Rabbi Deborah R. Prinz

Rabbi Deborah Prinz lectures about chocolate and Jewish celebratory breads nationally and internationally, in person and virtually. After thirty years of congregational work in San Diego County, in Teaneck (New Jersey), and at Central Synagogue in New York City, and following seven years at the Central Conference of American Rabbis as director of Program and Member Services, Rabbi Prinz headed onto the chocolate trail with the publication of On the Chocolate Trail: A Delicious Adventure Connecting Jews, Religions, History, Travel, Ritualsand Recipes to the Magic of Cacao, now in its second edition. On the Chocolate Trail explores how faith traditions share consumption, ritual, and business interests in chocolate as well as the many stories of Jews and chocolate. She was awarded a Starkoff Fellowship and a Director’s Fellowship from the American Jewish Archives as well as a Gilder Lehrman Fellowship from the Rockefeller Library to pursue the research for the book. She coauthored the picture book The Boston Chocolate Party with award-winning children’s book writer Tami Lehman-Wilzig. With historic irony, the Boston Tea Party of December 16, 1773, coincided with the last night of Chanukah. In The Boston Chocolate Party, a narrative of redemption and celebration, the reader learns about the parallel stories of freedom sought by the American colonists and by the Maccabees through the eyes of eight-year-old Joshua. On the Chocolate Trail formed the basis for “A Sweet Treat! Chocolate and the Making of American Jews,” an exhibit at Central Synagogue (New York City). Prinz also co-curated “Semi[te] Sweet: On Jews and Chocolate,” which was exhibited at the Bernard Museum of Temple Emanu-el in New York City. Both shows feature art, artifacts, and memorabilia portraying narratives of Jews and chocolate, and are available for travel. She loves eating chocolate and bread (gluten free, of course) with her husband Mark and her grandchildren Amiel, Pele, Ziv, Lior, Green Bean, and Temim, along with their parents: Noam and Rachel; Avigail, Beth, and Sarah. Her website is rabbideborahprinz.org.