Jewish community fishing trip reels in anglers from Riverdale and beyond

The cry of “Porgy up!” echoed across the deck of a 100-foot charter boat as anglers from Riverdale, Westchester and beyond reeled in silver fish from the Long Island Sound.

Among those participating in the fifth annual Jewish Community Fishing Trip June 7 were Riverdale residents Stephen Berkowitz and his 15-year-old son, Harrison, who joined dozens of passengers aboard one of Sound Bound Fishing Fleet’s vessels for a day on the water.

Organized by White Plains resident Robert Remlin, the outing was promoted through social media groups, including the Jewish Riverdale Facebook page, and has become a gathering point for Jewish fishers — hobbyists, amateurs, first-timers and experts alike — from across the region.

For Stephen Berkowitz, the appeal extended beyond what ended up in the bucket. He and Harrison joined their first trip with the group after hearing about it from a friend.

“The point is really to come out and enjoy the experience of being out on the water on a beautiful summer’s day,” Stephen Berkowitz said.

Advertised as a Jewish fishing trip, one of the draws on the event flyers was the opportunity to catch kosher fish. Throughout the day, participants hauled porgies from the water, a species considered kosher under Jewish dietary law.

But what exactly makes a fish kosher?

According to Rabbi Steven Exler of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, kosher laws divide animals into three broad categories: land animals, birds and fish. While the rules governing land animals and birds can be more complex, fish are comparatively straightforward.

“The Bible says explicitly, anything that swims in the water that has fins and scales, you can eat,” Exler said.

Porgies meet those requirements, making them kosher. Sharks, by contrast, have fins but lack scales and therefore are not considered kosher.

Exler noted that the Torah provides the rule but not the reason behind it. For centuries, Jewish scholars have debated the meaning of the dietary laws and whether they were intended to teach broader lessons.

One common interpretation, he said, is that kosher animals tend to be less predatory than their non-kosher counterparts. In the case of fish, some commentators have suggested that fins and scales are characteristics of fish that are better equipped to avoid predators rather than act as predators themselves.

“We’d rather be more peaceful than the more predatory kinds of people out there in the world,” Exler said.

At the same time, Exler emphasized that many observant Jewish people follow the dietary laws not because they fully understand every reason behind them, but because they are commandments. The explanations offered by rabbis and scholars are interpretations developed over generations rather than definitive answers.

By the time the boat reached the fishing grounds after roughly an hour and 45 minutes on the Sound, sunlight reflected off the water as fishers crowded both rails waiting for instructions.

Remlin, who has been fishing since 1966, moved through the group offering advice. He demonstrated how to lift fish aboard without losing them and reminded anglers not to swing catches into neighboring fishermen.

The outing began five years ago as a way to combine two of Remlin’s passions: fishing and community. What started as a small gathering has steadily grown.

“My favorite part is bringing people from different Judaic backgrounds together,” Remlin said.

Soon the call of “Porgy up!” echoed from one end of the boat to the other as fishers reeled in fish. Sandworms disappeared from hooks almost as quickly as they were baited.

Moving among them were crew members Steve Borman, Tommy Cask, Richie Powke and T.J. Lodman, who spent the afternoon untangling lines, removing hooks and helping passengers land their catches.

Borman seemed to materialize wherever a fish surfaced. One moment he was helping a first-time angler remove a hook, the next he was untangling a line near the bow or offering advice to someone struggling to keep a fish on the line. His favorite part of the job, he said, is the people.

The crew’s work rarely stopped. Between helping beginners land their first fish, rebaiting hooks and answering questions, they kept a running commentary on the action around the boat.

Former Riverdale resident Baruch Seff experienced the afternoon from a spot along the rail beside his 15-year-old son, Itai.

The annual trip has become something of a tradition for the pair. What keeps them coming back, Seff said, is the combination of fishing, family time and a rare opportunity to spend a day disconnected from daily routines.

“It’s just a nice day out in the water,” Seff said. “You get to catch your fish and bring it home and just get that whole experience.”

The father-and-son competition was friendly, at least at first. As the porgies began biting, Itai quickly found a rhythm. One fish became two, then three, then several more. Before long, Seff had stopped worrying about his own line and was focused on helping his son.

As the boat headed back toward shore, crew members traded fishing rods for fillet knives, transforming buckets of porgies into neatly packaged fillets destined for dinner tables across the region.

For Remlin, even the cleaning process required some planning. He brought his own knife for the crew to use so the fish would not come into contact with utensils or surfaces that may have been used for non-kosher food.

By the end of the trip, the Seffs had brought home 13 fish. Back at home, Seff said his wife seasoned and grilled the fillets, wrapping them in foil before placing them on the barbecue.

As for Harrison Berkowitz, he had landed six or seven fish by the end of the day, while his father caught two. On the drive home, the pair stopped for parsley. That evening, the fish were prepared with parsley, garlic and oil — the final stop for a catch that had begun hours earlier in the Long Island Sound.