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

""A true New York legend. He gave the city lox, love, and a place to argue over babka,""

""Zabar's isn't just a store, it's a slice of NYC soul. May his memory be a blessing.""

""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 led his family's Zabar's grocery on the Upper West Side for over seven decades and died at 97. The store became a cornerstone of Jewish culture in New York City and a beloved culinary institution. Public figures across political spectrums praised Zabar and recalled personal memories of the store's lox, babka, and whitefish. Born in 1928 to immigrant parents Louis and Lillian Zabar, Zabar's parents established the business in 1934 as the smoked fish department of a supermarket. Saul Zabar initially planned to become a doctor, but his father's death in 1950 led him and his brother Stanley to run the store alongside Murray Klein. Zabar served as the grocery's president and principal owner and maintained a hands-on approach to the counters.

Read at Jewish Telegraphic Agency