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I tried a ‘Mrs. Maisel’ pastrami martini. Unlike Midge, I’m speechless.

(New York Jewish Week) — The martini kit arrives in a bright pink box. Nestled among strings of hot pink confetti are two martini glasses and a shaker, two olives, toothpicks, two single-serving bottles of gin and vermouth, pastrami oil and pastrami spices.

What’s that? Pastrami? Martini? Together? Yes, you read it right.

The “Maisel Tov” Martini kit is a specialty item dreamed up by the marketing teams of GrubHub and Amazon Prime to celebrate the premiere of the fifth and final season of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” which airs on April 14. Starring Rachel Brosnahan as the titular Midge Maisel, the series is set in the very-Jewish world of New York City nightclub entertainers in the late 1950s and early ’60s. 

The kit is part of a yearlong “Tune In & Takeout” promotion between the two companies pairing foods with popular shows and movies, said GrubHub in a press release. 

Crafted by the mixologist Pamela Wiznitzer, the pastrami-flavored martini combines “a taste of Midge’s two favorite things, Jewish deli fare and a stiff drink.” Why do they need to be combined together in one cocktail? Why not just a regular martini and deli fare on the side? I have no idea, but in the name of journalism I knew I had to try it.

The cocktail kit arrives nestled in a bed of pink confetti. Joy! (Julia Gergely)

First of all, the packaging was adorable. Everything was labeled with the show’s title in its signature cheery font, and the bright pink packaging was a fun homage to Midge’s favorite color. 

Per a publicist’s email, “The beverage marries hints of juniper from gin with the briny flavors of black pepper, coriander and caraway classically found in a pastrami sandwich.” Still, they note, the beverage is vegetarian. 

After unpacking everything from the box, it was time to make the martini. For some reason, I was nervous. I don’t drink martinis often, nor do I eat pastrami on the reg, but as I poured the pre-made cocktail into the martini shaker and added a few drops of the pastrami oil, I became increasingly conscious of the fact that my life would soon be divided into a “Before” and After” period. 

Perhaps a Shehechiyanu blessing (for new beginnings) was in order. Certainly, at least a L’chaim. 

As I sipped the martini, I was left speechless. Like I said, I’m no martini or pastrami expert, so I can’t say if this was the best version of either one. The cocktail was definitely strong and had a savory, meaty taste to it. The oil and spices cut the taste of the alcohol in a surprising way. I felt like I had taken a bite of a sandwich and then drunk a martini to wash it down. 

The Maisel Tov martini in all its glory, complete with an olive seasoned with pastrami spices. (Julia Gergely)

I could imagine sipping it slowly at The Gaslight Café in the West Village while Midge, a budding stand-up comic, shocks and delights me with her set. In fact, I can imagine Midge might have a whole bit dedicated to the drink while her agent Susie Myerson (Alex Borstein) guzzles it backstage. 

The kit came with two pre-made cocktails, so I’ll save the other for the season premiere on Friday night, when presumably we’ll find out if Midge and Lenny Bruce (Luke Kirby) get together again, if Joel has a kid and if Rose’s matchmaking business has taken off. 

Luckily for all Manhattan-based Maisel watchers, the cocktail is available to order on April 14 and 15 on GrubHub’s platform from the specially created “Marvelous Café” using the code “MaiselTov.” For $29.95, GrubHub will deliver the cocktail kit (which serves two) and an entree — a choice of turkey, pastrami or corned beef on rye sandwiches, or stuffed cabbage. The meal kit also comes with a mini potato knish, a pickle and a black and white cookie for dessert. (The kits are not kosher.) Honestly a great deal, considering just a pastrami sandwich at Katz’s will run you $25.95. 

Per a press release, “Diners can pick their preferred date and time, must be 21+ and have a valid photo I.D. upon delivery.” But get there fast. “With only 1,000 kits available, orders are limited to 1 kit per customer. Available delivery time slots will close as orders fill up.”

