Temple Beth Am photograph collection

Temple Beth Am photograph collection, 1957-1988

Overview of the Collection

Collector: Temple Beth Am (Seattle, Wash.)
Title: Temple Beth Am photograph collection
Dates: 1957-1988 (inclusive)
19571988
Quantity: 40 photographic prints; 14 slides (1 box) ; various sizes
Collection Number: PH1089
Summary: Photographs of Temple Beth Am, a Reform synagogue serving the north area of Seattle
Repository: University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions: Entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries' Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator is required to view original photographs. Contact Special Collections for more information.
Additional Reference Guides: Temple Beth Am Records
Languages: English

Historical BackgroundReturn to Top

Temple Beth Am is a Reform synagogue serving northeast Seattle. The congregation was founded by a handful of families in the View Ridge neighborhood and held its first service in January 1956. Early rabbis included Army chaplain Joel Messing (1956-57), Robert Zimmerman (1957-58), and Arthur Oles (1958-62). Rabbi Norman Hirsh served the congregation for 33 years (1962-95) and was succeeded by Rabbi Jonathan Singer (1995- ) and associate Rabbi Beth Singer (1997- ). Services were held at Hillel House (January-May 1956) and subsequently at University Unitarian Congregation (1956-65) until the synagogue building was opened in 1965.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection includes the 1958-1971 confirmation classes, congregational rabbis, and photographs of school and other synagogue activities.

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

Forms part of the Washington State Jewish Archives.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

View the digital version of the collection

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Custodial History

Collected by the Washington State Jewish Historical Society.

Acquisition Information

Donor: Temple Beth Am, August 1992, December 1996, January 1997, April 2001, October 2001

Processing Note

Processed by Jack Falk, 2012; revised by Don Romero, 2014.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Temple Beth Am foundersReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/1	1	First Temple Beth Am board, Seattle Seated (from left): Gerald Cone, Belle Ruth Witkin, Lutz Lobe (president), Rabbi Joseph Messing, Howard Breskin, Harold Thal, Elmer Klein. Standing: Phil Shainman, Seymour Kaplan, Bert Aronsberg. (Board members identified inFamily of Strangers, p.277.)	circa 1956-1958
1/1	2	First Temple Beth Am board, Seattle Seated (from left): Bert Aronsberg, Lutz Lobe (president), Belle Ruth Witkin, Howard Breskin, Harold Thal. Standing: Bert Robinson, Gerald Cone, Phil Shainman, Rabbi Joseph Messing, Seymour Kaplan, Elmer Klein. (Board members identified inFamily of Strangers, p.277.)	circa 1956-1958

Temple Beth Am rabbisReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/2	3	Major Joseph Messing, rabbi in Army uniform with Jewish Chaplain insignia pins on lapel	circa 1956-1957
1/2	4	Major Joseph Messing, rabbi in Army dress uniform with Jewish Chaplain insignia pins on lapel, U.S. Army Chaplain School, Fort Slocum, New York Saul Fitzgerald, Fort Slocum, New York (photographer)	October 2, 1957
1/2	5	Rabbi Robert L. Zimmerman	circa 1957

