All Welcome to the Exuberant Great Big Jewish Food Fest May 19 -28 Virtual Fundraiser

Even the website of The Great Big Jewish Food Fest (May 10-28) ripples with electricity.  The  10-day online festival celebrates the history, diversity and excitement for all things Jewish food.   The public is welcome to join in for cooking classes, virtual deli tours, film screenings, panel discussions and so much more.

The events are for everyone, even if you are not Jewish!All events are free and open to the public thanks to generous donor funding, starting with Darim Online, the fiscal sponsor for the Festival.. Donations are welcome and encouraged to help support those in the food industry who have lost critical revenue during the COVID-19 crisis and those who are experiencing food insecurity.

The Great Big Jewish Food Fest was created for this moment when people are at home and in their kitchens focused on food, and when food professionals can be showcased at a top-tier international festival with relative ease.  The programs are designed for all ages, interests and levels of expertise. “Just please make sure to wash your hands before you sit down for a meal,” ribs the official program announcement.

In addition to our Festival program, “anytime” opportunities have made available during the Festival.  This page will feature a a wide range of opportunities, from an entire online, interactive exhibit to mini documentaries to stories being read for kids.

Examples:

The small business entrepreneurs who run Jewish delis across America are facing an unprecedented challenge, fighting to keep their carving knives out and smokers on. Soul of an Entrepreneur and Save the Deli author David Sax discusses the business of delis with Gefilteria co-founder Jeffrey Yoskowitz. Then, join as David zooms cross country from the West Coast to the East, visiting with Kenny & Ziggy’s (Houston), Beetroot Market & Deli (Portland, OR), Wise Sons (San Francisco), and Manny’s Deli (Chicago). And just added, there will be a stop at the iconic appetizing shop in New York City, Russ & Daughters. Co-Presented with JCC Manhattan.

TUESDAY, MAY 19

8:00 p.m. ET
Mainstage: The State of the Deli Hosted by David Sax
Presenters: Jeffrey Yoskowitz (Gefilteria), Ziggy Gruber (Kenny & Ziggy’s), Sonya Sanford (Beetroot), Evan Bloom (Wise Sons), Niki Russ Federman (Russ & Daughters), Dan Raskin (Manny’s Deli)
Co-Presented with Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan

 

Joan Nathan’s latest book, King Solomon’s Table: A Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking from Around the World made me a star – with friends, family and professional events when I made her malai recipe (simple, dramatic and delicious). It also started me baking again.

Joan Nathan is the author of numerous cookbooks, including Jewish Cooking in America and The New American Cooking, both of which won the James Beard Award and the IACP Award for best cookbook of the year. She was the host of the nationally syndicated PBS television series Jewish Cooking in America with Joan Nathan, based on the book. A frequent contributor to The New York Times, Tablet magazine, and other publications, Nathan is the recipient of numerous awards, including James Beard’s Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America, Les Dames d’Escoffier’s Grande Dame Award, and Food Arts magazine’s Silver Spoon Award, and she received an honorary doctorate from the Spertus Institute of Jewish Culture in Chicago. She holds positions on the advisory committees for the Museum of American History’s Kitchen Cabinet and the Center for International Private Enterprise’s LIFE project.