By COLlive reporter
A cup of coffee may seem like an ordinary part of the day. At the latest installment of the Mequon Torah Center’s Summer Fireside Series, it became the starting point for a journey spanning continents, centuries, and unexpected chapters of Jewish history.
Hosted at the Cedarburg Jewish Discovery Center, the evening featured Rabbi Moishy Korf, known as “The Caffeinated Rabbi,” and his presentation, The Secret Jewish History of Coffee.
The event was part of the Mequon Torah Center’s annual Summer Fireside Series, which brings a variety of speakers and topics to the community throughout the summer. This year’s series was coordinated by Rabbi Doobie and Mushka Lisker together with Rabbi Moshe and Sheina Luchins.
“Torah teaches us to see the world differently, to recognize that every part of creation carries a story and a purpose. This evening wasn’t just about coffee. It was about learning to look at the ordinary with fresh eyes and discovering the depth, wisdom, and Jewish history hidden in the everyday,” Rabbi Lisker said.
The evening began with four unmarked cups and a challenge to the palate: a blind tasting of specialty coffees from four origins. From there, the journey moved backward from cup to bean, and then across centuries, as Rabbi Korf traced coffee from Ethiopia and Yemen into some surprising corners of Jewish history.
Drawing on years of research and firsthand experience in the specialty coffee world, he wove together historical accounts, halachic discussions, Kabbalistic teachings, and practical coffee knowledge. The history included some unexpected detours, among them the story of a Jewish widow’s Shabbos coffee operation in Frankfurt that attracted the attention of the local fire department in 1775.
Along the way, participants encountered centuries-old responsa discussing coffee before Shacharis, learned why one halachic authority referred to coffee as “the Jewish drink,” and explored Kabbalistic and Chassidic teachings that find spiritual meaning even in the way a cup of coffee is prepared and enjoyed.
Alongside the Jewish sources, participants gained a deeper appreciation for the craftsmanship behind every cup, from cultivation and processing to roasting, tasting, and the many different approaches to brewing.
By evening’s end, participants had traveled far beyond the contents of their cups, through coffee farms, centuries of Jewish history, rabbinic sources, and the world of specialty coffee. What emerged was more than a new appreciation for a familiar drink. It was a reminder of how much history, meaning, and depth can be found in the ordinary when we take the time to look a little closer.
