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Nahoum's loses its man behind the till
OUR BUREAU
David Nahoum; (top, above) the notice outside the shop announcing his
death on Thursday. Picture by Sanjoy Ghosh The famous fudge and fruit
cake will be back on the shelves after a day but David Nahoum, the
familiar face behind the cash till at the landmark Nahoum & Sons in
New Market, won't.
David, who was to turn 86 in April, passed away on Thursday morning at
Fortis Hospitals, his last visit to the shop being in a wheelchair
around a month ago.
David had been admitted to Fortis with chronic renal failure on
February 9. He died of cardiac and respiratory failure resulting from
his condition, a hospital official said.
`I got a call from the hospital, saying he was no more. He was a
father figure to all of us at the shop. I had worked with him for
around 34 years and his death is a big shock for me,' Jagadish Halder,
the manager of Nahoum's, told Metro.
Nahoum's kept its shutters down for the day but the sense of loss
wasn't restricted to the family and those who worked for David.
Nahoum's loyalist Dona Ganguly said: `May his soul rest in peace. The
cakes are so special! In fact, yesterday we had some Nahoum's fruit
cake with tea. Sourav and I both love it. Come December, Nahoum's
cakes are a must in our house.'
Andrea Raberts of the Do-Re-Mi music store opposite Nahoum's saw the
notice announcing David's death when she arrived at New Market at
10am.
`He was such a good-hearted man. He always helped the poor,' said
Andrea. `I called him `Uncle' and will really miss him a lot. Had
there been no Nahoum's, there wouldn't be New Market today,' added
store owner S. Hafiz.
David's younger brother, 76-year-old Isaac Nahoum, performed his last
rites at the Jewish cemetery in Narkeldanga in the afternoon.
`Mr Isaac had been at the hospital throughout. Other family members
and members of the staff paid their last respects before the funeral,'
manager Halder said.
Isaac is expected to take charge at the 111-year-old confectionery
that his late brother had been running for many years.
David was not only the face of Nahoum's but also the leader of
Calcutta's dwindling Jewish community. He headed all major Jewish
organisations, including two schools, one for boys and the other for
girls, two synagogues and charitable organisations. Without his
hand-written notes, visitors could not enter Magen David Synagogue and
Beth El Synagogue.
The caretakers of the century-old David Magen Synagogue, where David
would conduct Saturday prayers, didn't know their `Saheb' had passed
away until afternoon. `Is it so? We don't have any such information
yet. I last saw Saheb here in September during the festival. I have
known him since I was 12 years old... He was a very good man,' said
Nrushionha Swaian.
The confectionery business, Nahoum & Sons Private Limited, was started
by David's grandfather, Nahoum Israel Mordecai, a Baghdadi Jew, in
1902 and the shop shifted to its present location in 1916. Before
that, Nahoum's used to sell baked goods and cheese door-to-door.
The shop had started small but began expanding along with the
market. Nahoum's factory, which filmmaker and actor Anjan Dutt calls a
`tourist attraction like Park Street', is at 1 Hartford Lane behind
New Market in a building owned by the family.
David was born into a large family of many siblings, of whom only two
brothers and a sister have survived. He went to La Martiniere and was
not interested in the shop but took over the reins after the death of
his brother Solomon and then Norman.
David refused to expand, diversify or give his shop a makeover, quite
unlike other such landmarks in the city. Nahoum's stuck to fish
pantras, cheese samosas and walnut brownies, and continued to flourish
unlike the neighbouring M.X. D'Gama's.
The wooden cash till and the wooden-framed glass cases for the display
of its goodies, including specialities such as the baklava, almond,
coconut and cheese samosas, date babas, khalla bread and caca rings,
have also survived the ravages of change.
Like his brothers, David was always single and cherished the simple
pleasures of life. He loved the outdoors and in his youth would go
hunting wild boar with his Anglo-Indian friends. But he only ate
kosher food and his cooks accompanied him. He was fond of pets too,
especially dogs.
Nahoum & Sons was established by Nahoum Israel Mordecai
Started off as a small outlet in 1902 in front of Hogg Market (the
flower stretch); moved to F-20, New Market, in 1916
Top treats include its Rich Fruit Cake, chocolate fudge, brownie,
macaroons & jam tarts
What does Nahoum's mean to you? Tell [email protected]
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130308/jsp/calcutta/story_16645665.jsp#.UTwUNl259uM
OUR BUREAU
David Nahoum; (top, above) the notice outside the shop announcing his
death on Thursday. Picture by Sanjoy Ghosh The famous fudge and fruit
cake will be back on the shelves after a day but David Nahoum, the
familiar face behind the cash till at the landmark Nahoum & Sons in
New Market, won't.
