Homeland for the Jewish Soul: The Jewish Deli in America

19 Bridge Street,Stockton NJ 08559

07 August, 2021

Description

Are you hungry for the history of the deli? Join us as famous Jewish author Dr. Ted Merwin breaks it down at The Borscht Belt Delicatessen. In New York, Chicago, L.A., and other American cities, the delicatessen was the lifeblood and the linchpin of the Jewish community. The "soul food" and atmosphere it dished up became a quintessential part of American culture. But as Jews moved into the suburban middle class in the mid-twentieth century, the deli lost its bite, giving way to other ethnic restaurants and cuisines. Now new delis are opening up across the country, contributing to a revival of Eastern European Jewish food. Dr. Ted Merwin will show how the deli, which originated in Germany and Eastern Europe, developed in this country into a neighborhood institution on par with the synagogue. He will also discuss how the deli became an icon of TV shows and films about the Jewish experience, ranging from John Belushi's "Samurai Deli" on SNL to Rob Reiner's 1989 romantic comedy, "When Harry Met Sally." Tickets will include a reading by Dr. Ted Merwin, a Q & A, a signed copy of Pastrami on Rye: An Overstuffed History of the Jewish Deli and a boxed dinner prepared by Celebrity Chef Nick Liberato courtesy of The Borscht Belt. A portion of ticket proceeds will go to a charity. Dr. Ted Merwin's Bio: Ted Merwin, Ph.D. is a native New Yorker who now lives in Baltimore, where he is a Senior Writer for the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). A former, long-time Judaic Studies professor and Hillel Director at Dickinson College (Carlisle, Pennsylvania), he is the author of two books: "In Their Own Image: New York Jews in Jazz Age Popular Culture" and the National Jewish Book Award-winning "Pastrami on Rye: An Overstuffed History of the Jewish Deli." He is currently researching the evolution of the U.S.-Israel relationship through representations of the Jewish State in film, TV, photography, music, and other forms of pop culture.