JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.
She was a Holocaust survivor who shared fed Broadway’s elite – and Times Square characters — at a heimish eatery so beloved it inspired a Neil Simon play. Frances Edelstein, who ran Cafe Edison with her husband, Harry, for 30 years, died in New Jersey this week at 92. The couple had run lunch counters…
This article originally appeared in the Yiddish Forverts. As a Holocaust survivor, I admit that I’m often drawn to Holocaust commemorations and other gatherings of Holocaust survivors, just to get a glimpse of how these affairs are conducted. So when I heard about Cafe Europa, I thought it might be a good idea to go….
This article originally appeared in the Yiddish Forverts. Jewish literature is full of references to cafés, like the Café Fanconi in Odessa described by Sholem Aleichem’s hapless hero, Menachem Mendl, or the Café Royale on the Lower East Side, frequented by Jewish socialists, writers and artists. These literary descriptions of café settings are often read…
Home has always been central to Jewish families, from the old countries of our immigrant ancestors to their new homes in America and then on to newer homes in new communities as the generations moved up and out. Whatever we called home, it centered around family: the tiny community within a community. This is the…
A delectable combo platter of modern and classic Jewish food businesses and brands took top honors this week in the first annual Forward Food Choice Awards. From the 2nd Avenue Deli, which opened its doors in 1954 and took the top spot for Best NY Deli, to Best New Kosher Restaurant, awarded to NY Brat…
Leave it to the 21st-century scions of a venerated 103-year-old smoked fish emporium to figure out how to serve a restaurant brunch on Saturday mornings to Sabbath-observant Jews — and anyone who can’t stand late-morning lines. Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper, the 4th-generation owners of Russ & Daughters, have done just that. At…
Tel Aviv’s famous cafe culture received a blow today when the Israeli Health Ministry warned Israelis to steer clear of coffee shops after finding unusually high levels of lead in industrial coffee makers in restaurants, cafes and hotels. The Health Ministry and Economy Ministry announced nationwide testing for all coffee makers, with recalls of those…
Perhaps taking a page from the Jewish Museum, which now houses a branch of Russ & Daughters, the Museum of Jewish Heritage has unveiled , a decidedly old-school eatery with an almost nostalgic menu of Ashkenazi favorites. As the name hints, smoked fish is the star here. It’s also where Lox cuts loose. Chef David…
