arts & culture
‘I’ll Have What She’s Having’
A very 2023 history of Jewish delis in America
Fran Kritz
Photos Fran Kritz
T here’s a lot of nostalgia
to behold on a tour of “I’ll
Have What She’s Having,”
a historical view of Jewish delica-
tessens in America, now on exhibit
at the New York Historical Society
in New York City through April 2.

I could explain the title but why
not just let anyone not in on the
joke laugh at the clip from “When
Harry met Sally” about two thirds
of the way through the exhibit.

“I’ll have What She’s Having”
is the creation of curators at the
Skirball Cultural Center in Los
Angeles and takes about an hour.

(You’ll leave hungry.) Photos,
The protected in a glass case blue
signage, artifacts and fi lm clips
seltzer bottle with silver spigot will make
make up the exhibit, and an inter-
any grandparents in the group misty.

active kiosk lets you design your
own sandwich.

Placards next to artifacts explain the odd choice for a word in a Jewish deli
deli’s history as the food of immigrants, exhibit.) Plastic models of hot dogs and
and marvel (maybe too much) at the noodle kugel don’t add to the appeal
popularity of the genre. The exhibit’s but the (protected in a glass case) blue
curators include a specialist in immigrant seltzer bottle with silver spigot will make
food cultures and explain that the waves any grandparents in the group misty.

of Jewish immigrants, fi rst from German
Youngsters, including those in their
and then from eastern Europe from the 40s and 50s, may be surprised by the
1880s to the 1920s, brought their own smoking paraphernalia, but smoking
foods from their own cities and countries and Jewish delis shared a heyday.

resulting in the amalgamation of foods Matchboxes from the leading delica-
we now call deli cuisine — including tessens adorn a wall, and the cigarette
smoked meats, smoked fi sh, bagels, vending machine on display has packs
pickles, chicken soup and rugelach.

still in the slots.

The history speaks to the diffi cult
Plan to spend some time on the history
beginnings of immigrants, and is worth of non-Jewish hawkers of Levi’s Jewish rye
noting now that D.C.’s Call Your Mother bread — including Malcolm X. And photos
Café, which labels itself “Jew-ish” sports of political candidates, including Hillary
a $14 tuna sandwich. With delis on the Clinton during her successful New York
wane in some parts, ingredient explana- run for Senate, help explain the promi-
tions for such items as rye and pumper- nence of delis in many urban centers.

nickel bread are, sadly, helpful.

The exhibit asks, and attempts
The Yiddish glossary, literally writ large, to answer, the question of why delis
doesn’t come with phonics, so stand inspired artists, writers, comedians and
near a native speaker if you don’t speak fi lm makers. One possibility: “It is a place
the language to learn how to pronounce where characters can demonstrate or
“tsuris” (trouble), “mishpucha” (family) celebrate their Jewish identity outside
and “bissel” (a small amount, and an of private or religious spheres.” That’s
certainly a “Discuss” opportunity for the
trip home.

Far harder to reconcile is the exhib-
it’s take on the Holocaust. In an exhibit
about Jews and their contribution to the
culture of the world, a placard about the
Holocaust informs viewers that “More than
eleven million people, including six million
Jews, were systematically murdered by
the Nazis and their collaborators.” Asked
about why the murder of Jews doesn’t’
come fi rst in an exhibit about Jewish
culture, Cate Thurston, one of the Skirball
curators, explains that Skirball believes it
needs to teach within the context of Jews
being a part of the larger world around
them. To me, it diminished the catastro-
phe that was the Holocaust, as well as the
importance of the exhibit.

The last placard in the exhibit
celebrates the reimagining of delis by
emerging restaurants like a “pastrami
hash in a jar” at one new Brooklyn
café. Despite the photo, the museum
seems unconvinced. The fi rst fl oor
restaurant has three (non-kosher) deli
items on its menu for the duration
of the exhibit including pastrami on
rye, chicken soup and a smoked fi sh
platter. No hash. No jar. ■
“I’ll Have What She’s Having” at the
New York Historical Society through
April 2, at 170 Central Park West in
New York City. For tickets and hours
call 212-873-3400, or order online at
nyhistory.org/. Tickets range from free
to $22.

Fran Kritz is a freelance writer.

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