It is with great disappointment, pain, and sadness we share that, due to circumstances out of our control, the Confronting Hate Together (CHT) Exhibit will not be presented jointly to the community in a public venue by the Black Heritage Society (BHS),  Washington State Jewish Historical Society (WSJHS) and the Wing Luke Museum (WLM).

Throughout this process, the WSJHS has been open and responsive to feedback from partners, sensitive to the international climate and challenges, and we have leaned into honesty and transparency. We worked tirelessly for months to prepare for the CHT exhibit. Furthermore, since the initial launch on May 21st, we made adjustments and modifications 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. 

Immense harm has been caused to the Jewish community by not being able to show the exhibit. The anti-Jewish ideas and attitudes that fueled the WLM employee walkout (whether conscious or not) have yet to be adequately acknowledged. And, at the same time, the greater Seattle community will be deprived of an important cross-cultural educational opportunity. 

Antisemitism today is at its highest levels in over 40 years, and more allyship is needed to help meet the moment. 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. 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.

The Jewish community needs to hear from Seattle - from our elected leaders, from business leaders, and people of good conscience - that Seattle is still a welcoming and safe home for Jews and that antisemitism has no place here. The silence is harmful to all.

Next month, the WSJHS, and the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle will host a special event to show the CHT exhibit to the Jewish community alongside our friends and allies. Stay tuned for more information on this showcase. In the meantime, we encourage you to check out the digital exhibit for CHT, which can be accessed here. 

We look forward to continuing healing, education, understanding, and advocacy among our community and neighbors.

The Washington State Jewish Historical Society
JCRC of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle

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