Seattle, WA
Seattle Jews to remount an antisemitism exhibit alone, after staff shut it down for Zionism
After dozens of staffers at a Seattle museum walked off the job to protest an exhibit on antisemitism they claimed was “Zionist,” area Jewish groups and the museum all pledged that the exhibit would find a new home.
Months later, the Jewish groups are still planning to mount a version of the exhibit, called “Confronting Hate Together.” But they will do so without their original partners, the Black Heritage Society of Washington State and a museum dedicated to Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander heritage. Instead, the Jewish groups say the exhibit will be housed in a Jewish space.
The groups cited “circumstances out of our control” and said that the experience had left local Jews feeling isolated at a time of great need.
“Immense harm has been caused to the Jewish community by not being able to show the exhibit,” the Washington State Jewish Historical Society and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Seattle said in a joint statement. “Antisemitism today is at its highest levels in over 40 years, and more allyship is needed to help meet the moment.”
The statement summarized a feeling that Jews in many quarters have expressed over the last 10 months, since Hamas attacked Israel and triggered an ongoing war that has induced tensions in countless museums, universities, cultural centers and workplaces. Many Jews have lamented not feeling the support they say they have shown to people from other backgrounds in the past.
“We need partners who are stakeholders in the safety and well-being of the Jewish people and who stand with us even when it gets hard,” the Jewish groups said. “Ironically, in an exhibit that was supposed to be about coming together to confront hate, hate has won. And, our community feels more alone as a result.”
Crafting the exhibit
The Jewish Historical Society had spent 18 months crafting the exhibit alongside the Black Heritage Society and Seattle’s Wing Luke Museum. Modeled after a World War II-era American Jewish Committee anti-hate campaign, the exhibit first opened at the Wing Luke in late May and included descriptions of how all three ethnic communities have experienced hate over the years.
But controversy quickly engulfed the project when 26 Wing Luke staffers walked off the job days later, claiming the parts of the exhibit that were focused on antisemitism contained material that “conveyed Zionist perspectives.” The museum promptly closed altogether, and the staff, declaring themselves “on strike,” launched a GoFundMe that has raised more than $11,000 to date.
Museum leaders announced the exhibit would be reconfigured and presented to the public at a different venue later in the summer. The Wing Luke’s executive director, Joël Barraquiel Tan, in a piece for the Seattle Times, shared what he said were “lessons learned” from the efforts to restage the exhibit, including, “Our best work happens when we offer platforms for complex dialogue and vulnerability to inspire civility, grace and understanding across differences.”
The reason the Jewish groups decided to go their own way stemmed from challenges surrounding the search for a new venue, the Jewish Historical Society’s director, Lisa Kranseler, indicated to the Cholent, an independent newsletter covering Jewish Seattle.
But the ultimate decision to pull back was the Jewish groups’, a representative for the Wing Luke Museum told the Cholent. “We are naturally disappointed that the Jewish Historical Society felt they needed to do that,” the spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for the Seattle JCRC did not respond to repeated requests for comment. In its own statement, the Black Heritage Society seemed to take issue with the Jewish groups’ narrative of events, noting their statement “questions our allyship and tenacity for when times get tough.”
“We have been good and tolerant partners,” the society’s president, Stephanie Johnson-Toliver, wrote. Johnson-Toliver concluded by thanking the Wing Luke museum and “the writers, editors, interns, consulting staff, and funders whose contributions have been great,” but did not mention the Jewish groups by name. (Asked for comment, the society directed JTA to the statement.)
In their objections to the original exhibit, the Wing Luke’s staff contingent, WLM4Palestine, cited portions that read “Today, antisemitism is often disguised as anti-Zionism” and spotlighted campus protests and the phrase “from the river to the sea.” Such passages, the staff allege on their GoFundMe page, “attempt to frame Palestinian liberation and anti-Zionism as antisemitism.”
On Instagram, they further alleged that the exhibit “sets a dangerous precedent of platforming colonial, white supremacist perspectives and goes against the Museum’s mission as a community-based museum advancing racial and social equity.”
Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat argued that the staffers’ anger was misplaced, and had the effect of abandoning Jews.
“What the exhibit is saying is, don’t take your anger about the Middle East conflict out on local Jews, who are independent, freethinking humans,” he wrote. “For a highly fraught subject, this is pretty basic stuff.”
While decrying the staff response as “fueled” by “anti-Jewish ideas and attitudes,” the Jewish groups added that they had made “adjustments and modifications” to the exhibit following the walkout. They said this was done “to help people better understand the exhibit by clarifying language regarding the exhibition’s intent to focus on confronting hate locally by three historically redlined communities.”
A digital version of the exhibit with the original partners listed, including content focused on the Black and Asian-American experiences, is viewable on the Jewish Historical Society’s website. An accompanying podcast, released shortly after the museum staff walkout and featuring guests including the mayor of Seattle, is also still accessible.
Kranseler told JTA that the Jewish Historical Society was “still working with our partners on two additional panels that will explain the genesis of our collaboration on this exhibit and provide additional information regarding the history of our three communities working together.”
The digital version still includes language the Wing Luke staff had walked out over, such as the declaration that “Today antisemitism is often disguised as anti-Zionism.”
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Dylan Guenther scored a go-ahead power-play goal in the third period and the Utah Mammoth beat the Seattle Kraken 5-3 on Friday night to snap a three-game losing streak.
Utah Mammoth 5, Seattle Kraken 3: Box score
Nick Schmaltz had a goal and two assists, and Kailer Yamamoto, JJ Peterka, and Lawson Crouse also scored for the Mammoth. Kevin Stenlund had three assists and Karel Vejmelka stopped 32 shots.
Mason Marchment had two goals and Ben Meyers also scored for the Kraken in their seventh loss in eight games. Phillipp Grubauer had 26 saves.
