From Amazon
The food at The 2nd Ave. Deli is what your grandmother, mother, or a friend's family cooked. (Especially if you are not Jewish but loved being well fed.) From its recipes for Schmalz (the rendered chicken fat indispensable to real, old-fashioned Jewish dishes) and what is arguably the best chopped liver in the world, to Health Salad (a mayonnaise-less, sweet coleslaw), potato kugel (a dense, crisp-crusted pudding), six versions of chicken soup, a Honey Chiffon Cake served for Jewish New Year, and Mandelbrot, an almond-studded Jewish biscotti, this cookbook offers the best of the hefty, soul-satisfying Jewish cooking that is the ultimate comfort food.
Having survived World War II, and, at 19, hungry to succeed, Abe Lebewohl arrived in New York City in 1950, a Jewish immigrant from Russia. His first job was working in a deli on Coney Island. In 1954, he took over the tiny luncheonette near New York's bustling Lower East Side, which he renamed the 2nd Ave. Deli. From that day forward, he looked after his customers (and everyone else he felt needed it) with spontaneous generosity. The stories in this book from his daughter and other people who knew Abe bring to life the passion and love he served along with the best authentic Jewish home cooking--making it clear why he was called the Mayor of Second Avenue. The deli, a magnet for tourists and New York City locals, is now also a memorial to Abe Lebewohl, who was killed in 1996 during a robbery after the restaurant had closed for the night. His daughter wrote this cookbook as a memorial to him, as well as to share the family's recipes for elemental Jewish cooking. Its 166 recipes, black-and-white photographs, and inspiring text make this a joyful celebration by his family and friends. --Dana Jacobi
From Publishers Weekly
This is a cookbook that will bring a tear to readers' eyes, and not just because it will have them chopping four onions for Chopped Liver. In 1996, Abe Lebewohl, owner of New York's famed Second Avenue Deli, was murdered; now Sharon, Lebewohl's daughter and current deli steward, and food writer Bulkin present recipes from the New York establishment as well as touching and funny anecdotes from the many people who adored him. The famous and less-famous contribute recipes along with their stories: food critic Mimi Sheraton recalls hearing Lebewohl explain matzo ball soup to a Japanese journalist (a monologue that included an overview of the Old Testament) and offers her Favorite Matzo Balls. Alfred Portale, chef and owner at the swanky Gotham Bar and Grill, recalls Lebewohl's generous praise and provides a recipe for Whole Roast Red Snapper with Tomatoes, Lemon and Thyme. Lebewohl, who was such a friend to working people that he once provided free lunches to striking NBC workers for 21 weeks, would appreciate the profile of veteran waitress Diane Kassner, famous for her quips (Customer: How is the stuffed breast of veal served? Diane: On a plate). Recipes from the restaurant itself are traditional Eastern European Jewish fareAe.g., Kreplach and Gefilte Fish. There are also a smattering of such Middle Eastern dishes as Falafel and Tabbouleh and a few concessions to today's lighter eating habits (Turkey Meat Loaf and Broiled Fillet of Sole ? la Second Avenue). The latter recipes belie a talk Lebewohl once gave on the topic "Is Deli Dying in New York?" where he quipped: "What am I gonna tell you? My food will kill you." (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"Restaurant cookbooks may make your mouth water, but rarely do they stir your soul, or put a smile on your face. The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook is an exception. Like the fabled eating establishment whose recipes it contains, it manages to do all three.The Second Avenue Deli experience is always about more than just eating. Until now, you had to be in New York to have that experience. But with the publication of this grand book of recipes and stories, the lusty flavor--and the irrepressible spirit--of Abe Lebewohl's landmark restaurant become transportable. And what a lucky thing that is, for they are a treasure."
