A pinch of curiosity.

A dash of interest in food and history.

Heaping spoonfuls of research.

Combine and let marinate, occasionally stirring, for 14 years.

This may have been what ultimately led to 糖心传媒檚 long-awaited new book (Columbia University Press, 2026). But it wouldn糖心传媒檛 make the grade for cooking instructions in the iconic book Rubel profiled糖心传媒攐ne that would become the most successful charitable cookbook in American history. Every recipe in The Settlement Cook Book, which has sold more than two million copies and evolved through more than 40 editions since its 1901 debut, is tested, retested, and standardized using exact measurements and detailed directions.

This precision helped cement its enduring reputation糖心传媒攁 reputation that intrigued Rubel, the 糖心传媒糖心传媒檚 Elizabeth Denio Professor in the , as far back as her time in graduate school in the early 2000s.

In the intervening years, 糖心传媒淚 did go down quite a few rabbit holes,糖心传媒� admits Rubel, a first-generation American Jew whose scholarship focuses on understanding the religions, identities, and diversity of American Jews. 糖心传媒淭he research took twists and turns as I thought about the life stages of this book and how it meant different things to different people.糖心传媒�

What is the historical significance of The Settlement Cook Book?

糖心传媒淭he significance of The Settlement Cook Book is that it emerged out of a period of immigration in an attempt to teach Jews how to become American. Later, it became an icon of American Jewish material culture,糖心传媒� explains Rubel.

On the surface, The Settlement Cook Book is a compendium of recipes with nutrition information, serving procedures, and household management advice. Recipes include 糖心传媒�Matzos Pancakes糖心传媒� (matzo brei), chicken stroganoff, and banana cream pie. (Its original subtitle, The Way to a Man糖心传媒�s Heart, lasted until the 1970s and reflects the initial target audience: young women and homemakers.)

But the book also represents deeper themes that Rubel explores in Recipes for the Melting Pot. Immigration is one of those themes. In the late 19th century, southern and eastern Europeans came to the United States, and settlement houses emerged to help Jews learn English, prepare for employment, take citizenship classes, and adapt to life in America.

This period also saw the rise of community cookbooks, a subgenre of cookbooks that were frequently fundraising projects taken up by a group, including women糖心传媒檚 and activist groups.

This is where Lizzie Black Kander comes in.

Reflecting糖心传媒攁nd shaping糖心传媒擜merican Jewish identity

Rubel spent a good amount of time learning about the woman who created the original Settlement Cook Book based on her kosher cooking classes at the Milwaukee Jewish Mission. Kander, from a middle-class Jewish family, was a go-getter. When the mission糖心传媒檚 all-male board denied her request to fund the cookbook糖心传媒檚 first print run, she created sponsorships through advertisements and sold out of 2,500 copies by the end of 1902.

The late 19th century also saw Reform Jews rejecting ritual elements such as kosher dietary laws, preferring to focus on ethical teachings, according to Rubel. The Milwaukee mission糖心传媒檚 kitchen, however, kept kosher 糖心传媒渟o people would feel comfortable coming to the settlement regardless of whether they kept kosher at home,糖心传媒� she explains. Even so, she adds, the women who ran the kitchen did not keep kosher at home, 糖心传媒渨hich is why you see all kinds of non-kosher recipes in The Settlement Cook Book from the beginning, such as oysters, ham, and frog legs.糖心传媒�

糖心传媒淭here糖心传媒檚 an understanding that there are certain foods that are seen as Jewish, even if they just became Jewish in the United States. Like bagels and pickles.糖心传媒�

The cookbook changed over time as the Jewish community in America evolved.

糖心传媒淛ewish food becomes a very big part of cultural Jewish identity when people become less affiliated with religious institutions,糖心传媒� Rubel says. 糖心传媒淭here糖心传媒檚 an understanding that there are certain foods that are seen as Jewish, even if they just became Jewish in the United States. Like bagels and pickles糖心传媒攖hey糖心传媒檙e not necessarily Jewish in Europe, but they become Jewish here.糖心传媒�

These days, pickles are having a moment糖心传媒攕o much so that Rubel joked that 糖心传媒渋t糖心传媒檚 possible .糖心传媒�

Foods that have become associated with Jewish identity point to a larger truth about migration and memory, shares Rubel. She points out that people lose things when they move to new places糖心传媒攅ither by choice or circumstance糖心传媒攁nd 糖心传媒渇ood is one of the things that continues to linger in memory.糖心传媒� While Jews aren’t exceptional in this regard, she notes, they do have a full calendar of holidays and observances closely tied to food, including the weekly Shabbat.