David, who was to turn 86 in April, passed away on Thursday morning at
Fortis Hospitals, his last visit to the shop being in a wheelchair
around a month ago.
David had been admitted to Fortis with chronic renal failure on
February 9. He died of cardiac and respiratory failure resulting from
his condition, a hospital official said.
`I got a call from the hospital, saying he was no more. He was a
father figure to all of us at the shop. I had worked with him for
around 34 years and his death is a big shock for me,' Jagadish Halder,
the manager of Nahoum's, told Metro.
Nahoum's kept its shutters down for the day but the sense of loss
wasn't restricted to the family and those who worked for David.
Nahoum's loyalist Dona Ganguly said: `May his soul rest in peace. The
cakes are so special! In fact, yesterday we had some Nahoum's fruit
cake with tea. Sourav and I both love it. Come December, Nahoum's
cakes are a must in our house.'
Andrea Raberts of the Do-Re-Mi music store opposite Nahoum's saw the
notice announcing David's death when she arrived at New Market at
10am.
`He was such a good-hearted man. He always helped the poor,' said
Andrea. `I called him `Uncle' and will really miss him a lot. Had
there been no Nahoum's, there wouldn't be New Market today,' added
store owner S. Hafiz.
David's younger brother, 76-year-old Isaac Nahoum, performed his last
rites at the Jewish cemetery in Narkeldanga in the afternoon.
`Mr Isaac had been at the hospital throughout. Other family members
and members of the staff paid their last respects before the funeral,'
manager Halder said.
Isaac is expected to take charge at the 111-year-old confectionery
that his late brother had been running for many years.
David was not only the face of Nahoum's but also the leader of
Calcutta's dwindling Jewish community. He headed all major Jewish
organisations, including two schools, one for boys and the other for
girls, two synagogues and charitable organisations. Without his
hand-written notes, visitors could not enter Magen David Synagogue and
Beth El Synagogue.
The caretakers of the century-old David Magen Synagogue, where David
would conduct Saturday prayers, didn't know their `Saheb' had passed
away until afternoon. `Is it so? We don't have any such information
yet. I last saw Saheb here in September during the festival. I have
known him since I was 12 years old... He was a very good man,' said
Nrushionha Swaian.
The confectionery business, Nahoum & Sons Private Limited, was started
by David's grandfather, Nahoum Israel Mordecai, a Baghdadi Jew, in
1902 and the shop shifted to its present location in 1916. Before
that, Nahoum's used to sell baked goods and cheese door-to-door.
The shop had started small but began expanding along with the
market. Nahoum's factory, which filmmaker and actor Anjan Dutt calls a
`tourist attraction like Park Street', is at 1 Hartford Lane behind
New Market in a building owned by the family.
David was born into a large family of many siblings, of whom only two
brothers and a sister have survived. He went to La Martiniere and was
not interested in the shop but took over the reins after the death of
his brother Solomon and then Norman.
David refused to expand, diversify or give his shop a makeover, quite
unlike other such landmarks in the city. Nahoum's stuck to fish
pantras, cheese samosas and walnut brownies, and continued to flourish
unlike the neighbouring M.X. D'Gama's.
The wooden cash till and the wooden-framed glass cases for the display
of its goodies, including specialities such as the baklava, almond,
coconut and cheese samosas, date babas, khalla bread and caca rings,
have also survived the ravages of change.
Like his brothers, David was always single and cherished the simple
pleasures of life. He loved the outdoors and in his youth would go
hunting wild boar with his Anglo-Indian friends. But he only ate
kosher food and his cooks accompanied him. He was fond of pets too,
especially dogs.
Nahoum & Sons was established by Nahoum Israel Mordecai
Started off as a small outlet in 1902 in front of Hogg Market (the
flower stretch); moved to F-20, New Market, in 1916
Top treats include its Rich Fruit Cake, chocolate fudge, brownie,
macaroons & jam tarts
What does Nahoum's mean to you? Tell [email protected]
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130308/jsp/calcutta/story_16645665.jsp#.UTwUNl259uM