Temple Beth Am confirmation classesReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/3	6	Temple Beth Am confirmation class, Seattle Bill Stephens, Seattle (photographer) In accompanying materials, confirmands are listed alphabetically as Jacquelyn Barish, Paul Hecker, Tom Lobe, Nancy Mano, Larry Michaelson, Fredrica Pocher, Meyer Rashkov, Franklin Reifler, Joyce Segelbaum, and Barbara Unkeles, with Rabbi Robert Zimmerman.	1958
1/3	7	Congregants at Temple Beth Am confirmation services held at Unitarian Church, Seattle, with Rabbi Robert L. Zimmerman at ark Bill Stephens, Seattle (photographer)	1958
1/3	8	Congregants at Temple Beth Am confirmation services held at Unitarian Church, Seattle, with Rabbi Robert L. Zimmerman, Lutz Lobe, and Tom Lobe at ark Bill Stephens, Seattle (photographer)	1958
1/3	9	Temple Beth Am confirmation class, Seattle Bill Stephens, Seattle (photographer) In accompanying materials, confirmands are listed alphabetically as Carol Bolotin, Sherry Cohen, Robert Kaplan, Barbara Katz, Marsha Klinger, Eileen Michele Levitin, Howard Lowen, Bobbie Jean Presender, Stephanie Shaffer, Paul Weiss, and Steven Weiss.	June 7, 1959
1/3	10	Temple Beth Am confirmation class, Seattle (L to R) Steven Weiss, Bob Kaplan, Howard Lowen, Risha Bay.	1959
1/3	11	Temple Beth Am confirmation class, Seattle Bill Stephens, Seattle (photographer) In accompanying materials, confirmands are listed alphabetically as Douglas Arensberg, Sharon Asia, Judy Bolotin, Stephen Danz, Patty Gorlick, Edward Hartstein, Gail Hecker, Gerald Katz, Jacqueline Levitin, Anne Reifler, Susan Schrieber, Judy Spear, and Craig Sternberg, with Rabbi Arthur Oles.	June 5, 1960
1/3	12	Temple Beth Am confirmation class, Seattle In accompanying materials, confirmands are listed alphabetically as Gary Arthur Cone, Judith Sarah Feinberg, Kathi Kraus, Dennis J. Loeb, Robert Michael Pruzan, Clifford Stein, Wendy Lou Trotsky, and Sheryl Marie Witkin, with Rabbi Arthur Oles.	May 21, 1961
1/3	13	Temple Beth Am confirmation class, Seattle In accompanying materials, confirmands are listed alphabetically as Joan Eisenhardt, Arlene Glickman, Kalman Hahn, Susan Hartstein, Marlene Litchman, Janice Lowen, Susan Metzon, Miriam Oles, Marguerite Rosenberg, Judy Vleeschhouwer, Sidney Weinstein, Margo Weiss, and Vivian Zollshan, with Rabbi Arthur Oles.	June 8, 1962
1/3	14	Temple Beth Am confirmation class, Seattle Bill Stephens, Seattle (photographer) In accompanying materials, confirmands are listed as (L to R): Jackie Zollshan, Harriett Spear, Judy Motulsky, David Docter, John Benditt, Rabbi Norman Hirsh, Jim Arensberg, Len Schrieber, Kenny Broches, Ron Butler, Bruce Sternberg, and Jim Lobe.	1963
1/3	15	Temple Beth Am confirmation class, Seattle Bill Stephens, Seattle (photographer) In accompanying materials, confirmands are listed alphabetically as Ann Kogan, Linda Cheryl Michelson, Richard Alan Michelson, Marvin Lloyd Rosenberg Jr., and Jana Lee Silverman, with Rabbi Norman Hirsh.	1964
1/4	16	Temple Beth Am confirmation class, Seattle Bill Stephens, Seattle (photographer) In accompanying materials, confirmands are listed alphabetically as Linda S. Berson, Katherine J. Cooper, Michael S. Dash, Rachel A. Dickerson, Ted G. Eisenhardt, Michael R. Gorlick, Tim C. Hirschstein, Stephanie R. Miller, Eunice Z. Rosenperl, Richard L. Shurman, Jonathan W. R. Stein, David C. Utevsky, Amy L. Vernon, Marsha K. Weinstein, Martha K. Weiss, and Ileen S. Wilets, with Rabbi Norman Hirsh.	1965
1/4	17	Temple Beth Am confirmation class, Seattle Bill Stephens, Seattle (photographer) In accompanying materials, confirmands are listed alphabetically as Alan Paul Benditt, Cheryl Diane Biback, Charles F. Broches, Stephen F. Cohen, Paula G. Frankel, Marilyn Freidenrich, Miriam E. Handlin, Jane Ruth Kaplan, Deborah Jane Kogan, Miriam Naomi Mayer, Moss Patashnik, Peter S. Rabinovitch, Ruth A. Rabinovitch, Jacqueline Jo Ruben, Susan M. Silverman, Deborah Kate Stein, Sandy R. Stein, Clifford Ross Sullam, Marcia S. Thal, and Jerry Wallace, with Rabbi Norman Hirsh.	1966
1/4	18	Temple Beth Am confirmation class, Seattle Bill Stephens, Seattle (photographer) Front row: Gail Marie Cohen, Zoe Eliot Baird, Elizabeth Dash. Middle row: Alan James Shurman, Dennis Alan Sidell, Jonathan Gavril Docter, Larry Frank Blustein. Back row: Rabbi Norman Hirsh, Steven Henry Butler, Jeffrey Kenneth Frumkin, Keith Edward Flick.	1967
1/4	19	Temple Beth Am confirmation class, Seattle Front row: Rabbi Norman Hirsh, Cassie Benezra, Stephen M. Laboff, Deborah Lynn Abramson, Oren Patashnik, Marilyn Diane Broches. Back row: Bert Spencer Sullam, Eli Mayer, David Maxwell Kaplan, Joel N. Bodansky, Ethan Patashnik.	1970
1/4	20	Temple Beth Am confirmation class, Seattle	circa 1971