--Cara De Silva, author of In Memory's Kitchen
"'You'll eat. We'll talk later,' Abe Lebewohl said to me once, when I sat down amid the aromas of his Deli to interview him. I ate--holishkes; borscht the way Abe made it, with chunks of beef; and chicken livers. We talked, ate rugalach, and we were finished. I thought. As I was walking out Abe yelled after me, 'Don't forget, just because you write for a fancy-schmancy magazine, that cholent is Lower East Side cassoulet.' I didn't forget, Abe. Kisses."
--Fred Ferretti, contributing editor, Gourmet
"The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook is a wonderful collection of recipes and anecdotes that truly captures the essence of a wonderful restaurant and special man. Enjoy!"
--Drew Nieporent, president of Myriad Restaurant Group, owner of Nobu, Tribeca Grill, Heartbeat, Layla
"It would be hard to find anything as wholly delicious as the Second Avenue Deli, but this savory book comes close. Not only is it full of tempting, eminently doable recipes, but it recalls the warm spirit of the Deli itself, and of dear, generous Abe Lebewohl, who would consider this collection a fitting eulogy."
--Mimi Sheraton, noted food journalist and former food critic for The New York Times
--Cara De Silva, author of In Memory's Kitchen
"'You'll eat. We'll talk later,' Abe Lebewohl said to me once, when I sat down amid the aromas of his Deli to interview him. I ate--holishkes; borscht the way Abe made it, with chunks of beef; and chicken livers. We talked, ate rugalach, and we were finished. I thought. As I was walking out Abe yelled after me, 'Don't forget, just because you write for a fancy-schmancy magazine, that cholent is Lower East Side cassoulet.' I didn't forget, Abe. Kisses."
--Fred Ferretti, contributing editor, Gourmet
"The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook is a wonderful collection of recipes and anecdotes that truly captures the essence of a wonderful restaurant and special man. Enjoy!"
--Drew Nieporent, president of Myriad Restaurant Group, owner of Nobu, Tribeca Grill, Heartbeat, Layla
"It would be hard to find anything as wholly delicious as the Second Avenue Deli, but this savory book comes close. Not only is it full of tempting, eminently doable recipes, but it recalls the warm spirit of the Deli itself, and of dear, generous Abe Lebewohl, who would consider this collection a fitting eulogy."
--Mimi Sheraton, noted food journalist and former food critic for The New York Times
Book Description
The Second Avenue Deli has been an internationally renowned Gotham landmark for nearly half a century. Over the years, its founder, Abe Lebewohl, provided the best Jewish fare in town, transforming his tiny ten-seat Village eatery into a New York institution.
The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook contains more than 160 of Abe Lebewohl's recipes, including all of the Deli's peerless renditions of traditional Jewish dishes: chicken soup with matzo balls, chopped liver, gefilte fish, kasha varnishkes, mushroom barley soup, noodle kugel, potato latkes, blintzes, and many more. These versatile dishes are perfect for any occasion--from holiday dinners to Sunday brunches with friends and family.
The late Abe Lebewohl was a great restaurateur in the showman tradition and a well-known and much-loved New York personality. His famous Deli attracted hundreds of celebrity patrons, many of whom have graciously contributed to this cookbook not only personal reminiscences but also recipes, running the gamut from Morley Safer's family brisket to Paul Reiser's formula for the perfect egg cream. A wonderful blend of New York and Jewish history and mouthwatering recipes, The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook provides a delicious taste of nostalgia.
The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook contains more than 160 of Abe Lebewohl's recipes, including all of the Deli's peerless renditions of traditional Jewish dishes: chicken soup with matzo balls, chopped liver, gefilte fish, kasha varnishkes, mushroom barley soup, noodle kugel, potato latkes, blintzes, and many more. These versatile dishes are perfect for any occasion--from holiday dinners to Sunday brunches with friends and family.
The late Abe Lebewohl was a great restaurateur in the showman tradition and a well-known and much-loved New York personality. His famous Deli attracted hundreds of celebrity patrons, many of whom have graciously contributed to this cookbook not only personal reminiscences but also recipes, running the gamut from Morley Safer's family brisket to Paul Reiser's formula for the perfect egg cream. A wonderful blend of New York and Jewish history and mouthwatering recipes, The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook provides a delicious taste of nostalgia.
