This February, visitors to New York City can experience Jewish culture through a surprising lens: steaming bowls of soup, contemporary art, and evocative photography on the Lower East Side.
To mark the launch of its new Manischewitz Homemade Jarred Soup line, the iconic Jewish food brand is debuting “SOUP,” a free art and photography exhibition that dives into Jewish cuisine, memory, and identity as a living, evolving culture.
Set inside a gallery at 155 Suffolk Street on Manhattan’s historic Lower East Side, “SOUP” is an easy add-on to any NYC itinerary—especially for travelers interested in Jewish New York, food culture, and contemporary art.
What Is “SOUP?”
“SOUP” is less about product and more about people, stories, and the emotional pull of food.
Through visual art, photography, and storytelling, the exhibition explores how soup functions as comfort food and care, a ritual at the table, a vessel for family stories and memories, and a bridge between past and present, connecting the old country with the new.
The artists don’t just romanticize “the old days.” Instead, they explore how Jewish identity and food traditions are constantly being reinterpreted—much like recipes passed down, tweaked, and reimagined over generations.
Art will be available for purchase on site, so visitors can bring home a contemporary piece of Jewish culture along with their memories.
When & Where to Visit
“SOUP: A Manischewitz Art & Photography Exhibition”
155 Suffolk St, New York, NY 10002
(Lower East Side, Manhattan)
Dates: February 6–10, 2026
Hours (February 7–10):
- Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Saturday: 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Monday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Tuesday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Note: The exhibition will close early on Friday, February 6, at 2:00 p.m.
Admission is free, making it an easy cultural stop between meals, museum visits, or a walking tour of the Lower East Side.
Food, Culture & Why Soup Matters
For more than a century, Manischewitz has been a staple on American Jewish tables—from holiday seders to weeknight dinners. With “SOUP,” the brand steps out of the supermarket and into the gallery, treating Jewish food as culture, memory, and art
At the center of both the exhibition and the new jarred line is soup, especially matzo ball soup, a dish closely tied to healing, gathering, and family tradition.
“This isn’t about selling products,” said a Manischewitz spokesperson. “We see ourselves as caretakers of cultural memory. Jewish food has always carried history, humor, and identity. Supporting this exhibition is about sustaining the artists and stories that continue to shape Jewish life in America.”
Staging the show on the **Lower East Side**—once the heart of Jewish immigrant life—adds another layer, connecting contemporary work to the neighborhood’s deep roots in Jewish history and cuisine.
Manischewitz was founded in 1888 and is one of the most iconic names in Jewish cuisine and culture. For more than 135 years, the brand has been a trusted presence in Jewish homes, offering beloved staples such as matzo, matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, baked goods, and pantry essentials.
Featured Artists
Dan Weinstein
A multidisciplinary artist and creative director, Weinstein moves between visual art, animation, and storytelling. His work mixes underground aesthetics, bold graphics, and humor to explore identity, power, and modern myth.
Rosemarie Gleiser
A Peruvian-Jewish interdisciplinary artist based in New York, Gleiser focuses on diaspora, memory, migration, and food. Her Lexicon series—shown publicly for the first time at SOUP—combines language, recipes, and imagery as acts of cultural preservation.
Ohad Romano
One of Israel’s most prominent photographers, Romano is known for cinematic stills that feel like paused film scenes. His images capture tension, intimacy, and character in moments that feel suspended in time.
For travelers heading to New York City in February 2026, “SOUP:” A Manischewitz Art & Photography Exhibition is a chance to experience Jewish food culture, contemporary art, and the historic Lower East Side–all in one free, intimate, and very New York outing.