“I’ll Have What She’s Having” exhibit at Illinois Holocaust Museum teaches history of Jewish delis

By Marie Saavedra, Zak Spector

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    SKOKIE, Illinois (WBBM) — The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center is borrowing the famous “I’ll have what she’s having” punchline from the iconic scene in the film “When Harry Met Sally” to tell the story of Jewish delis in America.

The scene was filmed in Katz’s Delicatessen, but the Big Apple staples wouldn’t have been possible without Chicago.

How about a corned beef sandwich? Or maybe some matzo ball soup? Two mainstays of an American food icon – the Jewish deli.

The humble but beloved deli is now the focus of an exhibit at the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie.

“That’s because many of the businesses in Chicago were opened by Holocaust survivors,” said Arielle Weininger, chief curator of collections and exhibitions at the museum.

She said delis provided a much-needed industry for young Holocaust survivors after World War II.

“Most that survived the Holocaust were children, teens, 20-year-olds who hadn’t been in school for all of the years of the war; so they needed to learn a trade,” she said.

While people probably associate that trade with New York, Weininger made sure to update the traveling exhibit with Chicago businesses.

“We see these names that we know so well, like Eli’s Cheesecake Company, which originally owned a number of delis before they went specifically into cheesecake; S. Rosen, again, famous for its hot dog buns and its rye,” Weininger said.

More than that, she said Chicago was essential to many delis in New York.

“None of this would be possible without this huge meat business that was growing in Chicago,” she said. “Although, in many ways, people would say New York is the center of deli, it was supplied by many of the suppliers that are from the Midwest and from Chicago. So that’s really an essential part of the story.”

The story has been delighting people throughout the generations.

Once Upon A Bagel deli in Highland Park is a sponsor of the “I’ll Have What She’s Having” exhibit, which runs at the Illinois Holocaust Museum through April 14.

The museum offers deli food on the last Friday of the month while the exhibit is running.

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