From the Back Cover
"Restaurant cookbooks may make your mouth water, but rarely do they stir your soul, or put a smile on your face. The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook is an exception. Like the fabled eating establishment whose recipes it contains, it manages to do all three.The Second Avenue Deli experience is always about more than just eating. Until now, you had to be in New York to have that experience. But with the publication of this grand book of recipes and stories, the lusty flavor--and the irrepressible spirit--of Abe Lebewohl's landmark restaurant become transportable. And what a lucky thing that is, for they are a treasure."
--Cara De Silva, author of In Memory's Kitchen
"'You'll eat. We'll talk later,' Abe Lebewohl said to me once, when I sat down amid the aromas of his Deli to interview him. I ate--holishkes; borscht the way Abe made it, with chunks of beef; and chicken livers. We talked, ate rugalach, and we were finished. I thought. As I was walking out Abe yelled after me, 'Don't forget, just because you write for a fancy-schmancy magazine, that cholent is Lower East Side cassoulet.' I didn't forget, Abe. Kisses."
--Fred Ferretti, contributing editor, Gourmet
"The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook is a wonderful collection of recipes and anecdotes that truly captures the essence of a wonderful restaurant and special man. Enjoy!"
--Drew Nieporent, president of Myriad Restaurant Group, owner of Nobu, Tribeca Grill, Heartbeat, Layla
"It would be hard to find anything as wholly delicious as the Second Avenue Deli, but this savory book comes close. Not only is it full of tempting, eminently doable recipes, but it recalls the warm spirit of the Deli itself, and of dear, generous Abe Lebewohl, who would consider this collection a fitting eulogy."
--Mimi Sheraton, noted food journalist and former food critic for The New York Times
About the Author
Born with a soupspoon in her mouth, Sharon Lebewohl grew up in the deli business, working at the Second Ave-nue Deli and learning her father's secret recipes firsthand. Since her father's death in 1996, Sharon has worked with his brother, Jack, to oversee the Deli's daily operations and to ensure that her father's spirit is kept alive there. She is deeply rooted in the Jewish community and is active in many Jewish women's groups. Sharon is also the mother of three teenagers.
Rena Bulkin began her career in Paris, writing about European hotels and restaurants for The New York Times International Edition. Returning to her native Manhattan after several years abroad, she worked first at The New Yorker and then at New York magazine. She has written fifteen Arthur Frommer travel guides, as well as numerous magazine articles on travel, food, and other subjects. A close friend of the late Abe Lebewohl's, she has a long history with the Second Avenue Deli, where she has worked on many public-relations campaigns.
Rena Bulkin began her career in Paris, writing about European hotels and restaurants for The New York Times International Edition. Returning to her native Manhattan after several years abroad, she worked first at The New Yorker and then at New York magazine. She has written fifteen Arthur Frommer travel guides, as well as numerous magazine articles on travel, food, and other subjects. A close friend of the late Abe Lebewohl's, she has a long history with the Second Avenue Deli, where she has worked on many public-relations campaigns.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook is more than a collection of a legendary New York restaurant's cherished recipes. For many years, the Deli's founder, Abe Lebewohl, talked about revealing the secrets of his traditional Jewish specialties--chicken soup with matzo balls, hearty cholent, grandmotherly gefilte fish, stuffed cabbage, and all the rest. But, tragically, in 1996, before he ever got the project under way, Abe was brutally murdered as he prepared to deposit the previous day's earnings in an East Village bank.
