Zabar's devoted fans mourn Saul Zabar, who transformed his family's Jewish grocery into an NYC institution

"( JTA) - Perhaps the only local issue to unite Jews and non-Jews, Zionists and anti-Zionists and progressives and conservatives in New York City is a love for the Upper West Side emporium Zabar's. Their remarkable unity was on display this week after Saul Zabar, who led his family's famed grocery store for over seven decades and helped make it a cornerstone of Jewish culture in New York City, died at 97."

""A true New York legend. He gave the city lox, love, and a place to argue over babka," wrote New York City Mayor Eric Adams in a post on X. "Zabar's isn't just a store, it's a slice of NYC soul. May his memory be a blessing.""

"Rep. Jerry Nadler, who famously toted a Zabar's bag containing "a babka and the constitution" to an impeachment hearing he was leading in Congress, tweeted, "The UWS and New York City lost one of the greats today. Saul Zabar built an institution that has supplied New Yorkers, including myself, with lox, babka, and whitefish for decades. My condolences to the Zabar family and may his memory be a blessing.""

Saul Zabar, born in 1928 to Jewish immigrant parents Louis and Lillian Zabar, died at 97 after leading Zabar's for more than seven decades. Louis and Lillian founded Zabar's in 1934 as the smoked fish department of a supermarket. Saul initially planned to become a doctor, but his father's death in 1950 led him and his brother Stanley to take over the business. Zabar's became a cultural and culinary landmark on the Upper West Side, beloved across political and religious lines. Prominent New Yorkers and politicians publicly praised his contributions to the city's food culture and community.

Read at The Forward