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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

"I’ll Give Israel All My Ammunition" | The World’s Largest Collector of Judaica Bottles 

During a visit to the Torah city of Lakewood, Kikar HaShabbat correspondent Moshe Mannes toured the museum-like home of his uncle, who possesses a massive historical collection that tells the story of Jewish immigration to America. From bottles used in Israel’s War of Independence to soda once considered a medicinal cure, this is a tale worth exploring.

Moshe Mannes' Judaica bottle collection

"If Israel needs it, I’m ready to donate all my ammunition and I’ve got quite a bit," Moishy says with a smile.

Moishy shows me a photo recreating a scene from the War of Independence, where Primus planes smuggled into Israel attacked enemy forces with small bombs, sometimes just soda bottles tossed out of open windows by pilots. According to historical accounts, in at least one instance, these soda bottle explosions successfully scared off Egyptian forces.

"If Israel needs it, I’ll donate all my ammunition," Moishy repeats, grinning as he references the stalled arms shipment from President Biden.

But before we dive into his quirky offer, let me introduce Moshe Mannes, not just a namesake, but my uncle and the older brother of my father. He lives in a modest (relatively speaking) home in a unique Lakewood neighborhood surrounded by forest and sprawling golf courses. Calling it a house, though, feels inaccurate. It’s more like a museum.

The place is brimming with antiques: display cases filled with menorahs, historical photos, albums, and most notably hundreds of vintage soda bottles, known in Israel as “sifolux” after one of the earliest soda companies.

Among the treasures are bottles adorned with Stars of David and Hebrew inscriptions of company names, a testament to Jewish life and commerce.

“What’s up, Uncle Moishy? So cool to be here, with Moshe Mannes interviewing Moshe Mannes,” I begin. “Your whole life has been about Judaica. This house is packed with collections, from menorahs to photos, newspaper clippings, and records of Jewish life and labor. But you’re best known and even make a living from your massive stash of historical soda bottles. How did it start? What was your first bottle? Are there others out there collecting these?”

“Judaica has always been my passion. It means Jewish art,” Moishy explains. “There are other collectors of antiques, but I’ve got the world’s largest collection of Jewish bottles. Each one tells a story about our history and culture, like bottles labeled ‘Shomer Shabbat,’ which reflect the challenges of that era. My first bottle? I spotted it at a flea market. Those are everywhere in the U.S. It was at a non-Jew’s stall, and I noticed a bottle with a Borough Park address and a Star of David on it. I snagged it for a few bucks; the guy had no clue about its historical value. That’s when I dug deeper and discovered a whole world of Jewish soda history.”

Why did Jews get into the soda business?

“It was an easy field to enter. No need for advanced education or big money,” Moishy says. “After the Holocaust, Jews who immigrated to America found it a common trade. It became a distinctly Jewish industry.”

Were there non-Jews involved?

“Sure, but it was mostly Jews running the show, especially the factories here in New York and a few other places.”

Are there soda companies from back then still operating?

“Take Brooklyn Seltzer Boys. Three generations later, still Jewish, still selling soda in the same style bottles. They’re the ones who refill mine with seltzer.”

The Value of History in a Bottle

What’s a bottle worth?

“Some go for hundreds of dollars,” he says. “Their value depends on demand and uniqueness, Jewish markings, embossing, rarity. If I’ve got photos or magazine features of a bottle from its time, that drives the price up too. Condition matters, cleanliness, color, and of course, the story it tells.”

“Give me an example,” I ask.

“There’s this amber-colored bottle in mint condition with 18 facets, featured in a collectors’ book, Lamps and Historic Soda Bottles by Tzadik Kaplan. It’s got the name of a Jewish factory owner, Mordechai Heckman, and ‘Shomer Shabbat’ written on it. That wasn’t just decoration. He was proud of it, especially in an era when not every Jew kept Shabbat. That bottle means a lot to me.”

A Walk Through the Collection

Moishy takes me through his stash, hundreds of bottles, some over a century old, including clay ones. Some carry medicinal labels, hinting at why soda became so popular. One from 1883, “Medical Spring Water,” claims to treat “diabetes, heart issues, liver and kidney problems, blood poisoning. Drink an hour before meals, no more than three glasses daily.”

Was that why people drank so much soda?

“Partly,” he says. “Also, there weren’t many other drink options, no sugary stuff like today. Soda wasn’t the only ‘cure’. I’ve got Coca-Cola bottles from that era too, still full from when they contained cocaine. Coke started as a medicinal drink too.”

How did it work back then?

“The bottles belonged to the company,” he explains. “You paid a 25-cent deposit, got it back when you returned the bottle.”

Turning Bottles Into a Business

With this huge collection, Moishy’s turned it into a side gig. “I rent them out for events,” he says. “It’s unique. People can’t stop talking about them. Instead of gossip or weather chit-chat, you get real conversation
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