James Beard Winning Cookbook Author Will Speak with Fellow Jewish Food Authority Joan Nathan — and Both Will Sign Books — at Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (August 18, 2022) – On September 22, James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Twitty will appear at a book talk and signing at Philadelphia’s Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History (The Weitzman) in support of his new book: “Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew.”

Through its 50+ recipes, “Koshersoul” does not represent a fusion of the two cuisines, but instead honors and lifts up the myriad intersections between the African American and Jewish American diasporic identities. Having wrestled with his identity as a Jewish American of African descent, Twitty uses culinary arts and history to write a narrative of what it means to be a Jew of Color in America.

Twitty will be in conversation with Joan Nathan, a James Beard Award-winning authority on Jewish food. The two will explore the cultural crossroads of Jewish and African diasporic cuisines and related issues of memory, identity, and food.

Their conversation will be immediately followed by a book-signing with Twitty and Nathan. Attendees can pre-order books or purchase them on-site.

Throughout its public programming, The Weitzman often brings celebrity chefs, cooking demos, and thought-provoking discussions about food culture to in-person and online audiences.

“Michael Twitty’s body of work has helped many people with intersecting identities feel seen, while also sparking new ways to think about, interpret, and engage with Jewish, Black, and American histories.” said Dan Samuels, Director of Public Programs at The Weitzman. “Twitty is a mensch and a scholar. I can’t wait to host him in person at The Weitzman.”

Visit https://theweitzman.org/events/koshersoul/ to learn more.

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About Michael W. Twitty

Michael W. Twitty is a living history interpreter, culinary historian, and food writer personally charged with teaching, documenting, and preserving the African American culinary traditions of the historic South and the wider African Atlantic world as well as parent traditions in Africa. He blogs at Afroculinaria. His first two books, “The Cooking Gene” (HarperCollins 2017), and “Rice: A Savor the South Cookbook” (UNC Press 2021), were both released to great acclaim. The former won Twitty the 2018 James Beard Award, making him one of the few Black authors so awarded.

ABOUT THE WEITZMAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY
Established in 1976, and situated on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History is the only museum in the nation dedicated exclusively to exploring and interpreting the American Jewish experience. The Weitzman NMAJH presents educational programs and experiences that preserve, explore, and celebrate the history of Jews in America. Its purpose is to connect Jews more closely to their heritage and to inspire in people of all backgrounds a greater appreciation for the diversity of the American Jewish experience and the freedoms to which Americans aspire. https://theweitzman.org.