Only in New York
My name is Everyday Ray, and I've got a story to tell you about kosher food ...
Everyday Ray
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In Transit (subways and cabs)
I took a Via to work and there were two other passengers in the car. Immediately, they started chatting -- in Hebrew! During our cross-town trip, I stayed quiet and the two exchanged their entire family histories: I learned where they grew up, what they do, and all about their families in Israel. And eventually they exchanged numbers! Right as I left the car, I turned to them and in Hebrew said, "Who knew Via could be a matchmaker?!" Only in New York!
Family History
My Aunt Margot Eisner is a wonderful storyteller. When I was visiting her, she told me the story about my grandmother, Paula Kalman, returning from vacation in Europe to NYC on a big ship (the Holland Line) in 1959. She had a big bundle of dill from Cologne, Germany, which is the best in the world. The inspector didn't want her to bring the "illegal" substance into the country because he thought it could be "pot." She explained she needed the dill to make pickles for her family! Then he sees my brother, my cousin, and me (ages 4, 5, and 3, respectively) at the waiting dock with our family, all crying, "We want pickles!" It worked, and we were no longer sourpusses.
Andy Mars
Jewish Eats
There's nothing like a New York bagel. Since moving to the city, I've found a beloved bagel place whose veggie cream cheese is enough to make my mouth water at the thought. But there's nothing like my hometown bagel store on Long Island, the one we'd order platters from for break fast after Yom Kippur, with the perfectly doughy egg bagels and the fluffy cream cheese that I'd pile with lox. It's not just any bagel and schmear - it's my New York bagel.
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Volunteering and Good Deeds
What I love about Jewish New York is the plethora of Jewish resources available; cultural, religious, social and community services are all here. One of my favorite Jewish New York memories was when several of our guest participants in Shabbat Or, a project of Town and Village Synagogue in conjunction with Project Or and the 14th Street Y, were moved to become adult B’nai Mitzvah. As a volunteer in this program for homeless clients of Project Or, I was so moved by their stories from the Bima that morning, there wasn’t a dry eye in the whole congregation.
Ferne Katleman
Only in New York
As an Englishman in New York I am constantly in awe of how Jewish a city it is. I remember my first December here being amazed at how extensive the Chanukah displays were in all of the shops; I couldn’t have imagined the amount of stuff I could buy to supplement my celebration of the festival. And then there’s the food, with delis and bagel shops, New York knows exactly what my Jewish palette wants to eat and serves it up in copious quantities.
Danny Burkeman
Delis and Delicacies
When I was a kid, I thought Katz's was an old family secret. My great-grandparents took my grandparents, so my grandpa took my dad, so my dad took me. I know it's blown up into something else now, but I still feel at home there, comforted by all the memories that have taken place at its tables. Whenever I have to wait in line, I always want to push people aside saying "If you haven't been coming here for generations, step aside!" It makes me feel more like a Jewish New Yorker than anything else. (P.S Pastrami with mustard - NO cheese and ABSOLUTELY NO Thousand Island dressing - and a Dr. Brown's black cherry soda is the only way to go.)
Celeste Kaufman
Celebrations
I met my wife of 32 years at the Henry Kaufmann Campgrounds and both our sons worked at HKC for more than 5 summers. HKC will always have a special place in my heart!!
Howie Martin
In Israel
There really is nothing like being in Israel. People genuinely treat each other like family - someone can be rudely screaming at you one moment, but then immediately take the shirt off their back for you in your moment of need. I was once on a bus in Israel and the bus driver jumped off at a stoplight to help an elderly woman cross the street! Pictured above: attempts at taking a group photo on a jeep ride in Eilat (#LongHairFail). The people we met and the memories made with them will last me a lifetime.
In Israel
NYE in Israel! My friends and I were going to bring in the New Year on the beach, but we kept getting sidetracked on mini adventures on the way (as one does in Israel). We ran into a group of teenagers that taught us the "Soulja Boy" dance, a group of German tourists we ended up getting a drink with, a specialty gift shop we stopped in, stopping off for shawarma... before we knew it, we realized we had accidentally missed the 12 AM mark. Undeterred, we continued to the beach, set up a bonfire, cracked some bottles of champagne, and set off confetti poppers – celebrating bringing in the New Year at 12:52 AM. To this day, still one of the best New Year’s I’ve ever had.
