Sixth and Rye

American Jews are generous donors to all kinds of causes, both cultural and political, Jewish and non-Jewish, so it's struck me as odd for a while now that my community has been so complacent in the face of the ongoing destruction of Ashkenazi diaspora cuisine. Border disputes and high politics aside, the State of Israel simply doesn't carry the torch for the actual heritage of American Jewish families in this way. In other words: Lots of falafel, no pastrami.

But there is A New Hope:

Helmed by Chefs Spike Mendelsohn and Malcolm Mitchell, the truck serves up "old-fashioned Kosher deli cuisine" like corned beef sandwiches, fresh-cut potato chips, and, of course, pickles. The truck — which is actually on loan from the Eat Wonky fleet (Wonky's Jeff Kelley is also part of the project) — was the result of Sixth & I's "Next Great Idea for the New Year" contest, which asked Washingtonians what the Synagogue could be doing to expand its reach into the D.C. community. Sixth & Rye is funded in part by a grant from The Natan Fund, an organization which "supports innovative projects that are shaping the Jewish future," and the truck serves exclusively kosher fare — there's even a mashgiach supervising all food preparation and service.

That's a great idea, and I think philanthropy in this sphere needs to be expanded. The free market doesn't seem to want to provide proper bagels in the DC area, but surely the total amount of subsidy that would be required to make it happen would be a drop in the bucket compared to what's spent in this town on other Jewish-supported causes.