Few things capture the spirit of New York quite like Zabar’s.
For generations, the iconic Upper West Side grocery store has been a destination for smoked salmon, coffee, rugelach, and countless other staples. More than a market, it became a neighborhood institution, with its orange-and-white awning as recognizable a part of the cityscape as its yellow taxis.
Yet behind the beloved store stood a man whose generosity reached far beyond its doors.
Stanley Zabar, who died at 94 this week, helped build his family’s modest smoked-fish business into a New York institution alongside his late brother, Saul.
Across the city, however, he was remembered for a quieter legacy: an exceptional commitment to helping others succeed, from encouraging young chefs to supporting artists, students, and future physicians.
At Hunter College, where his wife of 74 years, Judith, is an alumna, the couple funded scholarships, food assistance for students, arts programs, and extensive library renovations.
“Stanley and his wife Judy, a Hunter alumna, have been extraordinarily generous to the college for decades in multiple dimensions,” Hunter College President Nancy Cantor told The Post.
“Their support for scholarships, for Hillel at Hunter, and for our Purple Apron Food Pantry has made a real difference in students’ lives every day,” she added.
Zabar also helped aspiring chefs launch their careers through the Careers through Culinary Arts Program, or C-CAP, where he served for many years as a board member.
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“Stanley Zabar was more than a NY institution; he was a truly generous and genuinely good man who put his time, heart, and name behind causes he believed in,” said Richard Grausman, the nonprofit’s founder and Zabar’s longtime friend.
The Zabar family’s philanthropy also reached NYU Langone Health, where they supported medical education and research for more than 30 years. Their daughter, Dr. Sondra “Sandy” Zabar, is director of the institution’s Division of General Internal Medicine and Clinical Innovation.
Only blocks from his cherished grocery store, Zabar also supported Symphony Space, the nonprofit performing arts center on Broadway. He and his daughter Lori both served on its board.
“Stanley Zabar was a true Symphony Space champion,” said executive director Kathy Landau, who recalled his “signature joy and razor-sharp intellect.”
For Zabar, a lifelong New Yorker who raised his family on the Upper West Side, giving back to the city he loved was an essential part of his legacy.
His family’s grocery store remains one of New York’s most enduring landmarks, but those who knew him said his ambitions went well beyond protecting its history.
“For Stanley, it was never about the past, or even the present; he always encouraged us to look ahead to what was next,” Landau said.
“That’s an extraordinary man, and an extraordinary legacy.”
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