Event Details
January 27, 2025
Rescued Recipes from the Holocaust with Chef Alon Shaya and June Hersh
Time:
7:00 pm
Location:
Details
Rescued Recipes from the Holocaust
with Chef Alon Shaya and June Hersh
In Observance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Monday, January 27, 7 P.M.
Includes dinner, Q&A, and a chef demo
Whether in Auschwitz or Buchenwald, Dachau or Treblinka, memories of food haunted the starving prisoners: the taste of their mothers’ kasha varnishkes, the aroma of tzimmes and cholent permeating their homes. “Cooking with the mouth,” the captives called their constant conversations about the fat floating on the top of chicken soup, the simultaneous sweet and sour of stuffed cabbage, the pillowy softness of freshly baked challah.
The distraction of those memories provided a link to their humanity and was so enticing, some people even risked pilfering pieces of paper or fabric to record family recipes.
Alon Shaya, Chef and Co-Founder, Pomegranate Hospitality (New Orleans: Saba, Saba’s Lounge, Miss River and Chandelier Bar at Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans; Denver: Safta; Bahamas: Silan at Atlantis Paradise Island; Las Vegas: Safta 1964 at Wynn Las Vegas) Author, Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel.
Born in Israel, raised in Philadelphia, and a proud New Orleanian, Alon Shaya has always had a deep love and appreciation for food and the singular way restaurants anchor their communities. In 2017, he and his wife, Emily, founded Pomegranate Hospitality, whose restaurants include Saba (New Orleans), Safta (Denver), Miss River and Chandelier Bar at Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans, and Silan at Atlantis Paradise Island. Spring 2024 marked the debut of Safta 1964 at Wynn Las Vegas, a limited-run residency and the prequel to Safta.
Alon, a two-time James Beard Foundation Award winner, has been named one of the “50 People Who Are Changing the South” by Southern Living and one of the “50 Most Influential Jews in America” by The Forward. He is the co-founder of the Shaya Barnett Foundation, which provides culinary education and resources to high school students, and spearheaded the Rescued Recipes initiative with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, which has raised over $700,000 to date.
Born in Israel, raised in Philadelphia, and a proud New Orleanian, Alon Shaya has always had a deep love and appreciation for food and the singular way restaurants anchor their communities. In 2017, he and his wife, Emily, founded Pomegranate Hospitality, whose restaurants include Saba (New Orleans), Safta (Denver), Miss River and Chandelier Bar at Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans, and Silan at Atlantis Paradise Island. Spring 2024 marked the debut of Safta 1964 at Wynn Las Vegas, a limited-run residency and the prequel to Safta.
Alon, a two-time James Beard Foundation Award winner, has been named one of the “50 People Who Are Changing the South” by Southern Living and one of the “50 Most Influential Jews in America” by The Forward. He is the co-founder of the Shaya Barnett Foundation, which provides culinary education and resources to high school students, and spearheaded the Rescued Recipes initiative with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, which has raised over $700,000 to date.
June Hersh is the best-selling author of Food, Hope & Resilience; Authentic Recipes and Remarkable Stories from Holocaust Survivors (formerly known as Recipes Remembered a Celebration of Survival.) The book has sold over 20,000 copies, with all its proceeds going to charity. She has also penned the widely acclaimed Iconic New York Jewish Food, a History and Guide with Recipes which the New York Times called “authoritative”, and the NY Daily News said, “Is as overstuffed as a deli sandwich”.
Her prior books include The Kosher Carnivore, Still Here, Inspiration from Survivors and Liberators of the Holocaust, Yoghurt a Global History (which has been translated into Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic).
June just completed her second book for The History Press tentatively entitled Serving UPstate New York, a History and Guide with Recipes. June is a regular contributor to Westchester Magazine and various food publications. She has been a guest on TV, radio, and podcasts and was a featured guest on QVC’s In the Kitchen with David. June travels the country as a speaker on the topic of the Holocaust and preserving Jewish food memory for organizations such as the Jewish Book Council, Hadassah, and UJA Federation. She is a proud member of Les Dames d’ Escoffier, the exclusive culinary organization of women in the food industry. June’s books all have a charitable flavor as she aspires to Eat Well-Do Good by donating her proceeds to charity.
June Hersh and Chef Alon Shaya are currently at work on a book for Harper Collins, as they explore stories from WWII through the lens of food.
June Hersh and Chef Alon Shaya are currently at work on a book for Harper Collins, as they explore stories from WWII through the lens of food.
VIP: includes event ticket, and pre-event reception with the authors at 6 P.M.
Food, Hope & Resilience; Authentic Recipes and Remarkable Stories from Holocaust Survivors and Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel will be available for purchase at the event.
A book signing will follow the event for those who would like their books personalized.
Cancellations up to 48 hours prior to the event will be credited to your account.
For more information, contact Liron Regev at [email protected]
Food, Hope & Resilience; Authentic Recipes and Remarkable Stories from Holocaust Survivors and Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel will be available for purchase at the event.
A book signing will follow the event for those who would like their books personalized.
Cancellations up to 48 hours prior to the event will be credited to your account.
For more information, contact Liron Regev at [email protected]