From immigrant shoemaker to multimillionaire, this is the extraordinary life story of Sam Israel.
Sam Israel was one of the Pacific Northwest's most eccentric, controversial, and enigmatic characters. An immigrant Sephardic Jewish shoemaker of humble beginnings, Israel arrived in Seattle in 1919 and thanks to savvy investing, came to own hundreds of properties in Seattle and around the state. This impressive assemblage included dozens of buildings in downtown Seattle and thousands of acres in western and eastern Washington and was valued at the time of his death in 1994 at more than $40 million.
Always a challenging and independent-minded person, Sam moved to central Washington in 1960, and his reputation as a reclusive, absentee landlord grew. To his immediate family he was the revered "Uncle Sam," but to others he remained a mystery.
Late in life, Sam Israel became known for his love of the outdoors, his devotion to Jewish faith and history, and his generous support of numerous community organizations, from the Seattle Hebrew Academy to Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and various wildlife and archaeological organizations in the United States and the State of Israel. He carried his faith in G-d, his Jewish identity, and a sense of personal responsibility for Jews and non-Jews from his home to the community and across the world. Sam never married, and upon his death in 1994 his properties became a key part of historic preservation in Seattle and the growth of the arts community in Pioneer Square. Through the foundation he established, his fortune funded Jewish education for future generations. Today, the Samis Foundation carries on Sam Israel's legacy, living and funding the heart of Sam's motto: "We are our brother's keeper."
