"The Knish War on Rivington Street" by Joanne Opperheim and Jon Davis (2017)

 Of all the gifts I received for my birthday this year, this 32 page children's book was the most delightful. It was given to me by my daughter Sarah Marie. And it put to rest any doubt about the story told to me by my Great Uncle Irving Henkin.

Rivington Street in Manhattan runs across the Lower East Side. It is named after James Rivington, who is mostly remembered for his Loyalist newspaper during the American Revolution while he secretly ran a spy ring for George Washington. John Carroll Lynch portrays him in the the AMC drama "Turn: Washington's Spies".

But less than 150 years later, around the turn of the 20th century, there would be a different kind of  war raging. This one would be commercial and indicative of the society wrought by America's "melting pot."

My Uncle Irving used to tell me this story, which I kind of thought was based on a kernel of truth, but I wasn't sure how much of it he had embellished. It turns out he didn't have to stretch the truth at all because it really happenrd. There was a Knish War on Rivington Street.

Joanne Oppenheim wrote the story down, with illustrations by Jon Davis in 2017. And, although it is a childrenn's book, it is a delightful story for children of all ages.

Basically one immigrant family moved to 150 Rivington Street and opened up a shop selling baked round knishes for a nickel. They were delicious. But soon after,  another family moved into 155 Rivington Street, directly opposite the first store. They too sold knishes, but theirs were square rather than round. And fried rather than baked.  And thus began the Great Knish War of Rivington Street.

But this war was non violent, and the weapons used to decide the outcome were economic. A price war and brass bands versus an orchestra were the weapons of choice. Crowds formed, and music blasted from one side of the street to the other.

Finally the Police were called and even the Mayor came to broker a peace. Tasting both the baked round knish and the square fried ones, he declared the contest a tie. There WAS room for both on Rivington Street! The price went back up to a nickel from the 4 cents engendered by the "war", the brassband and orchestra were disbanded and life went on.

A wonderful book which both entertains and informs, it also preserves an almost lost piece of Jewish heritage. Read it for your grandchildren, and also for yourselves. You will be richer for the experience. And afterwards, have a knish! 😀