Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

62 | MARCH 25 • 2021 

Ensuring All Have 
Food for Passover
P

assover will soon be here, and 
I thought I would dive into the 
William Davidson Digital Archive 
of Jewish Detroit History to find holiday 
stories. Using the search term “Passover” 
showed a list of 20,245 pages 
with that word. That’s a lot of 
pages!
So, I narrowed the search. 
I added one of my favorite 
words to the search term —
“Passover Food” was found 
on 852 pages.
Many of the Passover food 
citations are holiday advertisements for 
stores such as Chatham, Wrigley’s, Great 
Scott! and Farmer Jack, as well as the 
Dexter-Davison Markets. A recent issue of 
the JN had an ad for Johnny Pomodoro’s 
and also reported that Meijer is expanding 
its kosher selections.
There were also other Passover food ads. 
Restaurants such as J. Lefkofsky & Sons’ 
“Hygeia Kosher Deli” or, more recent-
ly, Plaza Deli, and currently, Steve’s Deli 
promoted their Passover meals. Or in the 
1950s, you could book a Passover cruise 
on the “Greek Line.” Its ships featured 
on-board kosher kitchens. And, of course, 
many Passover recipes have been published 
in the JN and Jewish Chronicle. In recent 
years, JN food columnist Annabel Cohen 
has written about many a tasty creation.
Most impressive are the stories of Jewish 
Detroiters supporting those in need during 
Passover. The first such story appeared 
in the Feb. 26, 1921, issue of the Chronicle: 
“Urges Passover Food Be Rushed to 
Poland.” That year, there was a dire need 
for food in Poland in the aftermath of 
WWI and its subsequent war with Russia in 
1920. During WWII, a report in the March 
26, 1943, issue of JN noted that the Detroit 
Jewish Welfare Board was sending Passover 

meals to Jews serving in America’s armed 
forces. 
In the 1950s, food for the people of the 
fledgling State of Israel was a critical issue. 
In this respect, there is an interesting ad 
in the April 4, 1951, issue of the JN. The 
Manischewitz company noted that there 
was still time to send one of its Passover 
food parcels to Israel. 
The headline for the March 22, 1963, 
issue of the JN, “USSR Jewry Faces Danger 
of Remaining Without Matzoth,” relates to 
another overseas Passover food issue. Once 
again that year, Moscow bakeries did not 
receive Passover flour rations, and there 
would be no matzah unless allowed from 
outside the country. This was another epi-
sode of antisemitism in Soviet-era Russia.
The Jewish community also did its 
best to help its own needy people. The 
April 5, 1985, issue of the JN has a 
story, “Money for Wheat,” about the 
Moies Chetim Organization providing 
Passover food for Jewish poor in Detroit. 
There are also many stories about the 
work of Yad Ezra during Passover.
Perhaps the reports that warm the 
heart the most are those of Jewish youth 
in action. See the April 4, 1998, JN story 
about Amy Miller working toward her bat 
mitzvah. She volunteered with Yad Ezra 
to make Passover food packages. Likewise, 
in the April 4, 2000, issue, see “Food for 
Passover.” Sarah Kiperman and Rachel 
Matz prepared for their bat mitzvahs by 
organizing a food drive. 
These are just a few of the interesting 
Passover stories in the Archive. 
Chag Pesach Sameach! Have a Happy 
Passover! 

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation 

archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.

org.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

Passover food for Jewish poor in Detroit. 

heart the most are those of Jewish youth 

story 

about Amy Miller working toward her bat 

to make Passover food packages. Likewise, 
in the April 4, 2000, issue, see “Food for 

Matz prepared for their bat mitzvahs by 