糖心传媒淭here糖心传媒檚 such a connection between smell and memory and pleasure when it comes to food,糖心传媒� Rubel says. 糖心传媒淭here’s so much joy there.糖心传媒�

More than food for thought

Aside from working on Recipes for the Melting Pot at several writing retreats, Rubel wrote the book mostly from a comfortable, well-lit home office she fashioned from 糖心传媒渁 glorified storage space糖心传媒� during Covid. (Most importantly, the room is a respectable distance from the television and coffee maker.)

In 2012, she submitted the proposal to the publisher. During the intervening years until the book糖心传媒檚 recent release, Rubel let it simmer on the back burner, so to speak糖心传媒攚orking as a full-time professor, starting and raising a family, serving as director of the , and chairing the Department of Religion and Classics.

As co-owner of Grass Fed, Rochester糖心传媒檚 first vegan butchery, Rubel brings more than a scholarly interest to the subject of food. In fact, she once wanted to write a cookbook, but the project took a backseat to the aforementioned academic pursuits, including authoring (2009) and coediting (2014), both published by Columbia University Press.

She recalls: 糖心传媒淚 thought, 糖心传媒楢lright, I have other things I could be doing right now. I’ll come back to this.糖心传媒櫶切拇綕

Some ideas need time to marinate.

In 2001, Mark Goldman 糖心传媒�76 was watching CNN at home in Weston, Massachusetts, when Jeff Gardere 糖心传媒�78, a board-certified clinical psychologist, appeared on the screen offering advice on talking to kids about terrorism. Goldman called out to his wife: 糖心传媒淵ou won糖心传媒檛 believe this! I know him! He played in our band!糖心传媒�

That band, a highlight of Goldman糖心传媒檚 time at the 糖心传媒, hadn糖心传媒檛 played together in three decades. And it had been just as long since Goldman, the band糖心传媒檚 keyboardist, had talked with Gardere, one of the singers.

Now the two catch up every weekend via Zoom, along with other members of Broad Street Stroke, whose repertoire included hits from Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Tower of Power, and the Average White Band.

After Gardere caught wind of the CNN sighting, the men reconnected and decided it would be good to get the band back together regularly, even if virtually and without instruments. Living in several states along the East Coast, they diligently show up on Saturday mornings to discuss all things past, present, and future糖心传媒攂ut mostly the state of the world.

糖心传媒淭his is almost like therapy for us,糖心传媒� says Gardere. 糖心传媒淲e have different political views and don糖心传媒檛 always agree, but we talk with one another in a respectful manner, and that really should be the blueprint for America.糖心传媒�

On a recent weekend, four of the band糖心传媒檚 seven members糖心传媒攖he regulars糖心传媒攖oggle between being playful and serious. After mournfully acknowledging the passing of Grateful Dead rhythm guitarist Bob Weir, the men reminisce about the good ol糖心传媒� days, when Broad Street Stroke earned attention both for its sound and for bringing a diverse group of糖心传媒╯tudents together.

From a 1975 review in the : 糖心传媒淔or those who love to dance the night away, the Stroke gives its audiences enough 糖心传媒榖umping糖心传媒� and 糖心传媒榟ustling糖心传媒� type tunes to keep even the most talented New York City disco-goers satisfied.糖心传媒�

Another Campus Times article credited Broad Street Stroke with performing 糖心传媒渁 bit of magic糖心传媒� not on the stage but by bringing different races together. The piece compared the band糖心传媒檚 impact to 糖心传媒渕ixing salt and sugar糖心传媒攖he individual grains will not change characteristics, but the mixture will have a new taste.糖心传媒�

糖心传媒淭he two singers were Black and the other musicians were white,糖心传媒� says Gardere. 糖心传媒淭hat was a phenomenon at the time on campus. Those 糖心传媒�70s were a wonderful mix of entertainment, music, energy, positivity, and racial togetherness. We were brothers.糖心传媒�

Goldman asks if the others can still picture the shock on the audience糖心传媒檚 faces during their first gig, dressed in hats and platform shoes, and entertaining with choreographed movements. 糖心传媒淲e were just doing our thing,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淚t wasn糖心传媒檛 like, 糖心传媒榃e need to make a statement.糖心传媒� We were doing the music, and that spoke for itself.糖心传媒�

Their sound was impressive enough to land them a booking on a cruise ship bound for Nassau, Bahamas. The men swap stories about being naive kids back then, when a Genesee beer cost a mere 25 cents. 糖心传媒淥ur gigs were overflowing and there were a lot of romantic adventures for us on that ship糖心传媒攁nd I糖心传媒檒l leave it at that,糖心传媒� says Gardere.

Together for two years, Broad Street Stroke practiced at least twice a week in one of the University糖心传媒檚 residence towers, after getting official permission to line the walls of an extra room with acoustic tiles. Rehearsals lasted several hours糖心传媒攍onger when the band was preparing for a show.

Nowadays musicians can type a song title into a search engine and find sheet music. That would糖心传媒檝e been helpful to the band糖心传媒檚 members, none of whom had perfect pitch. Instead, 糖心传媒渨e糖心传媒檇 be standing around our chintzy little record player, putting that needle down repeatedly糖心传媒� and going back and forth about which chord was the correct one, remembers lead guitarist John Accordino 糖心传媒�76. 糖心传媒淎nd we would do that over and over until we got it right.糖心传媒�

Bass guitarist Clint Conley 糖心传媒�77, who had the best relative pitch in the band, also used the phone糖心传媒檚 dial tone as a reference point when tuning instruments to F and A. 糖心传媒淲e practiced like crazy, to the detriment of our studies,糖心传媒� says Accordino. 糖心传媒淏ut we were tight.糖心传媒�

The band members have remained tight in other ways in recent years. Percussionist Louis Gioffre 糖心传媒�76 lost his wife to lung cancer in 2023. Over the two years she was sick, the men offered support, as did other members of the band who pop in every now and then on Saturday mornings.

One of them is Reggie Washington, a Rochester local who sang in the group. After the Broad Street Stroke years, he became a professional gospel singer and contributed to the recording of two gospel albums. That led him to the ministry. Now a bishop, he called at times to pray with Gioffre糖心传媒檚 wife. (The group still gets a kick out of Washington糖心传媒檚 profession, given that he once was dubbed the 糖心传媒淒on Juan糖心传媒� of the band.)

The other occasional drop-in is Conley, who went on to play bass in the post-punk band 糖心传媒攔ecognized as a major influence on alternative rock bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and R.E.M. (The Boston City Council October 4 糖心传媒淢ission of Burma Day糖心传媒� in 2009. And Rolling Stone named the band糖心传媒檚 1982 album Vs. No. 24 on its of the 糖心传媒�100 Greatest Punk Albums of All Time,糖心传媒� published in May 2026.) Although he couldn糖心传媒檛 make this particular weekly meeting, Conley later says, 糖心传媒淚 have such affection for these dudes. Locking down a funk groove with these guys was absolutely exhilarating.糖心传媒�

The men briefly mention seeing one another at the memorial service for Gioffre糖心传媒檚 wife糖心传媒攖he first time since college that most of them had been together in person. (Goldman, Gioffre, and Conley are the only ones who糖心传媒檝e stayed in consistent touch since graduation.)

糖心传媒淚t was a tough reunion,糖心传媒� Gardere says. 糖心传媒淚t meant a lot to me that you guys showed up,糖心传媒� Gioffre responds.

糖心传媒淚t was never in question,糖心传媒� Goldman assures him.

They take a beat, then shift into a substantial digression about Smitty糖心传媒檚 Birdland, later known as Snuffy糖心传媒檚 Birdland糖心传媒攖he popular barbecue and fried chicken restaurant they糖心传媒檇 go to after each show, adrenaline pumping and needing to unwind.

