Wichita’s chance to get Jewish deli food returns with corned beef, matzah ball soup, more
Wichita doesn’t have a Jewish deli, even though local diners have said for years that they want one.
But Wichita does have Jewish Deli Day, a once-a-year event that offers meals of brisket, corned beef sandwiches, matzah ball soup and challah bread. The event, put on by the congregation at Congregation Emanu-El, returns this weekend and will happen at 1850 N. Woodlawn.
Last year’s meal set sales records, said Scott Wagner, the president of the congregation that puts the dinner on. He attributes the success to pent-up desire for Jewish Deli fare: Deli Day had been on a two-year COVID-19 hiatus when it returned last year. The event is the congregation’s biggest fundraiser.
“I don’t think anything’s going to be different this year,” said Wagner, predicting that the crowds of hungry Deli Day fans would likely return.
This year’s dinner is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday at the congregation’s new home: The Wichita Jewish Community Center on Woodlawn. Those who attend will pay $20 for a meal and will get a choice of beef brisket with challah roll or a corned beef sandwich on rye. Meals also include a potato knish, a cup of matzah ball soup, tomato cucumber salad and choice of strudel or a black and white cookie for dessert.
Attendees can either dine in or take their meals to go. Tickets are for sale at the door the day of the event or online at www.WichitaDeliDay.com
While at Deli Day, people also can visit “Uncle Manny’s,” which is an on-site bakery and market that offers more than a dozen food items to go, including things like rugelach, matzah ball soup, cheese blintzes and apple strudel.
Dozens of members of the congregation, which is made up of 105 families, work for months to put the dinner together, Wagner said.
“It’s an all-hands-on-deck kind of effort,” he said. “We started back in July, and the cooking committees have met every weekend. It’s a lot of effort, but there’s a lot of community building that goes on as well.”
For more information on Deli Day, visit www.WichitaDeliDay.com
This story was originally published November 8, 2023 at 1:49 PM.
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