Abe was an exceptional person--exuberant, funny, compassionate--a brilliant businessman and a great humanitarian. His death generated national television and radio coverage, as well as dozens of heartfelt editorials and obituaries in New York City newspapers. And his funeral was so widely attended that the Community Synagogue on East Sixth Street, where it took place, was filled far beyond its fifteen-hundred-seat capacity. The hundreds of people who could not even find standing room in the shul filled the entire street, building to building, between First and Second Avenues. Traffic had to be rerouted by police barricades, and every stoop and fire escape was crowded with mourners. Unable to hear the funeral service inside, they stood in silence for its duration to honor him.
Abe--who fed every homeless person who walked into the Deli hungry--has been called "the Jewish Mother Teresa." At his death, even those who knew and loved him best learned for the first time just how many people his life had touched. Because Abe never spoke about it, no one will ever know the extent of his charity, which embraced not only Jewish causes but also almost any person or group who ever asked for his help. Among the funeral mourners, we heard nuns telling a reporter, "He was so good to us." Abe's legendary generosity manifested itself in every conceivable arena. A tremendous enthusiast for any cause that moved him, he gave away mountains of food to politicians he supported, fed striking workers (when there was a strike at NBC in 1987, he provided sandwiches to the picketers every day for twenty-one weeks), and delivered trays of free food to a local Ukrainian travel agency in celebration of the Ukraine's independence from the Soviet Union. Whenever anything moved or excited him, Abe sent food.
In his restaurant, both customers and employees were treated like family. No one--not even a busboy--ever called him Mr. Lebewohl; he was always Abie, always warm, caring, and accessible.
So though this book is primarily a restaurant cookbook filled with wonderful recipes, it is also something more: a tribute to the beloved Abe Lebewohl, whose life was an inspiration to everyone who knew him.
Dozens of his famous customers, who were also his friends--politicians, media people, top New York chefs, actors, and others--have joined us in this tribute. You'll find their loving reminiscences of Abe, along with their favorite recipes, throughout this book.
In further tribute, we'd like to share with our readers the history of the Second Avenue Deli, which is integrally entwined with the history of the Lebewohl family.
A Dollar and a Dream
Abe Lebewohl once said he came to America in 1950 at the age of nineteen "with a dollar and a dream." Actually, the dollar was questionable, but the dream--of a successful life in America--was empowered by the rigors of his childhood (which he wished to put behind him), by a family tradition of courage in the face of adversity, and by his own immense vitality. The story of the Lebewohl family--a remarkable story, but one shared by thousands of immigrants who rebuilt Diaspora-shattered lives in America--is a testament to the ever-hopeful human spirit, sustained in the face of the most daunting prior experience.
Born in Lvov, Poland, in 1931 to a comfortable middle-class family, Abe's briefly secure life was shattered in 1939, when Stalin joined forces with Hitler, Poland was divided, and Lvov became part of the Soviet Union. A year later, Abe's father, Efraim, owner of a small lumber mill, was condemned as a capitalist, arrested, and sentenced without trial to ten years' hard labor in Siberia. The business was seized by the government, and, a week later, Abe and his mother, Ethel--forced to leave all their possessions behind--were taken to the railway station, herded into cattle cars, and deported to Kazakhstan in Central Asia.
Thousands of miles away, in Siberia, Efraim was put to work as a logger, enduring long hours balancing on rolling logs in freezing waters. A fall from the logs--not an uncommon occurrence among prisoners--meant instant death; before a man even had a chance to drown, he'd be crushed by the oncoming logs. It was a job for a young, athletic man in excellent condition, not a middle-aged businessman debilitated, emotionally and physically, by cold, hunger, and despair. Efraim later told Abe that his intense desire to reunite with his family focused his concentration and kept him from falling to his death.
Similarly, Ethel Lebewohl--devastated by the soul-numbing loss of everything she held dear, and unsure if she'd ever see her husband again--had to rally immediately in order to survive. She found work in a restaurant, and sent Abe to a local school. When school let out every afternoon, she'd seat him at an inconspicuous table in the restaurant and sneak him nourishing food while he did his homework.
