Jeffrey Yoskowitz works as a writer and a pickler in Brooklyn. He has written about the intersection of food,culture and politics for a variety of publications, including The New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, Tablet and Meatpaper. He is the founder and editor of the story sharing project Pork Memoirs. Jeffrey is also co-owner and chief pickler of The Gefilteria, an Old World Jewish food purveyor in Brooklyn, NY.
Session 1: From Heinz Baked Beans to Nabisco’s Oreo: How America Became Kosher
How did a small organization of Orthodox synagogues dominate the kosher food industry? And how did kashrut, towhich only a minority of Jews in the US even adhered, become a multibillion dollar business? The OU played animportant role in shaping the new industry, beginning with placing its heksher on the first can of Heinz bakedbeans in 1923. This session explores how eating as a Jew in the US has radically changed from the turn of the 20th century to the turn of the 21st.
Session 2: The complicated Relationship Between Jews and Pigs: A Cultural History
A staple protein for a majority of the world, pork is frustratingly taboo for the Jews. Why is pork the most wellknownand adheredto Jewish food prohibition? The meat has played a central role in American and European cuisine,alienating Jews for centuries. Yet recently, Jewish chefs have found bacon to be an object of culinary inspiration.This session explores the relationship between Jews and pork, and the fixation among contemporary Jewishgourmands and thinkers on the “other white meat.”
Session 3: Pickling and Preserving Jewish Food Traditions (Handson demo and talk)
Pickling and fermenting is at the heart of Old World Jewish food, whether through the wine we drink on Shabbat,the pickles we eat with our pastrami sandwiches or the borscht we enjoy. Come learn about vegetablepreservation’s critical role in E
astern European Judaism and why continuing the tradition is so important. You’lllearn how to make your own pickles and will take away a jar of soontobe sour dills. DIY pickling is not just practical; it can be a radical act of cultural reclamation.