Jewish Food Society’s Community Shabbat

On Saturday, December 2, the Jewish Food Society hosted a community shabbat potluck brunch in New York City’s Lower East Side. The event provided an opportunity for notable culinary voices and chefs, several of whom are not Jewish, to stand together with the Jewish community against the rising tide of antisemitism. 

“Many of us feel sad and lonely these days,” Naama Shefi, founder of Jewish Food Society, told the Journal. “We feel it in the streets, we feel it in our personal and professional lives and we feel it most on social media, where emotions are high.” 

Shefi and the Jewish Food Society created the gathering as a reminder that “we are not alone,” she said. “The food community of this city is supporting us with the best way they know: showing up with a dish.” 

The Jewish Food Society is a non-profit that preserves, celebrates and revitalizes Jewish culinary heritage. In organizing the event, they started by reaching out to the restaurants and chefs they collaborate with the most. The Society also contacted other chefs and restaurants they admire. “We wanted to create a potluck table that reflects the global diversity of Jewish food next to the top iconic dishes of NYC beyond Jewish food,” Shefi said. For the ticketed event, 250 guests attended, 35 chefs participated and 40 different dishes were served.

“We chose to participate because it was important for us, during this very sad and challenging moment, to show up and support our Jewish friends and colleagues in the culinary community and the community at large,” Gabriel Kreuther, a chef whose eponymous restaurant was awarded two Michelin stars, told the Journal. Kreuther cooked short ribs and sauerkraut. “It’s a part of my Alsatian culinary heritage that certainly overlaps with
many Jewish recipes,” he said. “It’s heart
warming and nourishing, and felt like the right dish to make for a community potluck.” He added, “It was heartwarming to see everyone get together, supporting each other.“

Beehjy Barhany, chef/owner of Tsion Cafe made Messer Wot, a traditional Ethiopian red lentil stew. She chose this dish, because it’s biblical and ancient. According to the Torah, Esau lost his birthright to his younger brother Jacob for a bowl of red lentil stew. “As a Jewish-Ethiopian-Israeli, I am very proud to showcase and honor my heritage via food and have a discussion and understanding with fellow Jews throughout the diaspora, so I wanted to showcase my flavorful delicious food and share it with my brothers and sisters,” Barhany told the Journal. She found it empowering to connect with fellow chefs and break bread. “I think it’s important to be in a safe space with fellow Jews in these tough days,” Barhany said. “Food is a very powerful tool that can demolish walls and barriers to have a better dialogue and understanding. Once you’re willing to sit at a table and have a meal together, you are ready to accept and celebrate whomever you are dining with.”

Other participating culinary talent and chefs included TV personality Gail Simmons, chef and TV personality Marc Murphy, cookbook author Jake Cohen, Michael Solomonov of CookNSolo Restaurants, Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin, Einat Admony of Balaboosta, Alex Raij of Txikito, Amir Nathan of Sami & Susu and Wylie Dufresne of Stretch Pizza. Amitzur Mor of Barbounia, Fany Gerson from Fan-Fan Doughnuts, Leah Cohen of Pig & Khao, Noah Bernamoff from Mile End Deli, Nate Adler of Gertie, Neil Kleinberg from Clinton Street Baking Co., Eli Buli of Mesiba and Eyal Shani of Port Sa’id also took part.

“Having a place where we can all gather, where I know everybody in the room is on the same page, feels the same, has the best intention, wants to care for each other, wants to lift each other up,” Simmons told the Journal. “It’s been a long time since I have felt that feeling.” Food is a universal connector, she believes. It nourishes you physically and emotionally.

“I think the act of sitting down with people, of feeding people, of caring for people is just exactly what we all need in our most difficult moments” – Gail Simmons

“I think the act of sitting down with people, of feeding people, of caring for people is just exactly what we all need in our most difficult moments,” Simmons said. “It’s just a natural reaction to when people are hurting, when people are sick, when people need solace; and that’s what food does. That’s what I think Jewish people have just been conditioned to do for thousands of years.”