Throughout this chapter, I couldn’t help noticing similarities between the Hasidic Jewish lifestyle and the Italian lifestyle in East Harlem. Goldschmidt quotes the Rebbe in saying that the “Jewish mother is largely responsible for the perpetuation of the very foundation of Jewish existence” (120). Orsi, too, wrote of the Italian mother’s large (if not complicated and contradictory) influence in the domus. The Jewish and Italian mothers alike held huge responsibilities on their shoulders to ensure that the domus/Jewish home ran smoothly and adhered to each group’s values and principles. Goldschmidt also writes that the Hasidim felt a strong difference between life in their homes and on the streets surrounding their homes. This is not surprising, since the Jews felt completely separate from their black neighbors, and vice versa. The public-private dichotomy contributed to the Jews’ identities because the more they distanced themselves from the “Blackness” of the streets, the more in tune they became with their own religion, community, lifestyle, etc. This dynamic can be compared to the public-private dichotomy experienced by the residents of Italian Harlem, though the two were different. The Italians were actually surrounded by their own people yet they constantly put on a different show in front of their neighbors. Whereas the Jews wanted to show their true colors to the Blacks to prove that they were different from them, the Italians did everything they could to conform to their neighbors’ ideals even if it meant contradicting their home lifestyles.

The meaning of food to the Hasidic Jews can also be compared to the Italians’ emphasis on food. As Goldschmidt argues, food was extremely important to the Jews because it reaffirmed their core beliefs and values, and ultimately what was most important to them. While I feel that the Italians’ focused slightly less on food (less restrictions, for example), their culinary practices were also very distinct to them. Both groups can be partially identified by what they eat since both groups place a strong emphasis on their food in relation to the broader culture. I also found it interesting that because the Jews lived in such close proximity to the Blacks, there was pressure to taste and learn about each other’s food. The Italians had the privilege of not being pressured to be “open” to other’s culinary habits simply because they didn’t live in such a shared community like the Jews did.