Only in New York
I was hanging out with one of my old roommates recently, reminiscing on old times. I was feeling very nostalgic, and starting going through old photos, looking at all the different apartments and people I’d lived with. In 10 years, I’ve lived in numerous neighborhoods and apartments, with a countless number of roommates – many of whom remain my closest friends today. Never once was it difficult for me to find an apartment with Kosher/Shabbat observant people in a great location. Between Facebook, websites, synagogue postings, and word of mouth, there are so many dedicated spaces for Jewish people to find whatever they’re looking for here in NY. Here’s a photo of Sammi the Snowwoman that I made with my roommates in apartment number ... 3? 5? Who knows! Great memories :)
Volunteering and Good Deeds
Holocaust Survivors & Synagogues- As a Financial Advisor on Long Island, I wanted to volunteer, to do chesed. I did not know what to do so I "Googled" two words, mitzvah and Brooklyn because I knew my Dad's side of the family lived in Brookyn. I found www.themitzvhahman.org and visited more than 20 Holocaust Survivors through a program, Friendly Visiting for Holocaust Survivors, a project of the JCC of Greater Coney Island, www.connect2ny.org. While in different neighborhoods, I started a project of photographing Brooklyn Orthodox synagogues, which later spread to all 5 boroughs. The end result was a book, "Ten Times Chai: 180 Orthodox Synagogues of New York City," with history and 613 color photos of existing Orthodox synagogues in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. I am grateful to all who helped and I dedicated the book to the Holocaust Survivors I met. This hanukah, I know my Grandparents and Great Grandparents are looking down from Shamayim and smiling.
Michael J. Weinstein
Only in New York
Those 15 minutes of fame? Mine didn’t happen on camera. They happened on 4th Ave in Brooklyn during the TCS New York City Marathon on Nov 5. From Sunset Park to Fort Green, I was carried by the deafening chants of dear friends, acquaintances and perfect strangers, shouting my name like I was the mayor —my ‘mom friends,’ my friends' moms, my kids' teachers, their friend’s parents, our neighbors, the butcher, my favorite barista, UJA colleagues cheering their hearts out, and every acquaintance in between. Four miles of euphoria converging in a 'this is your life' meets Sesame Street moment. Marathon Sunday. The one day a year when the Big Apple feels like a small village. Definitely worth the schvitz.
Mirm Kriegel
Only in New York
My name is Everyday Ray, and I've got a story to tell you about kosher food ...
Everyday Ray
In Transit (subways and cabs)
I took a Via to work and there were two other passengers in the car. Immediately, they started chatting -- in Hebrew! During our cross-town trip, I stayed quiet and the two exchanged their entire family histories: I learned where they grew up, what they do, and all about their families in Israel. And eventually they exchanged numbers! Right as I left the car, I turned to them and in Hebrew said, "Who knew Via could be a matchmaker?!" Only in New York!
In the Neighborhood
I was very conscious of being Jewish because at Christmastime I would be the only one who would do the Hanukkah display. There was one other Jewish girl in my class, a very good friend. When she moved away, I was the lone Jew in my grade in grammar school, so I was very conscious of it. I also remember missing school for the High Holy Days and getting razzed about that: “How come you don’t have to go to school the first two days of school?” It was nothing anti-Semitic, just that I was different from other people. *Comments taken from Oral History, recorded on March 15, 2004.
Susie Stern, Chair of the Board, 2004-2007
Only in New York
I am a lifetime New Yorker, born and raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. What I love about being Jewish in New York City is the fact that Jews have always lived in very diverse neighborhoods...
Vanessa Hidary
Holidays
There's something so magical about Chanukah for me. Lighting candles together that we display for all to see, singing songs, exchanging presents, music, laughter, parties, and latkes, I find it such a joyous holiday. My family is very musical, and every year, my parents call me and we sing Chanuka songs over the phone together after lighting candles (we're adorable). One of my favorite things about living in a heavily populated Jewish community in NYC is walking down the streets and seeing all the lit menorahs on so many window sills. During the mainstream secular/Christian holidays, it sometimes feels like our Jewish holidays are forgotten, but walking around and seeing all the menorahs lit up at night, it feels like we are so many and all connected during that time - flames that show our Jewish pride, unity, and hope; flames that provide light in the darkness.
UJA-Federation
Last year, I became a Mikveh Guide through ImmerseNYC, a UJA beneficiary. Traditionally, females immerse in a mikveh, ritual bath, to purify themselves when finished menstruating. I felt compelled to become involved with ImmerseNYC due to my own discomfort with the mikveh process - it felt very cold, rigid, and awkward. ImmerseNYC embraces people of all backgrounds and truly strives to provide everyone with meaningful, comfortable immersion experiences, to mark any kind of life transition, in addition to traditional immersions. I was able to see how important my work is upon guiding truly meaningful immersions for both happy and painful transitions that people wanted to mark, and how cleansing the experience was for everyone involved. I'm so privileged and honored to be a part of such a welcoming organization, which fills such a gap in our community. This is one of the things I love most about Jewish New York - you can find anything and anyone you need.