So go ahead, order your pastrami martini. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

—
The post I tried a ‘Mrs. Maisel’ pastrami martini. Unlike Midge, I’m speechless. appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

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Seeking funding for a Yiddish project for kids or young people?

די פֿישמאַן-פֿונדאַציע פֿאַר ייִדישער קולטור האָט געמאָלדן אַז זי נעמט שוין אָן סובווענץ-אַפּליקאַציעס אויף נײַע פּראָיעקטן פֿאַרן יאָר 2027. די פּראָיעקטן דאַרפֿן האָבן פֿאַר אַ ציל דאָס שטאַרקן ייִדיש ווי אַ לעבעדיקע שפּראַך, באַזונדערס בײַ קינדער און דער יוגנט.

דער טערמין פֿאַר אַפּליקאַציעס פֿאַרן יאָר 2027 איז דער 7טער נאָוועמבער 2026. די אויסגעטיילטע סובווענצן וועט מען מעלדן אין דעצעמבער.

אַלע אַפּליקאַציעס מוזן זײַן אָנגעשריבן אויף ייִדיש און דאַרפֿן נאָכפֿאָלגן די אַפּליקיר-אָנווײַזונגען וואָס איר קענט געפֿינען דאָ.

אַפּליקאַציעס וועלן ווערן באַטראַכט אויף קאָנקורס-יסודות. מען בעט מען זאָל אַרײַנשיקן אַן אַפּליקאַציע (מיט אַלע נייטיקע בײַלייגונגען) דורך בליצפּאָסט צו:

applications@fishmanfoundation.org

The post Seeking funding for a Yiddish project for kids or young people? appeared first on The Forward.

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Democrats leader Golan approached by man with knife on Israeli election day

(JTA) — JERUSALEM —  Israel Police arrested a man carrying a large knife after he approached Yair Golan, head of the Democrats party, as Golan was campaigning in Tel Aviv on Election Day.

“Contrary to reports, no stabbing attempt occurred,” the police spokesman said in a statement.

The police said officers at the scene noticed a “suspicious object” protruding from beneath the coat of a man standing nearby. When they stopped him for inspection, they found a knife in his possession.

In a statement, Golan’s party said the man approached Golan “in a threatening manner” and that “when Golan’s security guards blocked him, a large knife slipped from beneath his clothing and fell to the ground.”

Police described the suspect as a Jerusalem resident in his 20s. He was arrested and taken to a local police station for questioning. They said the investigation “is ongoing.”

Following the incident, Golan said “incitement and violence will not deter us.” In a statement to the press he blamed the attack on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s negative campaigning and highlighted the ties between one of his spokespeople and Qatar.

“This is the direct result of the poison machine operated by Netanyahu and his Qatari agents. I call on everyone who cares about security and democracy to go out and vote now, so that we can ensure the country we love so dearly becomes a free and safe place once again,” Golan said.

This article originally appeared on JTA.org.

The post Democrats leader Golan approached by man with knife on Israeli election day appeared first on The Forward.

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Rebellion PAC’s antisemitic political ad could incite violence against Jews

Israel did not cause high grocery prices in America.

Israel is not the reason you don’t have free universal healthcare.

But a new political ad from Rebellion PAC depicts struggling young parents grocery shopping in Michigan and putting back a dozen eggs because of U.S. military aid to Israel, saying they can no longer afford basics like bananas because they are funding healthcare in Israel. The ad ends by saying Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers is for “them” — Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed is for you.

Rebellion PAC, an independent entity that legally cannot coordinate with campaigns or parties, is proudly promoting a political ad that is deeply misleading, inflammatory and dangerous for American Jews. The ad uses classic tropes blaming Jews for economic and social woes, the same propaganda used historically by antisemitic regimes in Nazi Germany and the USSR. The target in this ad is the Jewish state, but the familiar subtext remains: your family is suffering because Jews are taking your money.

This would be antisemitic in any context, but in the current climate it is wildly irresponsible. American Jewish communities are facing unprecedented domestic terror threats and a historic crisis in antisemitism.

