Hottest New Program at Chabad? A Class All About Coffee

A cup of coffee became more than a morning beverage at a recent event hosted by the Mequon Torah Center's Summer Fireside Series. The evening, held at the Cedarburg Jewish Discovery Center, explored the intersection of coffee culture and Jewish history through a presentation titled "The Secret Jewish History of Coffee."

Rabbi Moishy Korf, known as "The Caffeinated Rabbi," Led the program, which was part of the center's annual summer series coordinated by Rabbi Doobie and Mushka Lisker together with Rabbi Moshe and Sheina Luchins.

The event opened with a blind tasting of specialty coffees from four origins before tracing coffee's journey backward from cup to bean and across centuries. Rabbi Korf drew on historical research and specialty coffee expertise to connect coffee's origins in Ethiopia and Yemen to Jewish history, incorporating halachic discussions, Kabbalistic teachings, and practical coffee knowledge.

The historical accounts included details such as a Jewish widow's Shabbos coffee operation in Frankfurt that caught the attention of local fire authorities in 1775. Participants also learned from centuries-old rabbinic responsa addressing coffee before morning prayers and explored Kabbalistic and Chassidic interpretations of coffee preparation and consumption.

"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 program covered the craftsmanship involved in coffee production, from cultivation and processing through roasting and brewing methods, alongside the Jewish textual and spiritual dimensions of the subject.