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Pickles And Pastrami: The Core Of The American Jew, Theo Satloff

Honors Theses

This thesis argues the there is a strong, interdependent relationship between the creation of the American Jewish deli and the growth and progress of the food technology, food safety, and society within American life. The importance of recognizing the Jewish deli as a key element in tracing the history of American life post-1800s has been underemphasized throughout the deli’s entire existence. Jewish delis represented the intersection of centuries-old technologies and modern innovations, the meeting of centuries-old cultures and new communities, and formed the basis for a force that would have an outsized impact on American politics thereafter.