WISE SONS Bagel & Bakery opened its doors at 1520 Fillmore on February 26 and enthusiastic crowds were waiting. Again there is an authentic Jewish bakery in a neighborhood where many were located a century ago, when the Fillmore was home to a large Jewish community.
San Francisco muralist Amos Goldbaum captured the era in a mural on the north wall after Wise Sons co-owner Evan Bloom told him about the neighborhood’s Jewish heritage.
Says Goldbaum: “I researched historic photos and found some that included street cars and the iconic metal arches over each intersection, which were erected by the Fillmore merchants, many of them Jewish, to promote business. They were eventually removed to use as scrap metal for World War II. I wanted to add more to the street scene, so I also looked at historic photos of the Lower East Side, Jewish mecca and birthplace of my late grandfather. I was happy to find pictures of pushcart vendors selling challa, pickles and, of course, bagels. The resulting scene is Lower East Side on Fillmore, an amalgam of New York street life and San Francisco streetscape.”
WALKING TOUR: “Jews of the Fillmore“
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