Az men est khazer, zol es shoyn rinen ibern moyl.
If you’re going to eat pork, eat it until your mouth drips.
— Yiddish saying
Last night at Brick & Mortar Music Hall in San Francisco, a foundational myth of American Judaism was memorialized, deconstructed — and then eaten. This was the “Trefa Banquet 2.0,” a delicious spread of treyf (nonkosher food) made by local Jewish chefs and served up with a side of Jewish learning and — get this! — a communal bracha (blessing) for treyf led by a local rabbi.
Add to the liturgy and symbolic foods a narrative recounting of an important Jewish legend, and it was practically a seder.
Perhaps you’ve heard of the original Trefa Banquet (or treyf), an 1883 event at which the early American Reform movement made a bold, antagonistic statement by serving treyf dishes at a banquet to commemorate the ordination of the first class of American Reform rabbis. As the story is often told, a group of rabbis stormed out in protest and ran off to start the Conservative movement.
But, as Jewish Studies professor Rachel Gross of San Francisco State University told the crowd Sunday night, that story is only kind of true.
The evening was organized by Alix Wall (a J. contributing editor and “Organic Epicure” columnist) as part of the Illuminoshi, a not-so-secret organization she founded for local Jews working in the food industry. Following Gross’ talk, an array of Bay Area chefs presented a buffet meal of treyf, treyf and more treyf.
When I first arrived, I struck up a conversation with Rabbi Camille Angel (formerly of Congregation Sha’ar Zahav, San Francisco’s historically gay synagogue). She proudly identifies as a “second-generation lobster-eating rabbi.”
Her dad was ordained in 1934 at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, the site of the original Trefa Banquet, and she grew up knowing all about that notorious meal, Angel said.
Lobster held a special place in her family. It was, she told me, “our family celebratory meal, but always at home. We only ate lobster out when we were in Maine.” Well, naturally.
They even had a bracha for lobster: “‘Thank you for all gifts of land and sea,’ motzi — then crack it open!”
Her family delighted in this sort of thing. “My mother loved sending me to school during Passover with a lunch of matzah with ham and cheese.” This led to teasing from another Jewish classmate, who felt that this somehow diminished Angel’s Jewish cred.
In the middle of our conversation, Angel called out to a nearby figure, the only person besides myself wearing a kippah. “Rabbi, what do you have there?” she asked. Rabbi Sydney Mintz of Reform Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco looked up. “Bacon!” she said cheerfully, popping another tiny chocolate cup filled with peanut butter pudding and bacon into her mouth.
Then the learning began. “Our story starts on July 11, 1883, one of the most infamous days in American Jewish history,” Gross said, setting the scene.
“It was a hot and humid evening in Cincinnati. Two hundred and fifteen guests had assembled at the Highland House, a resort and restaurant, overlooking the Ohio River. They included a who’s-who list of the most elite Jewish leaders in the United States, as well as local non-Jewish civic leaders, Christian clergy and professors from the University of Cincinnati.”
The banquet was an elaborate, ostentatious affair: The guests were treated to “an orchestra and elaborate printed menu adorned with bright blue feathers that promised nine courses of French cuisine paired with five alcoholic drinks.” (The French on the menu, she pointed out, is terrible.) “The menu’s list of dishes, its language and its visual appearance all suggest how the celebration was part of the excessive banquet culture of its era.”
Most of Gross’ material came from the research and work of Rabbi Lance J. Sussman of Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. Following his lead, Gross argued that, to most of the guests, there was nothing remarkable about the food.
“Almost every violation of kashrut was in evidence — seafood, nonkosher meat, mixing milk and meat. This tells us, and we know from an enormous amount of other historical evidence — including cookbooks written and used by Jews — that it was normal for many American Jews in the 19th century not to keep kosher,” she said. “I do not think that this menu was intended to be provocative.”
It is not until Rabbi David Philipson’s eyewitness account of the event written 60 years later in a 1941 autobiography that the myth of the founding of the Conservative movement creeps into the story. “Terrific excitement ensued when two rabbis rose from their seats and rushed from the room,” he wrote. “Shrimp had been placed before them as the opening course of the elaborate menu.” (In fact, the first course included clams, not shrimp.) Gross said Philipson went on to connect that moment to the founding of the Conservative movement.
Yet the historical evidence points to a different origin of the Conservative movement: the Reform movement’s 1885 Pittsburgh Platform, in which, among other things, they renounce kashrut as an archaic practice, “entirely foreign to our present mental and spiritual state.”
The following year, the Conservative movement’s flagship body, the Jewish Theological Seminary, was founded.
But the legend of the Trefa Banquet makes for a terrific story.
“The fact that American Jews still tell the story of that night in Cincinnati in 1883 tells us that debates about food practices have been central to the ways that American Jews think about themselves, the stories they tell about themselves and the ways they organize themselves. … American Jews have always had a wide range of eating habits, defining what it means to eat Jewishly in a broad array of practices,” Gross said in closing.
