Ahead of the Shavuot holiday, the National Library of Israel (NLI) has announced its acquisition of a rare hard-copy of the 19th century Jewish cookbook and housekeeping guide, The Jewish  Manual: Practical Information in Jewish and Modern Cookery. Released in 1846 and attributed to Lady Judith Montefiore, the book is considered the first-ever Jewish cookbook published in England. It joins the NLI's broad collection of historic and modern cookbooks that offer a glimpse into Jewish culture and cuisine across history. Israeli author, foodie and restaurant critic, Gil Hovav, spoke to KAN's Naomi Segal about the significance of these historical cookbooks.

(Photo: Courtesy National Library of Israel)