A Belly Full of Delis
Like many others, I smiled when I saw your front page — a super-sized [pastrami] sandwich (“Move Over, New York,” Oct. 23)! What a welcome subject, and what a welcome shift from stories about political pollution and economic disaster. So I read the reprint from David Sax’s book.
Granted, he and his publisher need to sell books, so they concentrate on those delis where celebrities gather. Obviously the celebrities named are not looking for kosher food. But it would seem appropriate for The Journal to add a comment about the high-quality eating establishments in Los Angeles that are also kosher. Like my personal favorite, Pico Kosher Deli, which won an award a few years back for serving the best corned beef in town. Or, for those who prefer dairy — and want a celebrity name thrown in — I believe Steven Spielberg’s mother, Leah Adler, still operates a place called The Milky Way.
In other words, to outclass New York you don’t need to eat treif!
Rabbi Baruch Cohon
via e-mail
True story; Delis bring out all kinds of emotions:
Mel Brooks stated in his conversation with Sax via telephone that “delis seem to be happy places….” Well, as much as Junior’s is also my favorite deli (I’m a fan of the corned beef sandwich myself), I did have one altercation with another customer a decade ago; a story that the management at Junior’s still remembers quite well. I’m sitting with my girlfriend at the time for Sunday brunch (hey, we’re still together fifteen years later, and we’re not married, oy!), and the waitress brings over our meals; she brings me the LEO (lox, eggs and onions), and brings my girlfriend a waffle with strawberries and lots of whipped cream piled on top. We sat in a booth, but these booths were located in the middle of the restaurant, so they were semi-private, as there were no dividers between the booths. On this morning, just as my girlfriend was about to take her first bite of food, the person sitting in the adjacent booth reached over with a spoon and snagged a bit of the whipped cream off of her waffle. I suppose he got too impatient waiting for his own meal. Needless to say, my girlfriend was a little more than perturbed. She gave me the ‘ol Jewish guilt trip: you’re not going to do anything about this … you’re the man, take care of this….” For some reason, speaking to a manager was not an option, as I went around to the adjacent booth and approached this person who stole whipped cream from my girlfriend’s breakfast plate. In an attempt to stand up for my girlfriend, words were exchanged, and yes, actual punches were exchanged, but none landed. The management team at Junior’s broke up the fight, and since my girlfriend and I were ‘regulars,’ they told us to skedaddle before the authorities got involved.
Well, Mr. Brooks, I have to say, not all delis have happiness; and yet, as much as this story might have had anger in it, maybe you are actually still correct though. In retrospect, this Junior’s episode could probably be perceived more as a Jewish comical farce than anything else. I wish I could have added that corned beef sandwiches and coal slaw went flying everywhere; I suppose that would be for the movie version.
Gregory Diamond
Los Angeles
Right in the heart of the highest concentration of Jews in Los Angeles, how could Sax have omitted Canter’s from his writings in The Jewish Journal? It’s a shande…. I’ll bet I speak for a lot of other Jews (and non-Jews) who often enjoy Canter’s food. No one serves more tasty pickles. My granddaughter loves Canter’s potato salad. All of its food is super! Its pastries are great too. How could Sax have overlooked Canter’s Deli?
George Epstein
Los Angeles
Reading your cover story on the great delis of Los Angeles only filled me with sadness. Don’t get me wrong: I like a good pastrami on rye as much as the next guy. But this article reminded me of the blatant and unabashed postmodern and post-religious Judaism that is glorified these days by your periodical. There wasn’t even an attempt to mask the fact that not a single deli highlighted in your article is kosher.
There were two ironies in this article: One, that unbeknownst to your author, one of the great delis of Los Angeles is a kosher deli on Pico Boulevard — Pico Kosher Deli, in fact — a deli that I grew up with and which has only gotten better with age.
The other is that your author attests that for Hollywood types, the delicatessen offers a “dose of reality” to budding actors who are regularly confronted with a “state of fakery, where everyone wears their masks.” Of course, what he forgot to mention is that a non-kosher “kosher-style” deli itself is a fakery of the old kosher delicatessen, the one that served just as delectable pastrami, but from a cow that was ritually slaughtered according to a thousands-year-old tradition, and which was then kashered with the coarse, kosher salt that the A-list would only recognize as the stuff sprinkled on their pretzels in their sadly non-kosher counterfeits.
