I’m on a Mission to

entertain and enlighten

about jewish culture

And I want to help you unpack the complexities of the Jewish experience in America.

As a national expert on Jewish food and pop culture, I’ve had the honor of presenting both in-person and over Zoom to audiences of all sizes and backgrounds, from coast to coast, about Jewish cultural and identity issues.

With my wealth of knowledge and passion for the subject, I help people understand Jewish culture through the lens of Jewish food and pop culture.

Join me on this fascinating journey into the intersections of culinary traditions and cultural expressions.

Pastrami on Rye

“An affable dive into the culture and history of the Jewish deli…[written with] knowledge and affection.”
— New York Times Book Review
“A cultural history of American Judaism told through a particularly revealing culinary lens.”
— Haaretz
“Dr. Merwin has put his scholarly pen and thoughtful gaze to work to create this marvelous book.”
— Joan Nathan
“Mr. Merwin’s account shows that delis have been a rich part of the story of Jewish assimilation in America.”
— The Economist
“A pleasing exercise in culinary and cultural history, evoking some favorite New York-centric comfort foods.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“Merwin has produced an exuberantly readable history of delis.”
— Booklist

Book me as A speaker

  • #1 national expert on Jewish food and pop culture

  • Featured regularly in national media, including New York Times, CNN, National Public Radio, etc.

  • Appeared in Frederick Wiseman’s 2017 film, Ex Libris, which also featured Ta-Nehisi Coates, Elvis Costello, and Patti Smith.

  • Foremost collector of Jewish-food related memorabilia.

200+

hilarious speaking engagements

FROM THE DESK OF TED

A curated section where I share my thoughts on Jewish culture, life, pop culture, memorabilia, and everything in between. Join me as I dive deep into the vibrant tapestry of Jewish identity, exploring its timeless traditions and their connection to contemporary society.

Featured
How Katz’s Delicatessen became a New York icon
How Katz’s Delicatessen became a New York icon

When I was growing up on Long Island in the 1970s, school field trips meant being schlepped on a bus to the McGraw-Hill building on Sixth Avenue, to a multimedia film called the “New York Experience,” in which a kaleidoscopic montage of New Yorkers of different stripes celebrated both past and present life in Gotham. Nowadays, all one needs to do to get a sense of the real New York is to pay a visit to Katz’s Deli on Houston Street, where a prickly, pickle-y, briny Yiddish gestalt holds imperious sway in a churning sea of multi-racial, multi-ethnic customers and counter people.

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I’ll have what she’s having
I’ll have what she’s having

My maternal grandparents, Jean and Lou Kaplan, did not keep kosher. That was their ancestors’ way, the path of slavish adherence to the stringencies of Jewish law. But old habits die hard, and they never ate the foods they had not consumed as children. They would sooner have taken off all their clothes and danced naked in front of their neighbors in Flushing, Queens, than down ham, clams, or even a cheeseburger.

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My favorite deli/delis of my youth
My favorite deli/delis of my youth

When I give talks on the history of the Jewish deli, I’m inevitably asked what my favorite deli is. I often sidestep the question for a number of reasons: 1) I’m an historian, so the delis that matter the most to me are the legendary ones from the past, the ones I’ve only heard stories about, like Grabstein’s and the Hy Tulip in Brooklyn, Reuben’s and Lindy’s in Manhattan, and Schweller’s in the Bronx. 2) I interviewed a lot of deli owners for my book, and for those who are still around, I wouldn’t want to play favorites and offend them if I don’t say they’re the best; and 3) I’ve tried to keep kosher for my entire adult life after college--although I’m a bit more flexible these days--so my experience of eating in non-kosher delis is much more limited than of eating in kosher ones.

I did grow up going to a few delis that I’m nostalgic about…

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