Family of Strangers: Building a Jewish Community in Washington State

by Molly Cone, Jacqueline Williams, Howard Droker, et al.

2004 Washington State Book Award Finalist Family of Strangers draws on hundreds of newspaper accounts, articles, and oral histories to provide the first comprehensive account of Washington State's Jewish residents. The first Jewish immigrants came in a small trickle during the middle of the nineteenth century, and then in larger numbers during the open-door era that stretched to 1924. They included Ashkenazim primarily from the cities, towns, and shtetls of central and eastern Europe and Sephardim from the Mediterranean Basin. Followed by European Jews fleeing persecution by the Nazis and discrimination by the Soviet Union, their numbers grew with the arrival of American Jews who were part of the great westward movement in the postwar era. Isolated from the large centers of American Jewish life, speaking different languages -- German, Yiddish, Ladino, and others -- and following different religious customs, initially these groups had little in common other than their identification as Jews, but they succeeded in developing a community whose members made notable contributions to the civic and cultural history of Washington State. Regional politics, lively neighborhood histories, local responses to the plight of Europe's Jews during World War II, commercial and business enterprises, detailed histories of congregations, organizational philanthropy and social work, and the contributions of Washington's Jewish musicians and artists are presented in this generously illustrated book, often through the voices of those who took part. The vibrant life stories of dozens of notable local individuals are embedded in the overall context of how the Jews of Washington State organized a group of complementary and thriving cultural and religious communities.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0295982977
• ISBN13: 9780295982977
• Release Date: July 2003
• Publisher: University of Washington Press and Washington
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 2.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 7.4" x 10.3"

Customer Reviews

Washington's Jewish History

Family of Strangers was a delight to read, especially after having hosted one of its authors, Mr Howard Droker, at our library. The book is a product of extensive research and very well done. Having been to many places in Washington and having come across several of the facts cited in this book, it brought the information to life. I especially enjoyed reading about the parts dealing with Seattle and its surrounding areas but throughout the book I had the sense that more could have been added. It seemed to present a brief overview of the many different areas in the state where development was affected in some way by the Jewish settlers. Though overall the book is a greatly needed addition to the collection of historical books on Washington state, it lacks the excitement of showing rather than telling. Nevertheless, as a whole it was an eye-opener and did present some information I had never seen before such as the Home Colony period and the existence of congregations in places like Aberdeen and the fact that there was a Jewish mayor in Port Townsend. This book should be in every library's history and/or Judaica section.