Maybe in the next edition on great delis, your author might recommend to all those seeking some dose of authenticity: order a side of Judaism with that pastrami sandwich.
Rabbi N. Daniel Korobkin
Los Angeles
Maybe you should take the word Jewish out of the name The Jewish Journal. Not only is it a shame that you advertise for non-kosher restaurants (IHOP), which maybe, but not really, can be justified because you’re getting paid for it. But now, to feature non-kosher restaurants on the front cover is a true Chilul Hashem. How can any magazine called The Jewish Journal promote the eating of non-kosher food? Judaism is very clear on dietary laws and you are clearly condoning and promoting eating in non-kosher establishments. What a shame!
Stuart Feldman
Los Angeles
Editor’s note: The Jewish Journal ran an abridged version of Sax’s chapter. He does indeed mention many more delis, including Canter’s. For a review of Pico Kosher Deli, which Sax neglected, see jewishjournal.com/foodaism.
Interfaith Anti-Hunger Efforts
I read with great interest about the interfaith summit to end hunger, which was held at The Federation (“Muslims, Buddhists, Christians and Jews Unite to End Hunger in L.A.,” Oct. 23). I had the pleasure of being there and attending sessions with others in the L.A. community. With a commitment to end chronic hunger and enriching interfaith relationships, on Mitzvah Day (Nov. 1) Temple Aliyah is joining with St. Bernardine of Siena Catholic Church and with the Mohammedi Center (both in Woodland Hills) to make 500 sandwiches to be lovingly assembled in 500 sack lunches and donated to local food pantries and shelters. We will be doing this project with the residents of Pacific Lodge Boys’ Home, a residential facility for teenage boys who have been in trouble with the law. These are relationships that have enriched all of us, and we pray we will continue to nurture one another as we simultaneously hope to nurture those in need in our community.
Jeff Bernhardt
Woodland Hills
A Closer Look at Martyrdom
I agree with Rob Eshman that Neda Agha-Soltan’s death was terrible and that we shouldn’t, “underestimate the power of a good symbol” (“Neda Square,” Oct. 23). But I would ask him, before he jumps too eagerly on the bandwagon to create Neda Square, to just as thoughtfully consider the political misuses of individual tragedies. (Remember Rachel Corrie and the Caterpillar bulldozer?) He also states that since [Agha-Soltan’s] death was for the cause of “liberty,” this should move local politicians to create the square. But in today’s world, one group’s martyr is another group’s terrorist. Both moral and immoral deeds can take place in the name of “liberty” and “liberation.” A more sophisticated analysis than Mr. Eshman supplies needs to be utilized in deciding which individual tragedies are to be marked and how they are to be commemorated.
Rabbi Jeff Marx
The Santa Monica Synagogue
There are many reasons for not naming the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Veteran Avenue “Neda Square.” First of all, the naming of any public entity after a person should not be done until years after their death, when the value of their true contributions can be better evaluated. The 27-year-old Iranian, Neda Agha-Soltan, was non-political, according to her family, and had only gone to the June protest to observe, not to participate. She contributed nothing to the protests but by happenstance became the victim of a bullet fired by a member of the Iranian security forces. She certainly is not a symbol of freedom that Iranian protestors will rally around because a plaque was placed in a far-away intersection in Los Angeles.
If Mr. Eshman or those who came up with the idea of “Neda Square” have an unengraved plaque laying around I suggest they comb the records of those military men and women buried in the Veterans Cemetery that abuts Wilshire and Veteran, then choose one of the truly outstanding heroes who died in the defense of freedom. Anything less would be an insult to all those buried there.
Leon M. Salter
Los Angeles
More Anti-Poverty Resources Needed — Now
This is the first time I’ve written a letter to a publication. I wanted to write since July 2009, but didn’t have the courage to do so until now.
