Seattle Historical Sites

Bikur Cholim-Machzikay Hadath’s synagogue is significant due to its association with the Jewish community in South Seattle. It also reflects the historical movement of Jews to Seward Park during the 1950s and 1960s.

This cultural property is located in Seward Park towards the southern end of South Seattle. It is a large Ashkenazic Orthodox synagogue, which was constructed in 1972 by the Bikur Cholim-Machzikay Hadath (BCMH) congregation. Prior to its construction, the location contained residential buildings.

The early founding of BCMH began when the Bkiur Cholim congregation was formed in the early part of the twentieth century by Turkish Sephardic Jews. Bkiur Cholim was initially located in what is now known as the Central District, where many Jewish immigrants lived. However, during the early 1950s, as many African American families moved into the Central District; and, as Jews increased in prosperity, Jewish families began moving out of the Central District to Seward Park, the Eastside, and north Seattle. This trend began in the 1950s with move of a number of Orthodox families. During the late 1950s and 1960s, several congregations also relocated, including the Ezra Bessaroth congregation and Sephardic Bikur Holim. Bikur Cholim followed this trend and moved into the Seward Park neighborhood in the 1960s. It merged with the Machzikay Hadath congregation in 1971; and, by 1972 BCMH occupied the newly constructed synagogue at its present location.

The synagogue reflects the general movement of Jewish families away from the Central District during the 1950s.  The BCMH congregation is actively engaged with the Jewish community in Seward Park and Capitol Hill by focusing on youth programming, as well as sponsoring cultural and social events.