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Futzing around and eating pickles: The timeless allure of Old Jewish Men

From protesting the cost of pastrami to rating cookies, Noah Rinsky showcases the everyday antics of the Larry David demographic to the TikTok generation

June 14, 2024 12:36
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Bob, Dave and Aaron of Old Jewish Men get a sneak peek of Noah Rinsky's new book, 'The Old Jewish Men's Guide to Eating, Sleeping and Futzing Around' (Photo: Noah Rinsky)
3 min read

Noah Rinsky has spent a lot of time with Jewish men of a certain age — far more than what might be considered typical for someone in their mid-thirties. 

Doing his bit for intergenerational relations, Rinsky, 35, is the creator of the inexplicably beloved Instagram page @OldJewishMen, through which he shares videos that feature a rotating cast of resident American Old Jewish Men (OJM) attending to such tasks as eating pickles at the deli, reviewing a Costco chocolate chip cookie, or protesting the cost of pastrami.

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“People seem to like the idea of an old Jewish man just in his element,” said New Yorker Rinsky, who began cataloguing the daily goings-on of his very own OJM — his father — back in 2015.

“There is a video that I took of him kicking this cardboard box. He was trying to get exercise; instead of boxing, he just started kicking a cardboard box. I put out that video and the response was wider than I expected.”