January 6 1942 – 17 Tevet 5702
During the darkest days of World War II, Gussie Schwebel, “the Knish Queen” supplied an unintended light hearted note when she wrote to Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt:
My Dear Mrs. Roosevelt: I take the liberty of sending you a newspaper clipping dealing with my humble self. The purpose of this letter is two-fold. First: It is my most sincere hope that I may be permitted to send you a sample of my dish, the knish, which, believe me, my dear Mrs. Roosevelt, is really worth tasting. Also, I wonder if I may not be able to be of service to my beloved land, by way of introducing the knish, which is very wholesome and not costly to produce, into the diet of our armed forces. I shall be most happy to devote all of my time and my energy to this end. Again, I pray that you may accept a boxful of knishes from me and will let me know when and where I can send them, I am Your most respectful servant, Mrs. Gussie Schwebel
Reportedly, when FDR’s wife (who supported attempts to rescues Jews from Nazi Europe), visited New York, she took the time to sample this quintessential Eastern European Jewish delicacy.