(SOUTHEAST EMERALD) – The Cherry Street Mosque (CSM) building has been a hub of progressive, interfaith community in the Central District for decades. In-person services and events stopped last year due to the pandemic, but several faith-based and arts communities launched a fundraiser last fall to make necessary repairs to the 90-year-old building. Members of the newly formed Cherry Street Village have the vision to turn the building into an interfaith and arts space that will truly be one of a kind in Seattle — but first, the roof has to be fixed.
The two-story building at 720 25th Avenue between Cherry and Columbia Streets is in need of important roof and ceiling repairs to overcome significant water damage, as well as other renovations like plumbing and electrical work. Their crowdfund campaign officially launched on November 22 last year, and so far they have raised over 40k of their 150k goal.
“It really is amazing that in the last several months this collective has come together from diverse communities to raise, under very challenging circumstances, the money to get this roof repair underway,” said Jonathan Rosenblum of the Kadima Reconstructionist Community. “The vision is that in the next few years, we’re going to build a cultural gathering place that this community has not had, that really shares all of our values in a very unique way.”
Samia El-Moslimany, board president of CSM and daughter of Dr. Ann El-Moslimany, said that roof repairs have already begun. Working with Olive Construction, CSM is able to pay for repairs as they raise funds.
Built by Benjamin Marcus Priteca — designer of 22 Pantages theaters as well as the Admiral, Coliseum, and Paramount Theaters in Seattle — in 1929, the building originally housed Seattle Talmud Torah, a Jewish school. In 1980 the building became the site of The Islamic School of Seattle (ISS), founded by five African American and white women, including Dr. El-Moslimany, whose vision continues to shape CSM and Cherry Street Village. The school was progressive in its approach: an Islamic school based on Montessori education, with an innate anti-racist and social justice curriculum, taught by mostly BIPOC teachers. At its inception, ISS served primarily immigrant Muslim families and had an integrated religious and secular philosophy.