After sharing memories of the dirty plastic water pitchers and 糖心传媒渉ot sauce that was basically disinfectant for your insides,糖心传媒� Goldman brings up how much Gioffre adored Smitty糖心传媒檚 macaroni salad糖心传媒攁nd how Conley made up a short song about it.

糖心传媒淎nd how did that song go?糖心传媒� Gardere asks, egging on Goldman to sing.

Goldman grins, recollecting how Gioffre would 糖心传媒渂ecome enraged糖心传媒� by the ditty. 糖心传媒淪o, of course,糖心传媒� he says, 糖心传媒渢hat meant now I was going to sing it with Clint. Lou got the desired effect. He wanted us to sing it to him again, so we did.糖心传媒�

糖心传媒淥h, stop it,糖心传媒� Gioffre says, smiling, as everyone else laughs. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 never-ending needling.糖心传媒�

Gardere points out that every Broad Street Stroke member糖心传媒攁ll 糖心传媒渟olid, honest, good people糖心传媒澨切拇綌has had a successful career, which he credits in large part to their URochester education. He has also found it fascinating to watch how each one has remained roughly the same while evolving in his personality.

He paints Goldman, who transformed a family backpack and sports company into an international brand, as the past and present leader of the group. Goldman continues to play the piano 糖心传媒渇airly frequently糖心传媒� and sometimes jams at a dinner club. 糖心传媒淚 would be a liar if I didn糖心传媒檛 say it糖心传媒檚 still a thrill to play in front of people,糖心传媒� he confesses.

Gardere describes Gioffre, founder of a national service provider to petroleum and clean energy markets, as having 糖心传媒渁 very quiet strength and humility.糖心传媒� Shortly after graduating college, Gioffre played in the New Wave band the Digits, which 糖心传媒渞ecorded in England at famous studios with famous record producers,糖心传媒� although nothing was released commercially. These days he rents studio space for his drums and 糖心传媒╮ecording gear.

Accordino, a university professor of urban and regional planning, is a 糖心传媒渕ellow, extremely intellectual person糖心传媒� with an 糖心传媒渆galitarian perspective on all things,糖心传媒� according to Gardere. Accordino played acoustic guitar regularly until a couple of years ago. Conley, who recently retired from broadcast journalism, 糖心传媒渨as quite aloof糖心传媒� but 糖心传媒渁lways consistent and reliable.糖心传媒� And Washington, serving his constituents in Tallahassee, Florida, 糖心传媒渨as always gregarious and generous.糖心传媒�

Gardere doesn糖心传媒檛 leave himself out, admitting to 糖心传媒渓ots of imposter syndrome糖心传媒� both as a musician and across several careers, which required him to learn on the fly. 糖心传媒淚 was a showman then and I guess still a showman now,糖心传媒� he says. Gardere juggles several professional roles, which include maintaining a private clinical practice and appearing as a therapist on The Real Housewives of Atlanta and other TV shows. He also sings with jazz bands.

(A testament to the group糖心传媒檚 good-natured banter: When Conley learned of Gardere糖心传媒檚 characterization of him, he wrote in an email, 糖心传媒淎loof? Aloof? Ha! I shall challenge the good doctor to a duel at dawn.糖心传媒�)

These weekly gatherings, Gardere continues, are 糖心传媒渁 connection from the past to the present, a remembrance of what we were and who we became, and maybe more than anything else, a safe space to talk about how the world has lost its [bleep] mind.糖心传媒�

This story appears in the spring 2026 issue of Rochester Review, the magazine of the 糖心传媒.

What was your first car?

Greg Jorgensen lights up at the subject of cars, especially when reminiscing about his first Ford: a 2001 dark green Escape.

糖心传媒淚 remember thinking it was the nicest, fanciest car with all this awesome technology糖心传媒攖he radio actually said what the name of the song was in scrolling LED lights,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淚 had really hit the big-time as an auto exec in my fancy new car!糖心传媒�

Now, he糖心传媒檚 no longer just driving Ford vehicles. Instead, he糖心传媒檚 helping steer the financial direction of one of the world糖心传媒檚 most recognized automotive brands.