Before we got to eating, Rabbi Mintz came up to offer a bracha, substituting “shehakol” for “lechem” in the traditional motzi blessing over bread. In this version, God is praised for bringing forth “everything” from the earth, not just bread. A bracha over treyf. What a delight!
Highlights of the meal for me included the Peanut Butter Pie with Bacon, a Rabbit Crepinette and the Pulled Pork Potato Kugel with barbecue sauce.
Like Rabbi Angel’s lobster-loving rabbinic line, many of the Jews I spoke with at the dinner tied their treyf observance to their family’s Jewish heritage.
Wall, for example, told the crowd that her mother was a child during the Holocaust, hidden with a family of Poles; she grew up eating what they ate, including plenty of pork. In this family, an essential 20th-century Jewish story of Holocaust survival is tied to pork. So for Wall, “keeping treyf” (if I may coin a phrase) connected her to her Jewish history, just as keeping kosher does for others.
Oded Shakked of Longboard Vineyards told the crowd of growing up in Israel, where his family would go to Jaffa for cheap or even free shrimp — “The fishermen just tossed them aside!” Again, a family treyf tradition.
“I didn’t grow up with bacon,” chef Ari Feingold told me as he carefully inserted more bits of bacon into the peanut butter dessert.
I met Bryan Tublin of recently opened S.F. restaurant Kitava. His restaurant is “fast casual” but gluten-free, and focuses on “healthy fats and oils,” “mindful meats” and “conscientious sourcing.” Tublin doesn’t keep kosher, but restaurants like his offer up food with fussy and exacting standards that rival anything in kashrut.
For some Jews, ethically produced food is their kashrut, and they’re willing to say so publicly. In rejecting kashrut, some progressive Jews keep boundary-setting at the heart of their conscientious approach to food.
As Rabbi Mintz told me earlier in the evening, “I would rather eat food that’s humanely and ethically raised than kosher.”
Wall told me the story of a Maryland Jewish family; everyone loved crab, except the man of the house. When the family ate crab, he’d outline a mechitza (or more of an eruv?) made of silverware to separate his kosher meal from the crab-spattered table.
Judaism — and the history of the Reform movement in particular — is full of this: not a transgression of religion, but transgression as religion. And, as a Reform Jew by heritage and an enthusiastic chronicler of Judaism in all its unusual forms, I love it.
I want to add to David’s excellent coverage of this event that the pork and rabbits were donated by Mark and Myriam Pasternak, of Devil’s Gulch Ranch; a Jewish-owned farm in Nicasio.
You should be ashamed of yourself. With this obvious attempt to cast away any true attachment to Judaism you can no longer claim any feelings of persecution or marginalization. Way to finish Hitler’s job for him.
thank you for sharing
i hope all their businesses fail
These people won’t have Jewish grandchildren.
50% won’t have any, those that do have 2 dogs and an abortion.
they already dont have jewish children
Children cannot be conceived with anal intercourse
I doubt that the spouses are Jewish.
pretty sad, the last revolution in a Jewish spiritual death spiral.
Here’s a riddle for you:
Q. What is the difference between Donald J. Trump and Reform Jews? A. Donald J. Trump has Jewish grandchildren.
Are these the same people who are fighting to “pray” at the Western Wall by breaking Jewish tradition?
I am confused, if tradition of thousands of years is of no importance to the Reform, why would a wall have any importance?
I am sure not all Reform people believe in this total trashing of Jewish law, but this banquet speaks volumes.
Very well said. No one says everyone is obligated to be orthodox, but to publicly celebrate such stupidity, as it was something to be proud of, is embarrassing. Even worse, to throw thousands of years of history in the trash, while sanctimoniously concerning themselves with late 20th century passing fads like veganism, goes directly to Biblical prophecies of replacing the true God with ersatz gods of gold and silver. Again, its one thing to not be observant, its quite another to make up pretend religions like we’re in kindergarten and call it Judaism.
Indeed, and they wonder why their antics are not appreciated at the Western Wall.
Wow, these people are all going to hell.
Don’t pass judgement on people who you don’t know.
but we do know them
i grew up with these people
they are a shandah
And they are all liberal Democrats who hate Trump and insist that Trump is an anti semite
not sure what that has to do with anything. i think trump is an anti-semite and im an observant jew
I sure hope none of them are wealthy because it’s also NORMAL to not be wealthy.
My guess is that the only reason these people aren’t worshipping idols is because they are atheists.
They may be Jews by birth (maybe), but there is nothing Jewish about their practice. I find myself being saddened and revolted all at the same time.
The author may love it. I do not.
Moreover, transgression might become someone’s religion, but I don’t think you can call that religion Judaism.
This a profoundly depressing article.
