The Great Nosh Draws Thousands For An Afternoon Of Jewish Food, Culture And Music On Governors Island

On Sunday, June 22nd, over 2,000 New Yorkers boated out to Governors Island for the inaugural iteration of the Great Nosh. Presented by the Jewish Food Society, the event was billed as a “vibrant picnic festival,” and by all accounts it delivered on that description.

The daylong gathering showcased a wide array of Jewish cuisine, craft cocktails, chef-led collaborations, live DJ performances and a general sense of well-being–all of it backdropped by the Statue of Liberty as well as the Manhattan skyline. And all of it demonstrating how food exists as an evolving cultural expression of identity and community.

Highlight dishes included schnitzel-and-chips from Dame, a popular seafood restaurant in the city; black and white cookie cheesecake from Junior’s–a New York institution; and roti reubens, a collaborative effort between Thai Diner and Katz’s Deli. There was a DIY bar dedicated to sabich, celebrating the oft-overlooked Middle Eastern staple.

At “Grandmas Tent,” cooking demos from prominent personalities such as Gail Simmons and Pati Jinich imparted a tasty type of knowledge to attendees. There were explainers on challah braiding, Eastern European pickling, and how-tos on hand-rolling couscous and rugelach. As evening closed in, guests were treated to a DJ set from seven time Grammy Award-winning artist Mark Ronson.

The well-received nature of the Great Nosh–along with its robust attendance–strongly suggests that it will become an annual fixture of New York summers. And it was all the brainchild of Naama Shefi, cookbook author and founder of the Jewish Food Society.

“The outpouring of joy, generosity, and togetherness we witnessed was deeply moving,” she said in a press release. “In a time when division often makes the headlines, the Great Nosh reminded us what’s possible when community and hospitality come together.”

To get a better sense of what inspired the event, and what we can expect from future iterations, we sat down with Shefi for a brief interview. It has been edited for length and clarity.

What led to the formation of the Great Nosh?

Naama Shefi: “I think about food as a very powerful medium for storytelling and identity exploration. Food is our cultural DNA and I believe that behind every recipe there is a story: how people live, celebrate, mourn and love. At Jewish Food Society we are building the largest archive of family recipes and the histories that are attached to them. We bring this archive to life with programming and gatherings. The Great Nosh was our idea to do that at scale, as a community.”

What was your vision for this inaugural event, and how did it evolve in execution?

NS: “The idea for the Great Nosh came from a few different places: the picnics I grew up with on the kibbutz and my new home here in NYC where I love to visit our city’s community gardens and parks. What better way to celebrate Jewish culture in New York City than to invite our beloved city to a picnic? That is it in a nutshell, and our goal is for The Great Nosh to be an annual event, celebrated in proximity to the holiday of Shavuot, which is a Jewish holiday that marks the harvest that comes after Spring. Growing up on a kibbutz, agriculture played a central role and Shavuot was the biggest annual event. I wanted to recreate this type of magic at scale.”

What does it take to curate an event of that scale and make it feel intimate?

NS: “It’s all about setting a clear purpose. We aimed to create a multi-sensory experience that invited guests to step out of their daily routine and enjoy an inspiring time with friends. The island setting helped enormously; there’s something about being separated from the city that naturally creates an escape from our typically busy lives. I love that going to the Great Nosh requires a little journey to get to this oasis. It lends itself to a full experience, not just another event in the city where you swing by. It hopefully felt intimate because everyone—chefs, artists, guests— were invested in this joint experience and came with the same spirit: a desire to be part of something joyful, meaningful, and deeply rooted.”

Many people think of Jewish food in a nostalgic or traditional context. How did you seek to make it more contemporary?

NS: “Jewish food is extremely global, seasonal and diverse in its nature so we wanted to highlight these qualities in the food offerings and programs. All 12 pop-ups featured at the picnic celebrated friendships within the culinary community, and many created unexpected dishes drawing on NYC staples with a completely new take on traditional flavors. For example, my friend Zoe Kanan of Elbow Bread partnered with her neighbor Sunny Lee of Sunn’s on a vegetable-forward banchan bialy with smoky eggplant and zucchini. I love how Sunny and Zoe represent their mutual appreciation of Jewish traditions and are bringing to life Korean and Jewish flavors in the most delicious and thoughtful way. “

How do you define success for The Great Nosh?

NS: “Part of how we measure success is in conversations started, connections made, and minds opened. There’s a notion that Jewish food is a monolith, but in reality it’s extremely diverse and we wanted to highlight its richness and seasonality. One of my guests at the picnic tried Sabich, an Iraqi-Jewish eggplant sandwich for the first time and it started a whole conversation about Jewish immigration and identity. This is just one example of many but the real impact is in the individual moments of discovery and curiosity.Food is a very intimate medium that carries memory, tradition, and emotion in ways that words alone cannot. Every dish tells multiple stories—the story of its origins, its journey across borders, its adaptation to new environments, the people who prepared it or were around the table, when it was served. Now, more than ever, it’s important to come together and celebrate Jewish culture in a way that fosters connection, understanding, and joy. The Great Nosh is about pride, resilience, and sharing heritage in an open and welcoming way. It’s a chance to reinforce the power of community and to invite all New Yorkers to engage with Jewish food and culture in a dynamic and celebratory setting.”

Do you see the Great Nosh becoming a national—or even global—series?

NS: “We are excited to be an annual event on the city’s calendar for years to come, and yes, at some point we aspire for the Great Nosh to be replicated in other major cities in the US and beyond.”

What was your absolute favorite bite at the Great Nosh?

NS: “I really loved the Marbled Rye Roti Reuben with pickled mango slaw from the Katz’s x Thai Diner. I’ve been craving it ever since.”