What Makes A Food Jewish?

About Joel Haber:

Joel Haber researches, writes about and lectures on the topic of Jewish Food history, with a focus on understanding Jewish culture and history via our foods. His writing appears on his blog (https://www.tasteofjew.com/) along with articles in such publications as The Nosher, Tablet, Tradition, and The Jewish Journal. He has lectured extensively, both online and in-person in multiple countries. Joel is currently writing a book that examines Shabbat stews from around the world, using them as a way of tracing the routes of Jewish migrations throughout history. In connection, he recently published the cookbook Chulent & Hamin: The Ultimate Jewish Comfort Food (https://www.tasteofjew.com/free-shabbat-stew-cookbook/).

Joel has also worked as a licensed tour guide in Israel for nearly a decade. In addition to hundreds of tours of a general nature, his most popular single tour is a culinary tasting and history tour in Jerusalem’s famous open-air market, Shuk Machane Yehuda. Nearly 4,000 individuals have already joined him on that tour, along with countless others who have joined a virtual version via Zoom.

Joel was born and raised in New Jersey, lived for many excellent years in both New York City and Los Angeles, and immigrated to Israel in March 2009. He is proud to live in the special city of Jerusalem.