“Things are seldom as they seem” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore rang true as we explored England’s chocolate in Oxford, Birmingham, the Lake District and York in March of 2009. Our search for historic and significant chocolate had us schlepping 262 miles to the beautiful but rainy town of Kendal in the Lake District [...]
Exploring connections between Jews and chocolate
Jews and Chocolate
The next time you pick up a piece of chocolate, consider that you are partaking in an aspect of Jewish history. There are some surprising Jewish connections with chocolate, including Jews in the early chocolate trade and early Jewish chocolate makers. Jews, Pre-Columbians, Catholics, and Protestants also connect in Jews on the Chocolate Trail through its exploration of chocolate’s religious narratives and rituals. Jews on the Chocolate Trail uniquely melds a popularity of chocolate with a fascination about Judaism. Those interested in Judaism and religion will enjoy this unique approach. In combining age old passions for chocolate and religion, Jews on the Chocolate Trail unwraps delightful new themes.
As they travel Rabbi Prinz and her husband, Rabbi Mark Hurvitz, explore local chocolate opportunities and culture, two Jews enjoying the trail of chocolate around the world.
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Recent Posts
Some Previous Posts (in alphabetical order)
The Chocolate Princess: Chocolate's Arrival in Israel
Church Not Paying Cost of Chocolate, Complains Minister
Family Fun Day: Gomez House, Teaneck and Chocolate
Finding your bashert through chocolate matzah! It's a family deal for Charles Chocolate
Milk and Chocolate in the Promised Land
Mixing Chocolate & Work in the East Bay
On the Trail of Belgian Chocolate Museums
Shanah Tovah u'Metukah! But, Where's the Chocolate?
Traif Temptations or Stop Being a Hazir (pig)
Categories
Past Events
Lecture - “Our Dark Addictions to Chocolate” at Hazon Food Conference, August 18, 2011
Lecture - Stay the Night Tikkun Leil Shavuot, JCC Manhattan; 2009, 2010, 2011
Lecture - "Chocolate in Colonial Newport" at Newport Historical Society; May 2010
Lecture - "Jews on the Chocolate Trail" at Peninsula Jewish Community Center; March, 2010
Lecture - "Jews Pioneer Chocolate in the Colonial Period," Pacific Association of Reform Rabbis; January, 2010
Lecture: Pacific Association of Reform Rabbis, Annual Convention, Palm Spring, California; January 2009
Lecture: Hazon Food Conference, Asilomar Conference Center, California; December 2008
Lecture: Temple Shaarey Tefillah, New York City; September, 2008:
Lecture: Hazon New York Jewish Environmental Bike Ride Shabbaton; September 2008
Chocolate Day in New York City
May 4, 2008Lecture: “Jews on the Chocolate Trail,” part of “Taste Matters” series at the Magnes Museum, Berkeley, CA; December 6, 2007
Visit: The New York Chocolate Festival; November, 2007
Fellowships
2009: Recipient of the Gilder Lehrman Fellowship of the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library
2008 (Fall): Director's Fellowship from the American Jewish Archives to research Jews and chocolate in the colonial period
2008 (Spring): Recipient of The Starkoff Fellowship from the American Jewish Archives to research Jews and chocolate in the colonial period
Forthcoming Book
Jews on the Chocolate Trail: Stories of Jews and Cacao, to be published by Jewish Lights in 2012. You may order your copy now.Lecture Tour
To arrange a scholar-in-residence weekend or lecture, contact Rabbi Prinz.-
Chocolate Chronicles
I invite you to hop onto the chocolate trail by posting your story of Jews, religion and chocolate at this blog. Please submit it right away to Chocolate Chronicles by clicking here.
Upcoming Events
Scholar in Residence - Congregation Achduth Vesholom, Fort Wayne, April 20-22, 2012
Lecture - “Jews and Chocolate in New York’s Colonial Period” for the Jewish Genealogical Society, New York, at the Center for Jewish History, May 20, 2012
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Publications
"Our Dark Addictions: Chocolate, Coffee and Tea” in The Sacred Table: Creating a Jewish Food Ethic (2011)
"Artisanal Chocolate Temptations" in Pork Memoirs; Personal Stories About a Complicated Meat (August 18, 2011)
Tags
ávila aguilar de campóo altea astorga barcelona bayonne belgium beverage biarritz bilbao Bloch burgos cádiz córdoba calatayud carcassonne colonial factory france girona granada history israel italy kosher madrid mexico museum narbonne oakland Passover poblet religion salamanca san francisco segovia sevilla spain sueca Switzerland toulouse travel turin valencia villajoyosaLinks to this project
"Ethics-Minded Confectioners Work to Keep Chocolate Sweet" by Deborah Prinz at the Forward's The Jew and the Carrot, October 28, 2010
"Shanah Tovah u'Metukah! But, Where is the Chocolate?" cross posted at The Jewish Magazine, September 2009
Leah Koenig "Jews on the Chocolate Trail" at My Jewish Learning
Nonna Gorilovskaya "The Mostly Sweet Tale of Jews and Chocolate" in Moment Magazine
The Jew and the Carrot
1. An Interview with Rabbi Prinz
2. "Where's the Chocolate this Rosh Hashanah?"Randi Sherman "On A Chocolate Chai" The Jewish Week, May 14, 2008
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