A Culinary History of Jews in America

From our friend Seth Front who brought you the Jewish Zodiac, we present his culinary history of Jews in America with this very entertaining video and story.

Join comedian and Jewish Zodiac® creator Seth Front for a humorous and educational multimedia history of the delicatessen across four generations of Jews in America, from 1880 to the present. Discover the real story behind your favorite deli foods and how they intertwine with the American journey of our people. Find out what Jewish Zodiac® sign you are and enjoy this huge, fun platter of Jewish cultural history with a side order of nostalgia.

This keynote presentation uses over one hundred images to tell the story of the Jewish delicatessen in America, from its origins on the Lower East Side at the turn of the 20th century, its adaptation to American tastes, its assimilation into mainstream American culture and its challenges for survival in the 21st century. With his trademark humor, Mr. Front weaves this social history into a compelling narrative by using the twelve most iconic deli foods as guideposts. These food symbols are the heart and soul of Mr. Front’s Jewish Zodiac®, a deli food parody of the Chinese zodiac found online at http://www.jewzo.com.

Among the many questions “Culinary History” answers are: What foods did Jews bring with them from Eastern Europe? What’s the difference between a deli and an appetizing store? How did Broadway entertainers help popularize deli, and how did deli culture help ease Jewish entry into mainstream American society? What factors brought about the decline of the deli, and how can our original comfort food adapt to the changing tastes of a more health conscious America in the 21st century?

A Culinary History of Jews in America

I nearly plotzed when I watched this.  But now, I’m hungry!  So what’s new?  Well, I’m also Chopped Liver!

For more information, contact Seth Front at [email protected].

Humbly submitted for your consumption,

—Mee Magnum  (“Chop!  Chop!”)