In the last paragraph:
“history of the Reform movement in particular — is full of this”
Note that the word “this” is an anagram of a word that is even more applicable in this case.
this doesnt sound like fun at all
if one is going to rejoice in sin….why not go all the way?
light the cans of sterno with the sifrei torah
instead of toilet paper, use the prayer books
and for desert, why didnt they cover themselves in bacon fat and have a giant orgy?
its all good
Disheartening that they held this event. Even more disheartening that they brag about it, and celebrate this. I wish they would have had some decency and humility not to celebrate that they are convening this sad banquet.
Their greatest joy is to break the laws of Torah and to rub it in your face. Their lives are about rebellion. If they really didn’t care they would forget about it and move on. But defiance is their raison d’etre
As a Reform Jew and the son of a Reform Rabbi (HUC-JIR NY Class of 1965), I am disgusted and shocked at this. It is fine to do what you want in your own home…but to flaunt this type of behavior is repugnant. These Rabbis who boasts about her mother sending her to school on Passover with lobster should hang her head in shame. This is NOTHING to be proud about. Will you next “a wedding ceremony for a cow and pig?”, as my mother used to say.
Have some decorum and self-respect.
i appreciate your respectful attitude towards kashrus, but I fear that this rebellious spirit pervades reform Judaism. You seem to be an exception, but I have seen so much anti-religious animus on the part of reform that see you as an outlier of reform and not the norm.
what they left out is that virtually all of the descendants of the original Reform Jews are no longer Jews and virtually all of the attendees of this banquet will not or do not have Jewish grandchildren. They are unaware of the destruction they are causing.
Jews are slowly disappearing. That’s the bad news. The good news is that we’ve fulfilled our mission—the Tikun (the rectificiation of Creation) is 99% complete. So, G-d is accelerating the messianic process. Pretty soon, all the treif eaters will realize that their contempt for G-d will cost them dearly.
Let them do whatever they want, but why call it still judaism?! They are so ready to complain about being offended in their faith, so why don’t they reciprocate by not hurting ours?! No, they intentionally walk into us with heavy boots and whine to the sky because of the obvious reaction!
With such Jews who needs Hitler?
Why are all the hard hitting comments being edited our here? It appears that a few mild criticisms, like my own below, are being allowed in to create an air of balance, but all the real tough ones [which were momentarily visible previously] have all vanished?
This is 2018. The organizers of this event are big girls and do not need to be shielded, nor should be shielded, from the harsh criticism they are rightly receiving. Foul language [which I did not see] is one thing, but an honest comments section should not be in the business of censorship.
A communal bracha (blessing) for treyf led by a local rabbi. No a rabbi I’d go to… and not one who has any connection to G-d. Disgusting.. This really isn’t funny at all.
I wonder how many Jewish descendants there are of the attendees of the original Treyfe Banquet.
And I cry wondering about how many Jewish descendants there will be in 100 years from the attendees of this Treyfe Banquet.
I had to take some time before responding, because I wanted to choose my words with care.
It is one thing to choose not to observe a particular mitzvah. I myself do not keep a kosher kitchen at home for reasons of shalom bayit.
It is quite a different thing, though, to publicly mock a mitzvah and the Jews who observe that mitzvah. To my thinking, that is chillul HaShem, tantamount to mocking the Holy One.
I can only hope that this writer, in his enthusiasm, has somehow misinterpreted or misrepresented the words of my colleagues. I am very sad.
As the author states, it’s transgression AS religion. Thus, in reality, they are just verifying their own Jewish Souls, as behaving in reaction to Judaism.
A true non-believer would just move on.
Its the same old story, retold for centuries.
Without them even realizing it, they are confirming the truth of Torah & Mitzvos, and their eternal connection to Gd, as sure as night & day.
#winning
So curious but I wonder if this is representative. In my home town the Reform Rabbi keeps kosher and works closely with the Conservative Rabbis on all sorts of community oriented Jewish programs.
This is one of the most disgusting things I’ve read.
I understand many Jews don’t keep kosher and people have a choice to keep kosher or not.
I’m not judging personal choices. But to publically flaunt the contempt of those traditions in such a way is a slap in the face to thousands of years of tradition.
This article is exactly the reason why many in the Jewish community in America will not exist in the future. They have no foundation to build on.
And the ‘rabbis’ who reside over this are completely fake in every way.
My, my… Jewish people eating non-kosher food, in public no less. What’s next? Shaking a woman’s hand even though she might be menstruating? Pretty soon they will be asking for equal rights for Muslims! David, well-written article. Alix, you put together a great event attended by great people. If anything, this kind of gathering should encourage people to think for themselves about what being spiritual AND jewish really means in the 21st century. And for those who can only stick to Dogma and flame online from a distance: you are welcome to come by the winery and tell me to my face that I’m not Jewish ‘enough’. 5 Fitch Street, Healdsburg CA 95448.
People should be more concerned with their own personal beliefs and practices and spend less time obsessing over others’…
Golden Calf?