In 1941, fate favored the Lebewohls; the Russians granted amnesty to all Polish political prisoners, and Efraim was released from the labor camp. A fellow prisoner he had befriended in Siberia, future Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin, wanted Efraim to accompany him to Palestine via Iran, but Efraim's first goal was to find his family. By the time he located Abe and Ethel, it was too late to get out of the country. The Lebewohls had to remain in Kazakhstan through the remainder of the war, scrounging at odd jobs to keep food on the table. When the war ended, they returned to Lvov, to see if they could find any of their relatives alive. Everyone--grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends--had been killed by the Nazis. Ironically, Efraim's arrest, and his family's forced deportation, had saved their lives.
The small group of surviving Jews in Lvov (most of whom had been hidden by Gentiles) were given a choice: they could become either Russian or Polish citizens. The Lebewohls chose Poland and were sent to Waldenburg, a new territory the Poles had reacquired from East Germany when Europe was reconstituted after the war. All the Germans living there were expelled, and their homes were given to Jews. After years of horror, the family enjoyed a brief respite from danger. But when, eight months later, forty Jews were killed by Polish anti-Semites in a bordering town, they decided to leave Waldenburg and settle in Palestine. Since the British were allowing very few Jews to enter, it was necessary to emigrate illegally. The family made its way to Italy, where they planned to board a ship for Palestine. At the last minute, however, Ethel Lebewohl had a change of heart: having survived the Holocaust, she could not bear to risk her son's life in the Israeli fight for independence. Efraim agreed, and despite strong protests from the young Abe, a fervent Zionist, the family decided to stay put until they could emigrate to America. For several years, they were forced to reside in a displaced-persons' camp in Barletta, Italy, under the auspices of the United Nations. Abe's brother, Jack, who today runs the Deli, was born in that DP camp in 1948. Abe was then seventeen, and more than half his life had been spent fleeing persecution. The Lebewohls remained in the camp until 1950, when they were given the opportunity to come to America. The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society found them housing on Lafayette Street in Manhattan, in the building that is today Joseph Papp's Public Theater.
Becoming an American
Nineteen-year-old Abe, desperate to make a success of himself in America, immediately began to study English. His teacher--also a greenhorn, but one who had arrived a few years earlier--tried to pass along the rudiments of American culture with the language. He told the class that all Americans chewed gum and were fanatical about baseball, so Abe chewed gum and memorized baseball stats and lore. A more realistic view of American life came from his daily reading--dictionary in hand--of every word in The New York Times, a habit that lasted a lifetime, eventually, of course, without a dictionary. Efraim found a menial job polishing display fixtures in a factory, and Ethel went to work for a tie manufacturer. Both of his parents wanted Abe to go back to school, but he insisted on working as well.
His first job was in a Coney Island deli, where he was employed as a soda jerk. During lunch breaks, he volunteered to help out behind the counter, where he could better observe the restaurant's operation. He soon graduated to the coveted position of counterman. Over the next few years, he worked in a number of deli kitchens, gleaning the secrets of superlative pastrami and other traditional Jewish delicacies.
In 1954, with a few thousand dollars he had miraculously managed to set aside, Abe took over a tiny ten-seat luncheonette on East Tenth Street--the nucleus of the Second Avenue Deli. Working around the clock for years--often filling in as cook, counterman, waiter, and even busboy--he put all his time and energy into making a success of his tiny establishment. (When he started dating his wife, Eleanor, in 1957, Abe told her he owned a restaurant. One day, she traveled down from her Bronx home to see it for herself. When she walked in and saw him sweeping up, she thought he'd lied to her. Only after she asked someone who the owner was, and they pointed to Abe, did she believe the restaurant was actually his.) For the first decade, the entire enterprise was touch-and-go. Bankruptcy often loomed; when money was tight, Abe moonlighted at other jobs to keep the restaurant going. He frequently despaired that he wa...
