MELVILLE, New York — Zabar’s is a New York Upper West Side market known for the many Jewish delicacies it sells, including bagels, smoked fish, and more.
Zabar’s was founded in 1934 by a Ukrainian Jewish immigrant, Jacob Zabar (born Mordko Leib Zabarka), after he first rented a stall in a farmer’s market in Brooklyn. Zabar’s has become a part of popular culture, appearing in the movie You’ve Got Mail, and being referenced in television shows including Seinfeld, Friends, The West Wing, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, among others.
Zabar’s just made another cultural connection outside of the food world in conjunction with the U. S. Open Tennis tournament which just ended in Flushing Meadows, New York. The Upper West Side shoe store West NYC is offering for sale a version of the iconic Adidas Rod Laver sneaker with colors matching the color theme of Zabar’s.
According to West NYC, the shoe is offered with an aim of transforming “the classic sneakers into an unofficial part of the store’s [Zabar’s] uniform.” What is another example of an iconic fashion item making a partnership within the Jewish world?
Mark D. Zimmerman is an author and freelance writer based in Melville, New York.