Zevach: a Supper Club
Zevach is a Hebrew word with several layers of meaning. The earliest mentions of the word in Jewish tradition describe a type of sacrifice: meat roasted and smoked over the open flames of the Mizbeach -- a cousin word to Zevach, literally a cooking thing, or a place for cooking. In its most contemporary mention, Zevach is a supper club on New York's Upper West Side hosted by Rabbis Jonathan Posner and Jonah Geffen.
At Zevach, Torah and a stellar 4-course menu including drinks are served up side by side, the way the Rabbis of old intended it. The dishes are rooted in text, and in turn texts leap off the page into alive flavors, textures, scents, and colors. Jonah teaches, and cooks some, while Jonathan cooks, and teaches some. At their core, Jonathan and Jonah have a shared belief that Jewish tradition has a lot to teach us about food, and how to make food well. From laying the tablecloth, to the last drop of cognac at dessert, Zevach is a night of text study like no other, and a meal worthy of the priestly pit-masters who inspired the supper club in the first place.