Breaking Bread

This week on Unorthodox, we’re thankful for bread, bagels, and deli.

We talked carbohydrates and community on stage at the JCC of Metro Detroit with two Jewish guests who run Detroit institutions: Jackie Victor, CEO and co-founder of Avalon International Breads, and Phil Goldsmith, fourth-generation owner of New York Bagel.

Jackie tells us about opening a bakery in downtown Detroit in the 1990s (much to the surprise of her family and the realtor), and how that bakery continues to champion sustainability and community even as it’s become the largest bread distributor in the area. Phil tells us about taking over the family business, which was founded in Detroit by great-grandfather Morris Goldsmith in 1921, explains how chains like Panera and Einstein Bros. Bagels have changed the landscape of bagel-making throughout America (he recently added blueberry bagels to the menu), and clues us into what a “dogel” is (you can buy them online!).

Since that wasn’t enough food for us, the next morning we made a pilgrimage to Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan. We ate sandwiches and rugelach and sat down with owner Ari Weinzweig, who told us about the surprising Jewish anarchist roots of his iconic deli (his latest book is a pamphlet called Going into Business with Emma Goldman), his favorite menu offerings, and the upcoming Zingerman’s Food Tours trip to Israel.

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Come see us on tour!

December 5 – Port Washington, New York: Book talk
December 6-7 – Encinitas, California: An Unorthodox Shabbat and Unorthodox live show
December 9 – Phoenix: Unorthodox live show
December 15 – New Haven, Connecticut: Brunch and book talk
December 19 – St. Louis: Book talk
January 8, 2020 – Westport, Connecticut: Book talk

Copies of The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia will be sold and signed at each event. Like the book? Leave us a review on Amazon or Goodreads.

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Looking for the perfect Hanukkah gift for the foodie in your life? Get them Adeena Sussman’s new Israeli cookbook, Sababa. Named a best Fall 2019 cookbook by The New York Times and Bon Appetit, Sababa shares the vibrant flavors of Israeli home cooking. Get a copy of Sababa online or at your favorite bookstore.

Unorthodox is a smart, fresh, fun weekly take on Jewish news and culture hosted by Mark Oppenheimer, Stephanie Butnick, and Liel Leibovitz. You can listen to individual episodes here or subscribe on iTunes.