[[File:Molly Lyons Bar David 1 (cropped).jpg|thumb]]
[[File:Molly Lyons Bar David 1 (cropped).jpg|thumb]]
”’Molly Lyons Bar-David”’ ({{nee}}, ”’Lyons”’; 1910-1987) was a Canadian-born Israeli journalist and cookbook author, who served as culinary advisor to [[El-Al Airlines]].<ref name=”inthevintagekitchen2015″>{{cite news |title=Molly Lyons Bar-David |url=https://inthevintagekitchen.com/tag/molly-lyons-bar-david/ |access-date=9 February 2026 |work=In the Vintage Kitchen: Where History Comes To Eat |date=8 September 2015 |language=en}}</ref> Her ”Folklore Cook Book” (1964; international title, ”The Israeli Cook Book”), containing 750 recipes, was the first cookbook to include recipes from multiple Israeli ethnic groups as well as the Jewish diaspora.<ref name=”Foodish2025″ />
”’Molly Lyons Bar-David”’ ({{nee}}, ”’Lyons”’; 1910-1987) was a Canadian-born Israeli journalist and cookbook author, who served as culinary advisor to [[El-Al Airlines]].<ref name=”inthevintagekitchen2015″>{{cite news |title=Molly Lyons Bar-David |url=https://inthevintagekitchen.com/tag/molly-lyons-bar-david/ |access-date=9 February 2026 |work=In the Vintage Kitchen: Where History Comes To Eat |date=8 September 2015 |language=en}}</ref> Her ”Folklore Cook Book” (1964; international title, ”The Israeli Cook Book”), containing 750 recipes, was the first cookbook to include recipes from multiple Israeli ethnic groups as well as the Jewish diaspora.<ref name=”Foodish2025″ />
Molly Lyons was born in [[Saskatchewan]], on July 3, 1910.<ref name=”CJH”>{{cite web |title=Molly Lyons Bar-David Collection Collection Identifier: P-1057 |url=https://archives.cjh.org/repositories/3/resources/21099 |website=archives.cjh.org |access-date=9 February 2026}}</ref>
Molly Lyons was born in [[Saskatchewan]], on July 3, 1910.<ref name=”CJH”>{{cite web |title=Molly Lyons Bar-David Collection Collection Identifier: P-1057 |url=https://archives.cjh.org/repositories/3/resources/21099 |website=archives.cjh.org |access-date=9 February 2026}}</ref>
Bar-David was a food columnist for the ”[[Jerusalem Post]]”,<ref name=”Kaplan2023″>{{cite news |last1=Kaplan |first1=Sybil |title=Becoming a Jerusalem-based food writer – The Jerusalem Post |url=https://www.jpost.com/food-recipes/article-744707 |access-date=9 February 2026 |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=3 June 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=”NYTtimes1964″>{{cite news |last1=Ickeringill |first1=Nan |title=Cookbook on Review: Israel’s Borrowed Flavors |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1964/04/18/106959783.html?pageNumber=18 |access-date=9 February 2026 |work=The New York Times |date=18 April 1964 |language=en}}</ref> and for more than twenty years, she wrote the “Diary of an Israeli Housewife” column for ”[[Hadassah (organization)|Hadassah]] Magazine”.<ref name=”Johnstone2023″>{{cite web |last1=Johnstone |first1=Ruby |title=Playing with Food: The Molly Lyons Bar-David Collection |url=https://ajhs.org/playing-with-food-the-molly-lyons-bar-david-collection/ |website=American Jewish Historical Society |access-date=9 February 2026 |date=6 June 2023}}</ref>
Bar-David was a food columnist for the ”[[Jerusalem Post]]”,<ref name=”Kaplan2023″>{{cite news |last1=Kaplan |first1=Sybil |title=Becoming a Jerusalem-based food writer – The Jerusalem Post |url=https://www.jpost.com/food-recipes/article-744707 |access-date=9 February 2026 |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=3 June 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=”NYTtimes1964″>{{cite news |last1=Ickeringill |first1=Nan |title=Cookbook on Review: Israel’s Borrowed Flavors |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1964/04/18/106959783.html?pageNumber=18 |access-date=9 February 2026 |work=The New York Times |date=18 April 1964 |language=en}}</ref> and for more than twenty years, she wrote the “Diary of an Israeli Housewife” column for ”[[Hadassah (organization)|Hadassah]] Magazine”.<ref name=”Johnstone2023″>{{cite web |last1=Johnstone |first1=Ruby |title=Playing with Food: The Molly Lyons Bar-David Collection |url=https://ajhs.org/playing-with-food-the-molly-lyons-bar-david-collection/ |website=American Jewish Historical Society |access-date=9 February 2026 |date=6 June 2023}}</ref>
She published two books of nonfiction: ”Women in Israel” (1952), with a preface by Naomi Ben-Asher,<ref name=”NLI”>{{cite web |title=Women in Israel |url=https://www.nli.org.il/en/books/NNL_ALEPH990023185380205171/NLI |publisher=National Library of Israel |access-date=9 February 2026}}</ref> and a memoir, ”My Promised Land” (1953). She also published two cookbooks:”Folklore Cook Book” (1964),<ref name=”Foodish2025″>{{cite web |last1=Kav-El |first1=Yonit Naftali |title=Cook The Book – Molly Lyons Bar-David’s “Folklore Cook Book” |url=https://foodish.anumuseum.org.il/en/cook-the-book-molly-bar-davids-israeli-cookbook/ |website=Foodish |access-date=9 February 2026 |date=8 September 2025}}</ref> whose international title was, ”The Israeli Cookbook” (1968).<ref name=”CJH” />; and ”Jewish Cooking for Pleasure” (1965).