Abe was an exceptional person--exuberant, funny, compassionate--a brilliant businessman and a great humanitarian. His death generated national television and radio coverage, as well as dozens of heartfelt editorials and obituaries in New York City newspapers. And his funeral was so widely attended that the Community Synagogue on East Sixth Street, where it took place, was filled far beyond its fifteen-hundred-seat capacity. The hundreds of people who could not even find standing room in the shul filled the entire street, building to building, between First and Second Avenues. Traffic had to be rerouted by police barricades, and every stoop and fire escape was crowded with mourners. Unable to hear the funeral service inside, they stood in silence for its duration to honor him.
Abe--who fed every homeless person who walked into the Deli hungry--has been called "the Jewish Mother Teresa." At his death, even those who knew and loved him best learned for the first time just how many people his life had touched. Because Abe never spoke about it, no one will ever know the extent of his charity, which embraced not only Jewish causes but also almost any person or group who ever asked for his help. Among the funeral mourners, we heard nuns telling a reporter, "He was so good to us." Abe's legendary generosity manifested itself in every conceivable arena. A tremendous enthusiast for any cause that moved him, he gave away mountains of food to politicians he supported, fed striking workers (when there was a strike at NBC in 1987, he provided sandwiches to the picketers every day for twenty-one weeks), and delivered trays of free food to a local Ukrainian travel agency in celebration of the Ukraine's independence from the Soviet Union. Whenever anything moved or excited him, Abe sent food.
In his restaurant, both customers and employees were treated like family. No one--not even a busboy--ever called him Mr. Lebewohl; he was always Abie, always warm, caring, and accessible.
So though this book is primarily a restaurant cookbook filled with wonderful recipes, it is also something more: a tribute to the beloved Abe Lebewohl, whose life was an inspiration to everyone who knew him.
Dozens of his famous customers, who were also his friends--politicians, media people, top New York chefs, actors, and others--have joined us in this tribute. You'll find their loving reminiscences of Abe, along with their favorite recipes, throughout this book.
In further tribute, we'd like to share with our readers the history of the Second Avenue Deli, which is integrally entwined with the history of the Lebewohl family.
A Dollar and a Dream
Abe Lebewohl once said he came to America in 1950 at the age of nineteen "with a dollar and a dream." Actually, the dollar was questionable, but the dream--of a successful life in America--was empowered by the rigors of his childhood (which he wished to put behind him), by a family tradition of courage in the face of adversity, and by his own immense vitality. The story of the Lebewohl family--a remarkable story, but one shared by thousands of immigrants who rebuilt Diaspora-shattered lives in America--is a testament to the ever-hopeful human spirit, sustained in the face of the most daunting prior experience.
Born in Lvov, Poland, in 1931 to a comfortable middle-class family, Abe's briefly secure life was shattered in 1939, when Stalin joined forces with Hitler, Poland was divided, and Lvov became part of the Soviet Union. A year later, Abe's father, Efraim, owner of a small lumber mill, was condemned as a capitalist, arrested, and sentenced without trial to ten years' hard labor in Siberia. The business was seized by the government, and, a week later, Abe and his mother, Ethel--forced to leave all their possessions behind--were taken to the railway station, herded into cattle cars, and deported to Kazakhstan in Central Asia.
Thousands of miles away, in Siberia, Efraim was put to work as a logger, enduring long hours balancing on rolling logs in freezing waters. A fall from the logs--not an uncommon occurrence among prisoners--meant instant death; before a man even had a chance to drown, he'd be crushed by the oncoming logs. It was a job for a young, athletic man in excellent condition, not a middle-aged businessman debilitated, emotionally and physically, by cold, hunger, and despair. Efraim later told Abe that his intense desire to reunite with his family focused his concentration and kept him from falling to his death.
Similarly, Ethel Lebewohl--devastated by the soul-numbing loss of everything she held dear, and unsure if she'd ever see her husband again--had to rally immediately in order to survive. She found work in a restaurant, and sent Abe to a local school. When school let out every afternoon, she'd seat him at an inconspicuous table in the restaurant and sneak him nourishing food while he did his homework.
