Weintraub’s landmark Jewish deli in Worcester may be only a memory by the end of summer

WORCESTER – The framed black-and-white photographs inside Weintraub’s Jewish Delicatessen on Water Street tell the story of an era gone by.

In the 1930s, a smiling Sam Weintraub greeted the camera in a white shirt and tie, a handful of other similarly dressed employees by his side.

A photograph of the street from the 1960s shows a row of Jewish businesses - the large vertical Lederman’s Bakery sign looming in the distance - of which Weintraub’s was only one.

Today, Weintraub’s stands on a street that has long ceased to be a hub for Jewish shops, now two doors down from a marijuana lounge. It’s the only Jewish deli left in the city, and it could be gone by the end of summer, as owner Dariush “David” Mizrahi is retiring at the end of August.

“It was a difficult decision,” Mr. Mizrahi said from behind the counter Friday, where a menu of products written on a whiteboard has hung for a decade. The 60-year-old, who manned the shop alone Friday afternoon, is in the midst of selling the building to Ed Murphy, who owns a number of nearby buildings and is hoping to find someone to keep the deli going.

“I’d like to keep it what it is if I can,” said Mr. Murphy. He said he’s already heard some interest, and is hopeful the deli will not close for good at August’s end.

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