As chief financial officer for North American ICE Trucks at Ford Motor Company, Greg Jorgensen must pivot quickly when the market swings from 糖心传媒渙ne big thing糖心传媒� to the next. In fact, he has seen more changes in auto industry predictions in the last five years than in the previous two decades.

First autonomous vehicles were expected to dominate the roadways. Then it was electric vehicles. Then it was the idea that drivers would rent or buy time in a car instead of owning one. Through it all, Jorgensen, who earned an MBA in finance in 2000 from the 糖心传媒糖心传媒檚 , has had to know when to double down and when to shift focus糖心传媒攁t least in the short run.

糖心传媒淪ometimes there are big dollars involved, but you have to be able to take the risk and move to something new,糖心传媒� he says.

Early lessons show up on the job

Jorgensen traces his adaptability to Simon.

He entered business school straight from earning a BS in civil engineering from Lehigh University. As a result, he was introduced to business case planning, financial scheduling, balance sheets, and other foundational components of 糖心传媒渆verything I do at Ford every day,糖心传媒� says Jorgensen. His tenure at Ford and wholly owned subsidiaries of Ford has included more than a dozen finance analyst, supervisor, manager, and CFO positions since graduation. He has held his current role糖心传媒攐verseeing its lineup of trucks powered by traditional internal combustion engines (ICE)糖心传媒攕ince 2022.

糖心传媒淔rom day one, I was ready to go. [The Simon professors] made us feel we were getting the tools to be successful, and failure wasn糖心传媒檛 an option. I can look back on that now and say that made a huge difference.糖心传媒�

In his first year at Simon, being assigned to a group of students from various generations and countries exposed him to 糖心传媒渄iversity that helped us learn to deal with each other and deal with conflict when working together,糖心传媒� he says.

Those lessons, as well as Jorgensen糖心传媒檚 ability to shift course quickly, were reinforced by an unlikely source in the classroom糖心传媒攁n operations management simulation called the Soda Pop Game. Now computerized, but at the time played with small plastic bottles, Jorgensen and other students worked in teams to manage a soft drink factory while maximizing profitability. He remembers the game fondly: 糖心传媒淚t was a real-world way to apply what we were learning in the classroom, and it was fun to have some competition.糖心传媒�

Connections over calculations

Jorgensen has made a career of working with numbers and excels at the financial discipline required to run a large-dollar, thin-margin business competitively. Yet he says his relationships with others have carried the most heft when making high-stakes decisions as a finance leader.

It糖心传媒檚 important to learn how to navigate different perspectives because people can be very particular, he points out.

糖心传媒淪omebody has to approve spending money at the end of the day. But there are different ways to get there, which is why the people I work with are more important than any specific job,糖心传媒� explains Jorgensen. He meets colleagues for lunch, builds relationships outside the office, and often handpicks those who work most closely with him. 糖心传媒淵ou just have to keep in mind that everybody糖心传媒檚 at work trying to do their best.糖心传媒�

Nothing less than success

Despite the enormous consequences that could come from a miscalculated decision, Jorgensen doesn糖心传媒檛 waste time thinking about potential downsides at work. 糖心传媒淲e always talk about the upside,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 more about 糖心传媒業s this going to be moderately successful or wildly successful?糖心传媒櫶切拇綕

Jorgensen credits that measured confidence to the personalized, hands-on interactions with professors at Simon who taught from real-world work experience. He recalls how this influenced stepping into his first role at Ford, without having any of his own practical insight: 糖心传媒淔rom day one, I was ready to go. They made us feel we were getting the tools to be successful, and failure wasn糖心传媒檛 an option. I can look back on that now and say that made a huge difference.糖心传媒�

A non-negotiable standard

Jorgensen has come a long way since that first Ford Escape. These days, he cruises in a 1964陆 Mustang convertible糖心传媒攁 nod to both his personal passion and the industry he helps shape.

