Last updated: February 24, 2023
Today I attended the reception for a fashion photo series that features real bubbies (Jewish grandmothers) imparting love and life advice, such as:
- “You have to interview him like a job!”
- “Go for someone who is crazy about you, maybe even more than you’re crazy about him.”
- “This might sound old fashioned, but don’t give it away too soon.”
- “Never depend on a man for anything. You never know what life brings and you need to be able to take care of yourself.”
It was sponsored and produced by Bubby Matchmaker app, Unkosher Market, and the American Jewish Historical Society.
Introduction
Said best with their intro:
Bubbies. We admire them. We look up to them. And we are honestly better people because of them. Heck, they can can teach us more than a few things about love, life and living fabulously. The Bubbies featured in this fashion photo series, taken by photographer Jackson Davis, are a gaggle of Los Angeles-based gals who play bridge together religiously. Sassy, strong, hilarious and not afraid to play dress-up, they are the O.G. squad. And given how difficult the dating game is today (oy vey, we know), they got us thinking, maybe just maybe there’s a place for their old world values in these, well, unkosher times. That and a good bowl of borscht.
The Event
This event was a collaboration between the founders of Bubby – Stephanie Volftsun, Jordan Klein, and Sarah Persitz – and the founder of Unkosher Market – Shiran Teitelbaum. The reception was held in the Paul S. and Sylvia Steinburg Great Hall at the American Jewish Historical Society at 15 West 16th Street.
They flew in a very hip and cool DJ named Adrien King from Toronto. Great tunes.
About a hundred people attended, which was great considering the sleet and snow outside in New York. The original date of the event had to be changed due to a blizzard warning in New York City.
The crowd was well dressed, hip, cool New York residents. I would estimate about 65% female and 35% male. Everybody was in good spirits. There was a bar with brunch-type alcoholic beverages, and the museum was open so we could explore and visit some of the other galleries. One that I saw was a special gallery for The Book of Job.
Venue Photos
Event Photos
Catalog Images
“You have to interview him like a job!”
“Go for someone who is crazy about you, maybe even more than you’re crazy about him.”
“We were polar opposites in every single thing, but together we created a great family.”
“This might sound old fashioned, but don’t give it away too soon.”
Interview with Shiran Teitelbaum
I briefly chatted with Shiran Teitelbaum about her company Unkosher Market and the event.
“I wanted to do something to bring a younger Jewish crowd together and bring a new audience into this space. We had these amazing pictures and thought that this deserved to be more than just an Instagram post.”
I was impressed that they had attracted such a young, cool, hip, interested audience to the museum on a rainy, cold Sunday afternoon.
Obligatory plug: My company Museum Hack works with museums to attract millennial audiences. Museums pay us to help produce events just like this which create new members and patrons.
The Gallery
The Food
There were plenty of snacks available, including:
- Kale salad with avocado
- Beet Pickled Eggs
- Avocado and Toast
- Chicken Schnitzel Sandwiches including apricot fig jam, pickled onions and arugula
- Olive Oil Bourbon Cake
- Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Bites
Conclusion
Special thanks to Stephanie Volftsun who told me about the event at a Touchpoint Town Hall meeting. Her company is called Bubby, and it was founded out of a frustration with dating apps. Bubby brings the best of old-world values to the modern dating scene. Their goal is to bring more love into the world.
Beyond the Exhibit
Included on the last page of the exhibit brochure:
Thank you for celebrating these bold and beautiful Bubbies and their stories. Special thank you to the American Jewish Historical Society for sharing our vision to bring this exhibit to the world.
For those still looking for that special someone, Bubby is on a mission to bring more love to the world, one match at a time! Inspired by our own Bubbies and a throw back to Jew-ish tradition, Bubby is tech enabled matchmaking app that works to set you up with other members of our private, curated community. Text Bubby at 703.939.9782 to get started.
With love from the Unkosher Market team, may you find your special lady or mensch and feel inspired by these Bubbies for what’s in store for you.
Sponsors
This event was made possible through the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation’s Grassroots Initiative program. Also thanks to:
- AJHS
- Artifact Uprising
- Framebridge
- framed & matted