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Headshot of Herb Bridge, 1981. Photo Courtesy Museum of History & Industry, Seattle.
Headshot of Herb Bridge, 1981. Photo Courtesy Museum of History & Industry, Seattle.
Herb and Shirley Bridge’s philanthropic leadership and generosity is well known both inside and outside the Jewish community. An inherited tradition, Herb and Shirley ensured that their children carried it on.
“Growing up with my father and my Grandpa Bridge, steeped in the tradition of tzedakah, as I’ve explained, I can’t help but get involved.”
-Building Bridges (pg. 150)
Among the many organizations that benefitted from the Bridge family’s involvement, Herb cites the founding of the Seattle Housing Resources Group (SHRG) as one of the most gratifying projects was involved in. SHRG is a non-profit organization that provides housing assistance to those in need, which is an enduring challenge in the Seattle area. Shirley, among other accomplishments, was very supportive of her alma mater graduate program, the University of Washington’s School of Pharmacy.
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(From left) Jon Bridge, Justice Bobbe Bridge, Shirley Bridge, and Herb Bridge.
Image Courtesy Bridge family.
(From left) Jon Bridge, Justice Bobbe Bridge, Shirley Bridge, and Herb Bridge. Image Courtesy Bridge family.
“Jon and his family, I mean as you know I mean I come from very modest roots, certainly not connected to power or in any sense of the word, whether that's you know in economics or in... business or whatever. But that's the blessings of this country, you know, that you can work hard and you can, especially through education, you can, you can get to a place where you make a difference in that way. My husband's family certainly provided me with entrees to different worlds that I had never seen and, and opportunities in that way. And Jon, and all of them, but Jonny particularly, has been so supportive of some of my you know craziness all along. And, and he comes from a, from a family for whom the idea of tikkun olam, of an obligation to make the world a better place is about their daily life....
The attitude was there. The attitude that you needed to help other people. And when you had an opportunity to do that you not only used your talents to make money and make sure your family was taken care of but that you were then supposed to, to do it for other people. And certainly that was true in, in exponential levels for the Bridge family.” -Bobbe Bridge
Bobbe Bridge Interview. 2009. Washington State Jewish Archives. University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections.
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Jewish Official Says Outlook Bright: U.N. Leads Way to Ban Intolerance in World.” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, February 1, 1965, pg. 15.
Jewish Official Says Outlook Bright: U.N. Leads Way to Ban Intolerance in World.” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, February 1, 1965, pg. 15.
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“Dinner Date Circled” article focusing on Shirley Bridge’s work with the Business and Professional Group of Hadassah’s Seattle Chapter. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 14, 1956.
“Dinner Date Circled” article focusing on Shirley Bridge’s work with the Business and Professional Group of Hadassah’s Seattle Chapter. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 14, 1956.
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Make-A-Wish at Ben Bridge Jeweler in Downtown Seattle, March 2013. The company partnered with Make-A-Wish and Jewelers for Children to make wishes come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions. Image courtesy Ben Bridge Jeweler.
Make-A-Wish at Ben Bridge Jeweler in Downtown Seattle, March 2013. Image courtesy Ben Bridge Jeweler.
