Kosher history: a timeline

[Gifted Gourmet]

from Kosher Today Magazine

The development of the kosher food industry in the United States is closely aligned with Jewish migration. The arrival of millions of Jews, escaping persecution in other parts of the world, introduced kosher to these shores. The following is a brief chronological review of some of the highlights of kosher in this country, beginning with its origin in the Bible.

1312 BC

The wandering Jews are sustained by "manna," which falls daily from the heavens. Two portions fall on Friday, so that the Israelites will have food for the Sabbath as well....

1275 BC

The Torah, given from God to Moses on Mount Sinai, imposes dietary restrictions that form the basis for kosher food requirements. Among these restrictions is a ban upon mixing meat and dairy products ...

1654

The story of kosher food in America begins when twenty-three Sephardic Jews arrived in New Amsterdam....

1869

One popular seltzer drink was Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray Tonic, which was sold in every Jewish New York deli. A doctor who treated immigrant children on the Lower East Side developed this seltzer, filled with celery seeds and sugar, in 1869. "Generation after generation was weaned on the stuff," ...

This is quite interesting reading!

What surprised you in this?

[Pam R]

1312 BC

The wandering Jews are sustained by "manna," which falls daily from the heavens. Two portions fall on Friday, so that the Israelites will have food for the Sabbath as well....

2006

The still wondering Jewish are sustained by today's kosher manufacturers who supply the world's kosher consumers with the 'can't live without' Gummy Gefilte Fish, non-flour Pasta, Flower Shaped Marshmallows and of course, kosher for Passover ice cream.

This history is very interesting to me. Nothing too surprising. But I found this interesting:

1654

The story of kosher food in America begins when twenty-three Sephardic Jews arrived in New Amsterdam.

For some reason I always think of the Sephardi Jews arriving to NA later than the Ashkenazim. I don't know why exactly, but I do.

[Pan]

Well, that's not the way it happened, Pam. The first Jewish immigrants to what's now the United States came from Brazil, where they had sought asylum from Iberia. Brazil was briefly a Dutch colony. When the Portuguese took over Brazil, they brought the Inquisition there, so Jews sailed from Brazil to first Newport, Rhode Island, and then New York and Charleston, South Carolina (I think some also ended up in Savannah, Georgia and some other places). Undoubtedly, they brought traditions of kosher Iberian food with them.

The first major wave of Ashkenazic immigration was after the failure of the 1848 revolution in Germany. Those political refugees tended to be highly educated and come with money, and they were responsible to a large degree for the current shape of cultural life in the US and also opened big department stores (Gimbels, etc.). They and their German Christian brethren also opened a lot of beer halls in places like the lower part of Manhattan, which was known as Neues Deutschland.

It was only starting around the 1880s that a very big wave of immigration of Jews (and non-Jews) from Eastern Europe (Poland, Romania, Russia) began. That wave of immigration changed the nature of North American culture and food irrevocably (pastrami, bagels, bialys, knishes, etc.), but by the time it started, there had been Jews in North American cities like New York for some 230 years. Yes, there were already some Polish Jews in the US in the 18th century, but they were still very much the exception back then.

[Alexis]

The same thing happened in England. When Jews were readmitted by Cromwell in 1656, they were Sephardim. The Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue (Bevis Marks) is the oldest congregation in London.

Of course, more recent developments are important too--Heinz Vegetarian Beans was the first product to carry the OU, 1923. (2004, I move to the UK and discover Heinz Baked Beans are treif! )

[scubadoo97]

The way I heard it was Moses was on Mt Sinai and G-d told him not to seethe a calf in it’s mother’s milk. Moses replied so we are not to mix milk and meat. G-d replied Moses do not seethe a calf in it’s mother’s milk. Moses answered so we must wait at least 4 hours between eating meat and milk. G-d replied do not seethe a calf in it’s mother’s milk. Moses answered so we must have separate dishes for milk and meat.

G-d finally replied, alright Moses have it your way.

[Pam R]

Of course, more recent developments are important too--Heinz Vegetarian Beans was the first product to carry the OU, 1923. (2004, I move to the UK and discover Heinz Baked Beans are treif! )

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Welcome to eGullet Alexis!

And Heinz baked beans used to be kosher in Canada, but now are not. Though several Canadian snowbirds have found and purchased said beans in Florida, with a hechsher. The label said they were made in Canada.

Pan (et al) - I think my view on the Jewish immigrants is skewed due to the very small Sephardic population where I'm from. Add to that the tradition of all of the Ashkenazie foods... I just don't see the whole picture. Thanks to all the eGulleters who are constantly teaching me new things!

[Shaya]

Pan (et al) - I think my view on the Jewish immigrants is skewed due to the very small Sephardic population where I'm from.  Add to that the tradition of all of the Ashkenazie foods...  I just don't see the whole picture.    Thanks to all the eGulleters who are constantly teaching me new things!

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Pam - I had the same impression as you, given the predominant Ashkenazie population where I live. Without my family around, I find myself wondering how my little boys are going to pick up the Sephardic traditions and culture (outside of the food I prepare, of course ).

Alexis, I know that Synagogue well - shivered through my cousin's November wedding there 10 years ago, I will never forget it!

[mark922]

Pan (et al) - I think my view on the Jewish immigrants is skewed due to the very small Sephardic population where I'm from.  Add to that the tradition of all of the Ashkenazie foods...  I just don't see the whole picture.      Thanks to all the eGulleters who are constantly teaching me new things!

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Pam - I had the same impression as you, given the predominant Ashkenazie population where I live. Without my family around, I find myself wondering how my little boys are going to pick up the Sephardic traditions and culture (outside of the food I prepare, of course ).

Alexis, I know that Synagogue well - shivered through my cousin's November wedding there 10 years ago, I will never forget it!

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I would be very interested in learning about some of the Sephardic food traditions. Perhaps you would be willing to share?

[scubadoo97]

I would be very interested in learning about some of the Sephardic food traditions.  Perhaps you would be willing to share?

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Since Passover is just around the corner, here are a couple of links that highlight some of the Sephardic Passover traditions

http://www.angelfire.com/pa2/passover/seph...vercustoms.html

Here is a Middle Eastern or Mizrahi Jewish take on it as well which is what I'm familiar with.

http://www.ahaba.org/zeman.asp?id=2