She published two books: ”Women in Israel” (1952), with a preface by Naomi Ben-Asher,<ref name=”NLI”>{{cite web |title=Women in Israel |url=https://www.nli.org.il/en/books/NNL_ALEPH990023185380205171/NLI |publisher=National Library of Israel |access-date=9 February 2026}}</ref> and a memoir, ”My Promised Land” (1953). She also published two cookbooks:”Folklore Cook Book” (1964),<ref name=”Foodish2025″>{{cite web |last1=Kav-El |first1=Yonit Naftali |title=Cook The Book – Molly Lyons Bar-David’s “Folklore Cook Book” |url=https://foodish.anumuseum.org.il/en/cook-the-book-molly-bar-davids-israeli-cookbook/ |website=Foodish |access-date=9 February 2026 |date=8 September 2025}}</ref> whose international title was, ”The Israeli Cookbook” (1968).<ref name=”CJH” />; and ”Jewish Cooking for Pleasure” (1965).
In 1936, she migrated to Palestine.<ref name=”NYTimes1953″ /> In 1939, she married Jaap Bar-David,<ref name=”NYTimes1953″>{{cite news |first=Anzia |last=Yezierska |title=Where the Unwanted Were Wanted; MY PROMISED LAND. By Molly Lyons Bar-David. 307 pp. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons. $4. |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1953/11/29/92767703.html?pageNumber=71 |access-date=9 February 2026 |work=The New York Times |date=29 November 1953 |language=en}}</ref> a literary agent.<ref name=”CJH” />
In 1936, she migrated to Palestine.<ref name=”NYTimes1953″ /> In 1939, she married Jaap Bar-David,<ref name=”NYTimes1953″>{{cite news |first=Anzia |last=Yezierska |title=Where the Unwanted Were Wanted; MY PROMISED LAND. By Molly Lyons Bar-David. 307 pp. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons. $4. |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1953/11/29/92767703.html?pageNumber=71 |access-date=9 February 2026 |work=The New York Times |date=29 November 1953 |language=en}}</ref> a literary agent.<ref name=”CJH” />
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Molly Lyons Bar-David (pen name, M.X.L.; née, Lyons; 1910-1987) was a Canadian-born Israeli journalist and cookbook author, who served as culinary advisor to El-Al Airlines.[1] Her Folklore Cook Book (1964; international title, The Israeli Cook Book), containing 750 recipes, was the first cookbook to include recipes from multiple Israeli ethnic groups as well as the Jewish diaspora.[2]
Molly Lyons was born in Saskatchewan, on July 3, 1910.[3] Her parents emigrated to Canaada from Russia.[4]
Bar-David was a food columnist for the Jerusalem Post,[5][6] and for more than twenty years, she wrote the “Diary of an Israeli Housewife” column for Hadassah Magazine.[7] She wrote for many Canadian newspapers including Junior Hadassah, Palestine Illustrator News,Saskatchewan Jewish Post, The Jewish Advocate, Tisdale Recorder, and Woman’s Wear (Toronto).[3]
She published two non-fiction books: Women in Israel (1952), with a preface by Naomi Ben-Asher,[8] and a memoir, My Promised Land (1953). She also published two cookbooks:Folklore Cook Book (1964),[2] whose international title was, The Israeli Cookbook (1968).[3]; and Jewish Cooking for Pleasure (1965).
In 1936, she migrated to Palestine.[9] In 1939, she married Jaap Bar-David,[9] a literary agent.[3]
Molly Lyons Bar-David died on October 21, 1987; interment was in Savyon, Israel.[3]
