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| OHCC LIVING | OCTOBER 2023 | 39 Yiddish Club Love, Laughter and Linguini. Stories and recipes from a Jewish grandmother who owned an Italian restaurant, in the Big Apple! at was the title of the book I wrote years ago, when I owned an Italian restaurant called Federico's, in Manhattan on Broadway and 67th Street. Back in those days, the title seemed to impress Rosie O'Donnell, so right before Passover, her producer called me, and asked if I would come on Rosie's TV show and teach her how to cook Matzo Brie, so I did! ere was a Jewish grandmother and an Irish American comedian, whipping up those matzos! I have a very strong Jewish background, and owning Federico's did not take that away, although I was not the chef, every year around Passover, I cooked Matzo Brie for all my regular lunchtime customers, some of them had never tasted it before! It gave me an opportunity to bring a little extra Jewish culture to the upper west side! I was named Selma, in true Jewish tradition, aer my grandfather Solomon Weinstein. Solomon Weinstein came to Belmar, NJ, a small town at the Jersey Shore, with his wife Celia, and some of their children from Russia, around 1881. When the 50th Anniversary book for Sons of Israel Synagogue celebrated its Anniversary, his picture was on the cover, with the caption "Belmar's First Jewish Settler." My mother was born in Belmar, the first Jewish person born there, in 1891, and I was born there also. We lived there until we moved to Passaic, NJ. My uncle Harry Weinstein opened a liquor store on Main Street, which was then called "F" Street, around 1940, which aer his death was run by his son. Many years later, when we were there for a visit, I found out that although the store was no longer in the family, the Weinstein name was retained on the front of the store. My memories of that small town of Belmar, NJ, population around 5,000 are still strong. I returned there every summer with my parents, and later over the years with my own children. e synagogue no longer exists. It was replaced in 1909 by a new structure, which no longer exists either, but family history does exist, and it helps me to remember who I am and "From whence I came!" ~ Written by Selma Leighton

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