Loaned by Alice Abrams Siegal

In 1903, when Alice Siegal’s grandmother came to the United States, she brought with her this knife and spoon. So these sturdy, simple tools have worked reliably for more than a century in the kitchens of Jewish women in Russia and America. Alice no longer uses the spoon, but the round-bladed chopping knife is still invaluable in the preparation of gefilte fish for the dinner portion of her family's Passover Seder.

In 1909, Alice’s grandparents moved to Seattle, building a large duplex near what is now Garfield High School. “My grandparents lived downstairs and my parents lived upstairs. I remember when I was just 5 or 6 years old, watching my grandmother in the kitchen. Later, when I was in high school, and my grandmother was no longer able to do so much work, I would spend time with her and she would sit in the kitchen and tell me how to do things. I learned so much.”