Gil Marks, an acclaimed Jewish food writer and historian, died Dec. 5 in Jerusalem after battling lung cancer for three years. He was 62.
He was the author of five books on the subject of Jewish food and was the founding editor of Kosher Gourmet magazine. His 2004 cookbook “Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World” was a winner in the 2005 James Beard Foundation Awards, an annual show often referred to as the “Oscars of food.”
In 2010, Marks published “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food,” the first attempt within the American Jewish culinary community to compile a comprehensive reference guide for Jewish food. The critically acclaimed 672-page volume was nominated for another James Beard Award and earned Marks a spot on the Forward 50, a list of the 50 most influential American Jews of that year.
Reflecting on Marks’ influence, food writer Adeena Sussman told the Forward, “He was ahead of the curve in terms of understanding the connection between Jewish food and its deeper cultural meaning … He saw 10 or 15 years ago the pride of place in the culture of an ethnic cuisine, and he put it in a historical context, as opposed to ‘this is just delicious to eat.’ ”
Jewish cookbook writer Joan Nathan told the Forward that Marks’ “Encyclo-pedia of Jewish Food” is “a remarkable work, one that I use every day.” She added, “He was a walking encyclopedia of Jewish food. He was very generous, he shared with people. A mind like his, and a passion, comes along very rarely, so he’ll be really sorely missed.”
Along with his accomplishments in the world of food, Marks also was an Orthodox rabbi, with ordination from a Yeshiva University affiliate.
Marks, who lived most of his life in New York, was diagnosed with lung cancer in November 2011 and made aliyah the following year. He was active on social media and documented his struggle with the disease on Facebook along with personal posts about food, Judaism and family. — jta