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Cynthia Flash Hemphill
Secretary
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Cynthia Flash Hemphill grew up in Seattle, the daughter of Claire Barkey Flash, who helped her large Sephardic family flee the island of Rhodes during World War II. Claire married Philip Flash and the couple were among the growing number of Jewish couples in Seattle to merge Sephardic and Ashkenazic traditions, and Orthodox and Reform Jewry. While Cynthia grew up listening to her mother speak Ladino to her great aunt and grandmother, she also was raised as a Reform Jew, bridging the gap between many branches of Judaism. In her youth she attended Temple De Hirsch Sinai and attended and worked at Jewish summer camps. She is now a member of Temple B'nai Torah with her husband Dan Hemphill and two sons. With a degree in communications from the University of Washington, she founded Flash Media Services in 2000 and works as a journalist and publicist. She also wrote A Hug From Afar, which details her mother's journey from Rhodes to Seattle to escape the Holocaust during WWII.
Congratulations Cynthia! The Washington State Jewish Historical Society (WSJHS) has awarded Cynthia the 2021 Meta Buttnick Award for her outstanding efforts in curating not only the 2021 Seattle Sephardic Tour, but for her many years of dedication to the Society for projects, the 2016 Annual Fundraiser Chair, and her expert advise that was given lovingly and patiently. The Meta Buttnick Award was established in 2002 to recognize exemplary volunteer service to the WSJHS.
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Cynthia will receive the award at the Virtual Annual Meeting on Wednesday, November 3, 2021. Register today to honor Cynthia and support the work of WSJHS.
Click here for more information!