After a scoreless first period, Marchment put Seattle on the board with a backhand shot at 3:35 of the second.
Schmaltz tied it at 8:09 with an unassisted goal. He attacked off a breakaway and chipped the puck over Grubauer’s shoulder from close range.
Yamamoto then gave Utah its first lead with 6:36 left in the middle period.
Seattle had several shots at an equalizer during a two-man advantage lasting nearly two minutes, but the Kraken came up empty.
Marchment then got his second goal of the night and fourth of the season at 7:50 of the third, slapping the puck home from long distance to tie it.
Guenther gave Utah a 3-2 lead with 7:05 remaining, successfully converting a power play.
Peterka and Crouse added empty netters over the final three minutes, and Meyers scored for Seattle with 43 seconds to go for the final margin.
Up next
Kraken: Host Buffalo on Sunday.
Mammoth: At Pittsburgh on Sunday.
Seattle Kraken dealt another tough blow on the injury front
The Seattle Seahawks focused heavily on their offense during the draft this past spring, using nine of their 11 selections to pick players on that side of the ball.
Just two of their picks were defenders: safety Nick Emmanwori and defensive lineman Rylie Mills.
Seattle Seahawks waive 2 players, have options to fill their roster spots
After returning from an injury suffered in the season opener that forced him to miss three games (and essentially four since he played on four snaps in Week 1), Emmanwori is making his case to be in consideration for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Mills, on the other hand, has yet to play a snap while recovering from an ACL tear suffered last December during his final season at Notre Dame. But the fifth-round pick appears to be nearing his NFL debut. Mills, who was designated to return to practice from injured reserve Nov. 26, was a full participant in practice for the first time last Friday. He was ruled out of Sunday’s game against Atlanta, but practiced in full on Wednesday and Thursday as Seattle prepares for a matchup with Indianapolis this Sunday.
The Seahawks have until next Wednesday to decide if they will activate Mills to the 53-man roster or place him on IR for the rest of the season. So it may be another week until he makes his debut, and it’s no guarantee that he will play this season. If he is activated to the 53-man roster, how will he fit the Seahawks’ standout defense? Former NFL quarterback Brock Huard shared his insight about the role the Notre Dame product could play during his Blue 88 segment on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Thursday.
“I do remember watching him a number of times and just, gosh, he was a good college football player,” Huard said. “He’s big now. He’s 6-5, 290 (pounds), and to be honest with you, you know where he fits a little bit more? He would fit a little bit more in a traditional, kind of old school Pittsburgh Steelers 3-4 defense. He would be that five-technique defensive end that could play that spot and be very stout.”
Mills is similar in size to star Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who measures in at 6-5 and 310 pounds. But one key difference is Williams has more length, which is a concern Huard has about Mills.
“The challenge and what I’m anxious to kind of see in how they utilize him eventually is he’s not real long (Mills had 32 5/8 inch arms at the draft combine)” Huard said. “He’s not like Leonard Williams with that length. He’s not necessarily like a (Quinton) Bohanna and a (Brandon) Pili at 330-plus pounds either. (He’s) 6-5, 290, fairly athletic, super smart, super savvy, but he’s a little different than all the rest of these D-linemen.
“He’s certainly not an edge player and he doesn’t have some of the size or the length of some of the interior (linemen).”
Every Rylie Mills sack (17.0) 👀💪
The best of @ryliemills99 ➡️ https://t.co/tBCRILE4Eh#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/kdxRT6F6c5
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) March 21, 2025
However, Huard is confident the Seahawks can figure out the best way to utilize Mills’ skills just like they have with another player on their defensive line who lacks some of the ideal measurables: 2024 first-round pick Byron Murphy II.
“Like they’ve done with Murphy, who also is not prototypical in some of the size, they will play to his skill set,” Huard said. “(Mills’) greatest skill set, frankly, might just be his brain.”
Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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SEATTLE – High river levels continue this evening after the heaviest showers came to an end Thursday with only a few lingering showers. A Flash Flood Watch remains in effect for the Mount Vernon area due to flood risks if local levees fail, which remains possible through Friday afternoon.
A Flash Flood Watch is posted until late Friday: there is a possibility of dike/levee failure. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Landslide and localized flooding will still remain an issue into the end of the week.
High river levels continue this evening after the heaviest showers come to an end Thursday.
We have seen three rivers in Western Washington reach record level heights, making this a historic flooding event for the state. We still have the likelihood of seeing record heights for the Skagit River at Mount Vernon this evening into early Friday morning as it crests. Most of our area rivers will continue to decrease overnight and throughout Friday.
We have seen three rivers in Western Washington reach record level heights, making this a historic flooding event for Western Washington.
Rainfall totals Thursday were significantly lower compared to Wednesday, which will help to lower river levels over the next few days.
Rainfall totals Thursday were significantly lower compared to Wednesday, which will help to lower river levels over the next few days.
Temperatures this afternoon were also significantly warmer compared to average, with highs in the mid to upper 50s.
Temperatures this afternoon were also significantly warmer compared to average, with highs in the mid to upper 50s.
What’s next:
Skies will be much drier Friday as we see the atmospheric river move out of Western Washington. High pressure will slowly build back in for Friday and Saturday, aiding in the rivers receding and for the soil to dry out.
Skies will be much drier Friday as we see the atmospheric river move out of Western Washington.
Highs will remain very mild through the weekend, reaching the mid 50s. We will see dry skies and even some sunbreaks for Saturday. Our next round of showers return Sunday with scattered rain, then heavier showers and lowering snowlevels by the middle of next week.
Highs will remain very mild through the weekend, reaching the mid 50s.
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The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle Meteorologist Claire Anderson and the National Weather Service.
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