JCRC-NY Hosts Cheesecake Crawl of Bronx Bakeries with BP Gibson to Celebrate Shavuot

BRONX, NY (05/28/2025) (readMedia)-- Earlier today, Mark Treyger, CEO of JCRC-NY, and Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, both former NYC Council Members, led a Cheesecake Crawl at Jewish bakeries in the Bronx to celebrate Shavuot and National Small Business Month. Cheesecake has become a beloved tradition of the Jewish holiday, and today's event was a meaningful way to honor Shavuot while celebrating the vibrant Jewish community in the Bronx.

VIEW PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT HERE.

On Shavuot, Jewish people celebrate receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai with the beloved tradition of eating dairy foods, especially cheesecake. According to tradition, when the Israelites first learned the Torah's dietary laws, they realized their prepared meat no longer met kosher standards, so they turned to dairy foods instead-a practical solution that became a cherished custom. This tradition also carries deeper symbolism, as the dairy evokes the biblical "land flowing with milk and honey" promised to Abraham's descendants, connecting the giving of the Torah to God's covenant with the Jewish people and the land of Israel.

Treyger and Borough President Gibson visited S&S Cheesecake and Corner Café in Riverdale, where they sampled cheesecake and learned about each kosher bakery's history. S&S was founded in 1960 by Holocaust survivor Fred Schuster and is now run by his son-in-law Yair in its original Riverdale location. Their cheesecake recipe hasn't changed in 65 years, which is reflected by their motto, "doing one thing well". S&S supplies cheesecake to New York institutions like Peter Luger's, The Palm, and Zabar's. Corner Café and bakery opened in 1989 in Riverdale. The owners, Cochana, who is Israeli, and Ken Dubin, have been in the community ever since and now own and operate Pizza Plus next door. Both S&S and Corner Café are local businesses with deep roots in the community that not only craft delicious treats, but also help their Jewish neighbors uphold cherished holiday traditions.

"Shavuot marks a foundational moment that shaped our Jewish faith, values, and way of life," said Mark Treyger, CEO of JCRC-NY. "Visiting these incredible Jewish-owned Bronx bakeries was a meaningful way to honor that history and celebrate the delicious traditions that bring us together. I'm deeply grateful to Borough President Gibson for her continued commitment to the Jewish community in the Bronx, and to the bakery owners and staff for warmly welcoming us. Shavuot is a time to celebrate community and the shared values that unite us, and today's event truly embodied that spirit. It served as a powerful reminder that we must come together not only in times of crisis and sorrow, but also in moments of joy. Joy is a form of strength, celebration, and an act of courage, and community remains our greatest defense against divisions."

"I am proud to join Mark Treyger and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York for this year's Cheesecake Crawl as we celebrate Shavuot and National Small Business Month! Our local Kosher bakeries reflect the rich diversity and entrepreneurial spirit of the Bronx. These are businesses that have weathered pandemics and economic downturns, yet continue to thrive in our communities. Now more than ever, it's important that we come together to uplift and support our small businesses one bite at a time," said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson.

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JCRC-NY, a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York, serves as the primary community relations agency for the Jewish community in the metropolitan New York area. As an active force in New York civic and communal life, JCRC-NY operates as a central coordinating and resource body with a mission to build relationships to advance the values, interests, and security of the Jewish community and to create a more interconnected New York for all.