Ernest R. Stiefel, long active in Seattle’s Jewish community whose dramatic personal history sparked his penchant for service, died Oct. 18. He was 89.
Stiefel was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1921. His parents were active in the Jewish community and early on he developed an interest in genealogy. In 1939, after surviving Kristallnacht, Stiefel left his home and his parents on a month-long journey eastward. He traveled by train through Eastern Europe, Russia, and China, then passed through Japan and Canada before arriving in Seattle.
The trip marked the last time Stiefel saw his parents. His escape from Germany, and the subsequent welcome he received from Seattle’s Jewish community, were pillars of the life he would go on to build. That life was marked by a dedication to his history, his family, and his community.
“The family history was incredibly important to my father,” said his son David Stiefel. “His hobby was Jewish genealogy and he prided himself on tracing ancestors going back hundreds of years as well as finding current distant relatives. He had a passion for German Jewish history. From an early age, we — his children and grandchildren — clearly knew our heritage.”
Stiefel became a board member at what was then known as the Jewish Federated Fund (now the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle) in 1966, serving as its chair in the early 1970s. But unlike many other former chairs, he continued to attend board meetings all the way up until this past June — a 44-year run.
“Ernie gave his entire life to your family and to the Jewish people, most especially the Seattle Jewish community,” wrote Michael Novick in a letter to the Stiefel family read at Ernest’s funeral. “In my prior role as CEO of the Seattle Federation, Ernie was an invaluable and continuous resource and supporter for my 11-plus years in that position.”
Stiefel had a way of making himself invaluable. After serving in World War II, he graduated from the University of Washington on the G.I. Bill and passed the CPA examination in 1949 with the highest score in the state. His accounting skills — Stiefel was known for his ability to size up a balance sheet and in an instant declare figures incorrect — and his wise, understated presence made him a stalwart across the community.
Stiefel’s roles in Seattle’s Jewish community were plentiful. At one point or another, he chaired the Jewish Education Council, the Federation’s planning and allocations committee (on which he also remained active into this summer), and the Federation’s capital needs committee. He was a founding member of Congregations Beth Shalom and Ner Tamid, and served as president of Beth Shalom and of the University of Washington’s Hillel Chapter.
“He was an advocate for equity among agencies [of the Jewish community], and he was an advocate for agencies not being in deficit,” said Amy Wasser-Simpson, vice president for planning and community services at the Federation.
He was also, according to Wasser-Simpson and others who worked with Stiefel in the Jewish community, an invaluable source of historical wisdom and knowledge.
“He was a guy who was very wise,” said Richard Fruchter, CEO of the Federation. “He was almost a historian as far as how the organization worked and what impact it had on the community.”
History was a major part of Stiefel’s life. He was an active recorder and researcher of his own family history, and an invaluable asset to the Washington State Jewish Historical Society, where he advised on accounting and, along with his wife Doris, sought out and recorded oral histories for posterity.
“His advice was monumental for us,” said Lisa Kranseler, executive director of the WSJHS. “He was a tremendous resource; he knew about everyone. He served in great capacity for the Historical Society. He will be remembered. “
Stiefel’s family continues to serve in great capacity. He is survived by his wife Doris of nearly 60 years; sons David, who is also an accountant and serves on the Federation’s executive committee, and Mark, president-elect of Congregation Beth Shalom, and daughter Sharon, a rabbi and educator in St. Paul, Minn., as well as grandchildren Elana, Jason, Miriam, Nathan, Michael, and Emi.
Funeral services were held at Congregation Beth Shalom. Stiefel’s wishes were that donations be sent to The Ernest R. Stiefel Graduate Scholarship Fund of Phi Beta Kappa, c/o Puget Sound Association of Phi Beta Kappa, PO Box 15258, Seattle, WA 98105; Congregation Beth Shalom, 6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98115; or the Washington State Jewish Historical Society, 2031 Third Ave., Seattle, WA 98121.
— Eric Nusbaum