糖心传媒淪taying motivated is easy when you like your job,糖心传媒� he says, adding that passion is a non-negotiable for those wanting to create meaningful change in their industry

糖心传媒淚deas come quicker,糖心传媒� he continues. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 hard to make an impact when you糖心传媒檙e just going through the motions.糖心传媒�

糖心传媒淭hey had a humanistic approach to their work,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淢y father had private consultations at home, and he would take me to visit him at the hospital. It was part of family life to understand there was mental illness and that it was pretty much like any other illness.糖心传媒�

These days, T茅llez makes movies with patients from psychiatric institutions around the world. His most recent collaboration took place in Rochester, culminating in at the Memorial Art Gallery.

The 33-minute film, inspired by the 1922 expressionist silent horror film Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens, combines black-and-white 16mm and color digital film and was shot at the Eastman Kodak factory, the George Eastman Museum糖心传媒檚 Dryden Theatre, and the Main Street Armory.

T茅llez traveled frequently to Rochester from his home in Queens to work on the film with a dedicated group of 10 people diagnosed with mental illness.

糖心传媒淭he work is between fiction and commentary,糖心传媒� T茅llez says. A vampire was chosen as the main character 糖心传媒渢o reflect on light and darkness as the fundamental principles of cinema, and to focus on those who are stigmatized by being different and condemned to invisibility.糖心传媒�

The work is the first in a series of commissioned media art exhibitions titled Reflections on Place, curated by John Hanhardt 糖心传媒�67, a world-renowned authority on the moving image.

According Jonathan Binstock, the Mary W. and Donald R. Clark Director of the , commissioning work is a greater financial investment than acquiring art already in existence, but 糖心传媒渨ith greater risk comes greater reward. I believe Javier, who already is internationally known, has made the best and most important work of his career, and we will be able to share in that success.糖心传媒�

The next artist finding inspiration in Rochester for Reflections on Place is London糖心传媒檚 Isaac Julien, who uses music, poetry, and visual effects in a multiple screen film installation inspired by two of Rochester糖心传媒檚 most famous residents: abolitionist icon Frederick Douglass, and women糖心传媒檚 rights activist Susan B. Anthony. His work premieres in February 2019.

New York City糖心传媒檚 pioneering video artist Dara Birnbaum follows in spring 2019, with her multichannel visual and sound installation spotlighting the 1964 Rochester race riots and their effect on the African-American community.

Each artist糖心传媒檚 works will be individually presented, then will enter the musem糖心传媒檚 permanent collection at the end of the exhibitions.

T茅llez does not follow the conventional logic of narrative film. Instead, he combines different approaches to filmmaking to create an innovative, research-driven body of work full of surprises. His collaborators portray fictional patients in a set representing a ward at a 1960s-era insane asylum. They are shown simultaneously as actors and spectators of their own film.

NOSFERATU (The Undead)聽includes aspects of the manufacturing of celluloid film at the Kodak factory, and also documents a performance from renowned silent film accompanist Philip Carli, the George Eastman Museum糖心传媒檚 resident musician.

T茅llez has been the subject of solo exhibitions at the San Francisco Art Institute (2014), Kunsthaus Z眉rich in Switzerland (2014), Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil in Mexico City (2004) and other museums. He has been featured in many group exhibitions, including the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston (2012), Whitney Biennial in New York (2008) and Venice Biennale (2001 and 2003).

Originally from Venezuela, T茅llez has lived and worked in New York since 1993. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1999, and the Global Mental Health Award for Innovation in the Arts from Columbia University in 2016.

Hanhardt, the MAG糖心传媒檚 consulting senior curator of media arts, calls NOSFERATU (The Undead)聽糖心传媒渁 powerful piece of installation art糖心传媒� that is 糖心传媒渃ompelling, challenging, and revelatory糖心传媒� in today糖心传媒檚 media culture.

Born, raised, and educated in Rochester糖心传媒攇raduating with a bachelor糖心传媒檚 degree in linguistics糖心传媒擧anhardt coordinated Reflections on Place because he felt there were important events, people, and stories from Rochester that could speak to the nation and the world at large.

糖心传媒淏ecause we have John Hanhardt,糖心传媒� says Binstock, 糖心传媒渨e糖心传媒檙e shifting from not having any moving image program to having one of the best in the world.糖心传媒