Temple Beth Am religious schoolReturn to Top

Items 27-40 are slides.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/5	21	Edith Patashnik and children at Temple Beth Am nursery and religious school, held at View Ridge School	circa 1959
1/5	22-23	Children during snack time at Temple Beth Am nursery and religious school at View Ridge School	circa 1959
1/5	24	Assembly at Temple Beth Am nursery and religious school at View Ridge School	circa 1959
1/5	25	Musical performance at assembly session, Temple Beth Am nursery and religious school at View Ridge School	circa 1959
1/5	26	Rabbi Norman Hirsh and kindergarten children in Hirsh's office, with Hirsh eating challah baked by the children	Spring 1988
1/6	27	Schoolchildren clustered around Rabbi Norman Hirsh who is reading from Torah	circa 1980s-1990s
1/6	28	Rabbi Norman Hirsh and students in synagogue sanctuary	circa 1980s-1990s
1/6	29	Rabbi Norman Hirsh and students in sanctuary	circa 1980s-1990s
1/6	30	Rabbi Norman Hirsh and young students watching as man teaches Hebrew prayers	circa 1980s-1990s
1/6	31	Children and adults in synagogue library	circa 1980s-1990s
1/6	32	Young boy at blackboard, learning Hebrew alphabet	circa 1980s-1990s
1/6	33	Young boy looking at Torah scroll in ark	circa 1980s-1990s
1/6	34	Children and older man seated in classroom	circa 1980s-1990s
1/6	35	Students and woman teacher in classroom	circa 1980s-1990s
1/6	36	Man seated at desk with children in classroom	circa 1980s-1990s
1/6	37	Three young adults seated at desk during bake sale	circa 1980s-1990s
1/6	38	Two young women at desk with red flowers and plates of cookies	circa 1980s-1990s
1/6	39-40	Building exterior	circa 1980s-1990s

Temple Beth Am Torah scrollReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/7	41	Rabbi Norman Hirsh holding Torah scroll	undated
1/7	42	Professor Albert N. Schrieber holding Temple Beth Am Torah scroll	undated
1/7	43-44	Closeup of Torah cover	undated
1/7	45	Closeup of Torah scroll with yad (pointer) showing text from Exodus 14-16	undated
1/7	46	Closeup of Torah scroll showing Ten Commandments from Exodus 20	undated

Temple Beth Am congregational activitiesReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/7	47	Dr. Philip Herzog, Rabbi Norman Hirsh, Dr. Charles Broches, Dr. Richard Shikiar, and Dr. Irwin Bernstein at rally for Soviet Jewry in Washington, D.C.	December 1987
1/7	48-54	People at Temple Beth Am during event	undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Confirmation (Jewish rite)--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
Jewish children--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
Jews--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
Rabbis--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
Torah scrolls--Photographs
Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)

Corporate Names

Temple Beth Am (Seattle, Wash.)--Photographs

Other Creators

Corporate Names
- Washington State Jewish Historical Society (collector)

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