never returned to Russia, but instead chose to settle in the Seattle area for the remainder of his life. After working in the luggage business for a time, Stein began to sell insurance in Seattle with his cousin, M.N. Ketzlach. Though his work as an insurance agent provided him with his primary source of income, the true focus of his energy was his involvement with Seattle's Jewish community. Stein served as the financial secretary for the Seattle branch of the Workmen's Circle, an organization that provided fiscal, cultural, and educational support to Jewish citizens in the area.