In Michigan, where this ad is aimed at voters who may decide control of the U.S. Senate, an armed domestic terrorist drove a car packed with improvised explosives into Temple Israel. The intent was a mass casualty event aimed at killing as many Jews as possible, including the children in the preschool. Brave security team members stopped the attack, but the attacker was only a few feet from perpetrating what could have been the deadliest terror attack on U.S. children since Oklahoma City.

American Jews make up only 2% of the population, but according to the FBI, Jews made up 63% of religion-based U.S. hate crimes in 2025 — and roughly 14% of all reported hate crimes.

Every candidate across the spectrum, including El-Sayed and Rogers, should disavow and condemn the dangerous rhetoric in this ad. This ad takes real problems — the exploding cost of groceries and healthcare — and blames them on Israel. This is classic antisemitic propaganda.

El-Sayed’s campaign distanced itself from the ad without condemning its content.

“This ad is not affiliated in any way with the Abdul for Senate campaign,” El-Sayed campaign spokesperson Roxie Richner said in an emailed statement. “Abdul is focused on pushing back against Trump’s agenda that is raising prices for Michiganders. No one speaks for Abdul but himself and his campaign.”

It’s worth noting that the El-Sayed campaign did not disavow the content of the ad and only issued a statement via email. El-Sayed himself did not issue a public stance on social media or criticize the inflammatory and dangerous content of the ad. His response is wholly inadequate—it does nothing to confront the antisemitism in the ad, it simply points out his campaign did not make it.

Contrast this with his former opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens, who lambasted the ad on X, stating, “This type of fearmongering about Israel is wrong.” she went on to say, “Do we need to lower costs by building more homes, securing people’s health care, and creating a fairer federal tax code? Yes, we do!! How we do so is not by blaming the high costs of our goods on the only Jewish homeland in the world.”

El-Sayed should unequivocally condemn this ad and its content, not just distance himself from it. Every candidate should stand firmly against antisemitic rhetoric in electoral politics.

When bad actors tell people their economic problems are caused by Israel, it inevitably creates a dangerous situation for Jewish Americans. Though public opinion polls show falling support for the Jewish state, it’s difficult for Americans to take those frustrations out on Israel directly, so local American Jews become a convenient target for their misplaced anger. This is exactly what happened in Michigan at Temple Israel. A Hezbollah sympathizer took his anger on Israel out on the local Jewish population.

Americans are facing real issues. But Israel is not the cause. Our grocery bills are higher for a variety of complex reasons. Grocery inflation started during the pandemic with disrupted supply chains. Production costs have risen. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine raised global grain prices. Bird flu drove up the price of eggs. Tariffs have also impacted food prices.

In terms of healthcare, a Nov. 2025 Gallup poll found that 46% of Americans preferred a government-run healthcare system, while 48% preferred a system based mostly on private health insurance. Cutting or ending U.S. military aid to Israel would not change the fact that  Americans are deeply divided on how we should address our healthcare systems’ deep-seated problems. That would require American lawmakers to agree on and enact changes to how our own system is financed and organized. This is an issue of political philosophy — not lack of funds. Israel is not preventing the U.S. from organizing or financing our own healthcare system. Ending military aid to Israel would neither reverse those food-price pressures nor establish universal healthcare. The ad offers struggling Americans a scapegoat for their hardships—and American Jews face the danger of being treated as that scapegoat’s local representatives.

Rebellion PAC’s co-founder and former Executive Director Brianna Wu decried the ad, stating, “I would have quit as executive director rather than produce this,” calling the ad “awful.” We should all follow her example.

Candidates, thought leaders and elected officials must all come together and condemn this dangerous and antisemitic ad. American Jews are already being discriminated against, attacked, and in severe cases, murdered by people who hold them responsible for Israel. Political leaders must reject rhetoric that puts an even larger target on our backs by turning us into scapegoats for America’s economic struggles and healthcare failures.

The post Rebellion PAC’s antisemitic political ad could incite violence against Jews appeared first on The Forward.

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