Yonah Schimmel (1866-1931) in was the founder of Yonah Schimmel's Knish Bakery. In most legal documents his name is recorded as Jonas (or Jonah) Schimmel.^{[citation needed]}

Schimmel was born July 15, 1866, in Galicia.^{[citation needed]}

About 1910, Yonah Schimmel used a pushcart to start his knish bakery. As business grew, a small store at 156 Allen Street was rented by Yonah.^{[citation needed]}

By 1916, Schimmel operated knish bakeries at Allen St.^{[citation needed]}

Around 1915, Schimmel went into partnership at the 144 E. Houston St. store with Josef Berger, who had married Yonah’s cousin Rose Schimel. Berger eventually took over the Houston Street store, retaining the original name.^{[citation needed]}

"Mr. Schimmel had a beautiful beard. Everybody on the East Side knew him by his first name, Yonah. Originally these knishes were three cents each and they were a meal in themselves."^{[citation needed]}

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"The original Yonah Schimmel was a part-time Hebrew teacher-- a 'melamed.' He began the business with a pushcart, then rented a small store."^{[citation needed]}

Schimmel died April 6, 1931, at Beth Israel Hospital in New York City.^{[citation needed]}