The Jewish Holiday Table: A World of Recipes, Traditions, and Stories to Celebrate All Year Long

From Rosh Hashanah and Passover to Hanukkah and weekly shabbat dinners, this joyous celebration of all the Jewish holidays offers a treasury of 130 recipes gathered from 30 influential chefs and food professionals around the globe, whose shared stories illuminate the diversity of the Jewish diaspora and its cuisine.

As contributor Mitchell Davis puts it, the meal is the holiday. Whether it’s the Seder plate or a cheesecake for shavout, Jewish holiday foods tell the story of what it means to be Jewish and cook Jewish food. Author Naama Shefi, founder of the Jewish Food Society, introduces readers to 30 influential Jewish chefs and culinary professionals who share their most beloved holiday recipes, with stories of their family histories. For Hanukkah, pastry chef Nir Mesika recounts how her Egyptian and Moroccon grandmothers competed in a donut duel, with one’s sfenj challenging the other’s zalabia. Ron Arazi, owner of New York Shuk, shares his grandfather’s recipe for a fava bean and harissa soup that he serves during Sukkot under the sukkah he builds in his Brooklyn backyard. Chef Beejhy Barhany offers her recipe for dabo, an Ethiopian bread that her family enjoyed every shabbat, even while they fled their country for refugee in Sudan. The Jewish Holiday Table illuminates the common Jewish story of seeking a home—through exodus, immigration, or simply moving on—and finding it in the food traditions shared across borders and generations.

About the Author

Naama Shefi is a kibbutznik and New Yorker whose work sits at the intersection of food, culture, community building, and art. In 2017, she founded the Jewish Food Society, a nonprofit organization, which preserves and celebrates Jewish culinary heritage through a digital recipe archive and dynamic events. In the summer of 2021, she launched Asif: Culinary Institute of Israel, a center in Tel Aviv dedicated to exploring the diverse and creative food culture of Israel. She lives on the Lower East Side with her husband, Ilan, and their daughter, Ella.