On a recent Friday afternoon at Kaufman’s Bagels and Delicatessen in Skokie, Illinois, people lined up at the simple deli counter and waited patiently to place their orders.
Toasted sesame bagel with salted lox slices, chive cream cheese, and tomato slices. Thinly sliced corned beef on rye with yellow mustard. 1 pound of tuna salad. Some warm potato knives for the road. This place has it all, with a deli on one side and a well-stocked bakery on the other.
Bette Dworkin has been the sole owner of Kaufamunds for 30 years. She took over her business from her parents, who bought the deli in 1984. She said her biggest competition is people’s memories.
“It’s what their mom used to make. It’s what their grandma used to make. It’s what they remember their holiday meals from,” she says of many catering orders. She said as she sat by the window during a break.
People have been coming to Kaufman’s home for more than 60 years for these classics. He is one of the few establishments in the area that has stood the test of time.
Now, Kaufman’s and other similar delis are being honored in an exhibit called “What She’s Having, I’ve Got” at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. The name comes from the famous deli scene in the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally.
This multimedia exhibit celebrates the evolution of American Jewish delis “as a community built on food.” It’s all part of an exploration of how Jewish immigrants and refugees, primarily from Central and Eastern Europe, adapted the traditions of their homelands to create a uniquely American phenomenon.
“Why would there be a show about the deli at the Holocaust Museum? It’s for the survivors who were involved in the business, who frequented the business, who worked in the business. So that’s something we really need to bring to the forefront. ” said Ariel Weininger, the museum’s chief curator of collections and exhibitions.
“When you’re sad, when you’re sad, what do you have?” A deli tray was delivered to Shiva’s house,” she said. “During simchas, bar mitzvahs, and family holidays, deli trays are sent home. So it’s comfort food for both joy and sadness.”
Weininger said the original exhibit was held at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, and planning for the Illinois debut took several years. She said she wanted to give the exhibit a Midwestern twist and highlight all of the Chicagoland area’s beloved Jewish delis, past and present.
Kaufman’s original deli meat slicer, affectionately known as “Baby Bertha,” is prominently displayed behind a glass display case that visitors see when they first walk into the show. It is installed in That’s because “Big Bertha” is still employed at the deli, Weininger said.
The original owner of the Kaufman family, Maury Kaufman, was a Holocaust survivor who, along with thousands of other Jews, immigrated to Skokie from Eastern Europe in the late 1940s. Skokie once had the largest concentration of Holocaust survivors outside of Israel. It was a big reason why neo-Nazis tried to hold a rally there in 1977.
When Dworkin’s parents first bought Kaufman’s in 1984, Dworkin said nearly all of Kaufman’s employees were Holocaust survivors. “I would say at least 80 percent of the employees, more than that, had numbers on their arms,” Dworkin told The World.
Places like Kaufman became an integral part of life in postwar America for the European Jewish refugees who settled here.
On a recent Friday morning, a group of chatty students mingled with older visitors to explore American Jewish culture, including the original neon deli sign of Nate’s Deli, made famous in the 1980s movie “The Blues.” I thoroughly enjoyed the sounds and sights of life at the deli. Aretha Franklin famously sang the song “Brothers”.
Jan Mozov was one of the many enthusiastic visitors to the exhibition. She remembers going to Ashekena’s, her favorite deli on Chicago’s north side, but only once a month, she said.
“We had no money,” she said. “But once a month we would always go out for Jewish food or go to Ashkenaz. It was like your biggest treat.”
Exhibits include old deli menus, matchbooks, and many memorabilia from these locations, and the walls feature black and white paintings featuring many of the original deli owners operating behind the counters. Photos are on display.
There is also a list of so-called Yiddish religions. Barabusta (“Good Housewife”) and Bissell (“only a little”)
Yiddish was once the most widespread language of European Jewish communities in the 19th century. This language became nearly extinct as many of its speakers were murdered in the Holocaust.
“I think it’s very important that Yiddish is breaking through that barrier,” Weininger said.
“Yiddish is now a language rarely used outside of the Orthodox Jewish community. Still, most of our relatives would have spoken it.”
Jan Mosov said the show is a good reminder that being Jewish has many different parts.
“It’s not just a religion, it’s a culture,” she says. “And people grew up in different areas and have different experiences.”
Jennifer Rosner of Highland Park agreed. She feels more culturally Jewish than religiously, and her food is central to good culture, she said.
Many older delis have long been closed, partly because their owners have passed away or moved away, or because food trends have changed.
But Rosner said he’s part of a new generation of deli enthusiasts and even hopes to open his own bagel shop someday.
“When I’m in a delicatessen, I feel closer to my heritage,” she said.