Food is more than just sustenance.

It marks important events, anchors religious traditions and builds a sense of community.

No one knows that better than Rabbi Yossi Jacobson, who runs the only sit down kosher deli in Iowa.

And people get a kick out of it.

A rabbi making up their sandwich, you know.

The truth is, I didn't know what to call it.

So I made a dream request.

I wrote it.

I wrote a letter.

I put it under my pillow, and I woke up with Maccabee.

I remember I said, Honey, we're calling it Maccabee, because for the extended community, it's it's out of Big Mac and Applebee or Big Mac and Arby.

It had a jingle.

The Jacobson's came to Iowa from Brooklyn to serve as a resource to anyone who desires something of Jewish life to attend to the spiritual and physical needs of the community.

So my wife and I are part of the Habad Lubavitch Hasidim.

We are an institution that based on the teachings of the Torah, and there's nothing we wouldn't do for our Jewish brothers and sisters and for the community.

To serve the community, whatever it takes.

We started Maccabee Deli because we realize that many of our Jewish brothers and sisters have never been educated in kosher.

And before you could teach people Torah or pray with them in Hebrew.

You got to feed their appetite.

Should we bring up more pickles.

Because of the kosher meat processing plant in Postville, Iowa, the meat they serve is processed locally.

It's like God put all the pieces of your puzzle in front of you.

It would be almost a sin not to open up a kosher deli.

There's no option for failure.

So our choice was either we're going to succeed or we're going to succeed.

It was business as usual for many years until one day in July of 2023, when a post on TikTok went viral.

I found a New Yorker owned Jewish deli in Des Moines, and I am so happy.

It's run by a rabbi from Crown Heights, Brooklyn, who immediately clocked me as both not from Iowa and vaguely Jewish.

Like as soon as I walked in.

One morning we came in and it was out the door that was it.

Both ends.

And we were like, What happened?

We ran out pastrami.

We ran and ran out of bread.

So at the beginning, I made a video on TikTok about moving to Des Moines and why I moved to Des Moines and how I think there's cool stuff to do here.

Maccabees Deli DMd me and was like, Hey, I don't know if you know, but there's a kosher deli in Des Moines.

And I found out when I went back the second time that it's actually their child in Florida is the one who runs their social media.

So he reached out to me without telling his parents.

Okay, we don't have TikTok.

We don't have it.

So we didn't know what.

was happening to us.

I made the video just sort of on a whim.

And my life has been very strange since.

In the last four months it has been busy throughout the whole day it has been crazy.

Chicken soup, ok.

While the increase in customers was a surprise, Maccabees Deli is not afraid to stand out.

Driving down Des Moines Polk Boulevard during Chanukah it's hard to miss the 30 foot tall menorah in the front yard.

We are we are getting Chanukah going.

So thats coming up in a week.

And we're getting some interesting guests who are going to help us light the menorah this year.

Jewish communities around the world celebrate Chanukah with gatherings, parties, songs and games.

Traditional foods, including potato latkes and deep fried jelly donuts, are often served.

Brothers and sisters of the Jewish and extended community.

Tonight we usher in the first of the.

eight days of the holiday of Chanukah.

Very birght.

So we're going to go up right now and Governor will light the first candle.

The Shamash.

Chanukah is a festival of lights.

It commemorates the Maccabees revolt, where light won out over darkness.

It's a story of rededication and hope, and it's a cause for celebration.

Enjoy those latkes.

Happy Chanukah.

Light represents the Torah, light represents the menorah.

We are all God's candles on earth.

Sometimes we need hope to light our way.

We're proud of the history reliving those times in our time and telling his story, her story, our story to the world and being proud and standing strong.

We are here.

We awakened appetite for people to want to meet each other and to do a face to face contact.

Good communication.

And we have only one sign on our window.

Open.