I’d like to compliment the cover story in the July 24 issue titled, “When the Going Gets Tough, Where Do You Go?” This article was an in-depth look at increasing poverty among Jewish families and all the Jewish organizations that help them. I cried after reading it since I’m living in poverty myself! I’m Jewish, 55, disabled, on SSI, family deceased and no resources to help me. The transition going from an upscale Beverly Hills lifestyle to low-income housing has been difficult. I know the “shame” poverty brings.
Inspired by your article, I applied for The Jewish Federation’s Emergency Cash Grant program. Grants were for people who lost jobs, so I didn’t qualify. Also, I inquired about the Jewish Free Loan, but couldn’t apply without a co-signer.
I’d like to reach out to your readers to “help” me find other sources of financial aid that include disabled seniors. Any ideas — loans, grants, fundraising help, etc., mail to:
Carol Collier
P.O. Box 2474
Beverly Hills, CA 90213
Less Talk, More Action
The article (“Europe, U.S. Standing Together on Iran,” Oct. 16) stated: “Sarkozy and other European leaders are underscoring more than ever before their frustration that Iran is not moving fast enough” on promises to halt uranium enrichment and disclose all it’s nuclear sites.” And, “nevertheless, the shift is one of tone, not substance.”
There is a saying: “Actions speak louder than words.”
Elizabeth Kruger
Los Angeles
Kaplan’s Critics Respond
According to Professor Marty Kaplan, infotainment programs like “Showbiz Tonight” and “Jon & Kate Plus 8” are “dangerous” to democracy (“Balloon Dad to Pose for Playgirl,” Oct. 23)! So dangerous that anonymous villains, including lobbyists (who?), Wall Street firms (which ones?) and Big Pharma (whatever that is) cynically rely on them to distract hapless, stupid Americans. After all, “average” people have short attention spans and become confused when given too many choices. In other words, they’re uninformed tools addicted to trash TV.
Lots of things are more dangerous to democracy than “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” Voter fraud, Islamofascism and a nuclear North Korea all come to mind. Kaplan’s assumption that “most people” aren’t paying attention because they’re enthralled by Jessica Simpson is condescending and untrue. Because so many Americans can chew gum, watch TV and access the Internet at the same time, Van Jones is out of a job and ACORN won’t be taking the census in 2010.
Did it ever occur to Kaplan that an episode of “Top Chef” might be a welcome distraction to a deployed soldier’s spouse? Or that an office worker’s lunch break might be enlivened by “People’s Court”? Choice and competition are only perceived as dangerous by elitists like the professor, who views Americans as a monolithic, “bewildered” bunch.
Amy Lyons
Los Angeles
In his reply to several outraged Journal readers your columnist Marty Kaplan claims he is not “daft” (Letters, Oct. 23). He also says he wrote an ambiguous sentence. This was in an article in which he linked Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Sarah Palin and said he would like to see both of them get what they deserved.
I am not qualified to ascertain whether Kaplan is daft or not. I can say (in my opinion as a moderate in politics) that he (Kaplan) is an arrogant, pompous writer of drivel in which he tries to assert his self-proclaimed superiority as an intellectual and moralist. His writing, reflecting his opinions, is pretty odd and if the Journal had a page devoted to wannabe humorists, I don’t think he would qualify. I think this is what he really attempts to do.
Mark Steinberg
Los Angeles
Marty Kaplan is a coward. In a recent article he unambiguously equated Sarah Palin with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Jon Voight called him out on it. Instead of Kaplan either standing by his words, or issuing a real apology, we get his weasely explanation: “Sarah Palin and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are both stories in progress. That’s the only sense in which I’m comparing them.” He claims he is not “daft” and that his only offense was to write a “regrettably ambiguous sentence.” Nonsense, Marty. It is common for folk on the extreme left to equate religious Christian Republicans with radical Islamist extremists. Such accusations come from a place of deep religious bigotry. Either stand by your principles, or disavow them for what they are, but please don’t make evasive excuses for your conduct. Some may swallow the distortions you write, week after week, but few of us are so “daft” as to accept your lame apologia.
Michael Lackner
Los Angeles
CORRECTION
The photos for the article, “Israeli Designers Dazzle at First L.A. Fashion Week Appearance” (Oct. 23) were taken by Peter Halmagyi.
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