H eadlines
Iconic Italian Market in New York City Has a
Lengthy, Unexpected Jewish History
NATIONAL LEAH SIESFELD | JTA.ORG
TEITEL BROTHERS, the
105-year-old Italian provisions
store on Arthur Avenue in the
Bronx, is not Italian at all. In
fact, Teitel Brothers is the only
existing store in the Bronx’s
Little Italy — the real Little
Italy — with Jewish roots.

Arthur Avenue is a gem in
New York City’s cultural and
culinary crown. It’s authenti-
cally Italian with a selection of
paneterie, pasticcerie, salumerie
and pescherie — food stores that
specialize in one type of product:
bread, pastry, meat and fish. As
customers bustle through stores
you can even hear the Italian
“Buona giornata!”
is easy to do when taking in the
hanging prosciutto di Parma
above and the olive bar to your
right, you will miss the Jewish
history right below your feet.

At the entrance to the store is a
Star of David mosaic.

I sat down with Eddie Teitel,
one of three brothers who runs
the family-owned shop with
their father, Gilbert, to find
out how Jewish immigrants
from Austria built a successful
Italian grocery store.

Unlike most
Jew ish
immigrants who assimilated
to New York’s Lower East Side
in the early 20th century, Jacob
At the entrance to the iconic Italian store is a Star of David mosaic.
Courtesy Teitel Brothers and Morris Teitel, tailors from
Austria, arrived in 1912 and
At the corner of Arthur is the eponymous store. Outside the best-priced Rao’s tomato headed north to the Italian
Avenue and 186th Street, also is an eye-catching, colorful sauce in all of New York City.

named Teitel Brothers Avenue, display of pastas, olive oils and If you don’t look down, which
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J E W I S H E X P O N E N T . C O M / S U B M I T - M A Z E L - T O V
12 OCTOBER 22, 2020
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