In 1941, fate favored the Lebewohls; the Russians granted amnesty to all Polish political prisoners, and Efraim was released from the labor camp. A fellow prisoner he had befriended in Siberia, future Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin, wanted Efraim to accompany him to Palestine via Iran, but Efraim's first goal was to find his family. By the time he located Abe and Ethel, it was too late to get out of the country. The Lebewohls had to remain in Kazakhstan through the remainder of the war, scrounging at odd jobs to keep food on the table. When the war ended, they returned to Lvov, to see if they could find any of their relatives alive. Everyone--grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends--had been killed by the Nazis. Ironically, Efraim's arrest, and his family's forced deportation, had saved their lives.
The small group of surviving Jews in Lvov (most of whom had been hidden by Gentiles) were given a choice: they could become either Russian or Polish citizens. The Lebewohls chose Poland and were sent to Waldenburg, a new territory the Poles had reacquired from East Germany when Europe was reconstituted after the war. All the Germans living there were expelled, and their homes were given to Jews. After years of horror, the family enjoyed a brief respite from danger. But when, eight months later, forty Jews were killed by Polish anti-Semites in a bordering town, they decided to leave Waldenburg and settle in Palestine. Since the British were allowing very few Jews to enter, it was necessary to emigrate illegally. The family made its way to Italy, where they planned to board a ship for Palestine. At the last minute, however, Ethel Lebewohl had a change of heart: having survived the Holocaust, she could not bear to risk her son's life in the Israeli fight for independence. Efraim agreed, and despite strong protests from the young Abe, a fervent Zionist, the family decided to stay put until they could emigrate to America. For several years, they were forced to reside in a displaced-persons' camp in Barletta, Italy, under the auspices of the United Nations. Abe's brother, Jack, who today runs the Deli, was born in that DP camp in 1948. Abe was then seventeen, and more than half his life had been spent fleeing persecution. The Lebewohls remained in the camp until 1950, when they were given the opportunity to come to America. The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society found them housing on Lafayette Street in Manhattan, in the building that is today Joseph Papp's Public Theater.
Becoming an American
Nineteen-year-old Abe, desperate to make a success of himself in America, immediately began to study English. His teacher--also a greenhorn, but one who had arrived a few years earlier--tried to pass along the rudiments of American culture with the language. He told the class that all Americans chewed gum and were fanatical about baseball, so Abe chewed gum and memorized baseball stats and lore. A more realistic view of American life came from his daily reading--dictionary in hand--of every word in The New York Times, a habit that lasted a lifetime, eventually, of course, without a dictionary. Efraim found a menial job polishing display fixtures in a factory, and Ethel went to work for a tie manufacturer. Both of his parents wanted Abe to go back to school, but he insisted on working as well.
His first job was in a Coney Island deli, where he was employed as a soda jerk. During lunch breaks, he volunteered to help out behind the counter, where he could better observe the restaurant's operation. He soon graduated to the coveted position of counterman. Over the next few years, he worked in a number of deli kitchens, gleaning the secrets of superlative pastrami and other traditional Jewish delicacies.
In 1954, with a few thousand dollars he had miraculously managed to set aside, Abe took over a tiny ten-seat luncheonette on East Tenth Street--the nucleus of the Second Avenue Deli. Working around the clock for years--often filling in as cook, counterman, waiter, and even busboy--he put all his time and energy into making a success of his tiny establishment. (When he started dating his wife, Eleanor, in 1957, Abe told her he owned a restaurant. One day, she traveled down from her Bronx home to see it for herself. When she walked in and saw him sweeping up, she thought he'd lied to her. Only after she asked someone who the owner was, and they pointed to Abe, did she believe the restaurant was actually his.) For the first decade, the entire enterprise was touch-and-go. Bankruptcy often loomed; when money was tight, Abe moonlighted at other jobs to keep the restaurant going. He frequently despaired that he wa...
