Harvey Feingold - Character Profile
Updated: Mar 12, 2021
A grandfatherly figure to Sam, Herschel "Harvey" Feingold is one of the mainstays of Sam's childhood growing up on the Lower East Side.
One of the most well-known delis on the Lower East Side, Feingold's has been serving the Lower East Side's Jewish community (and beyond!) since the 1890s.
He immigrated from Stanislau (Polish: Stanisławów) in Galicia, then a part of Austria-Hungary (now in southeastern Poland) in 1892 in his early 30s. A Galitzianer (Galician Jew), he had previously worked as a tailor before immigrating with his family to the States.
As a Galitzianer, he prides himself on his sweet gefilte fish. Litvak (Lithuanian Jewish) chefs, on the other hand, would've made their gefilte fish savory.
Sam, being from a Russian Jewish background (technically, he is a Litvak, since Lev was born in Minsk and Raisa's ancestors came from around Minsk as well), is more accustomed to savory gefilte fish.
