Friday, April 17, 2009

Post-Passover New York Goes For...Bagels

What can you do? It's New York.

Passover’s Over, and Bagels Are Back, Big

...Mr. Ahmed and other bagel makers say that the first business day after the holiday ends — Friday — is typically one of their busiest days of the year as Jewish customers line up to observe the passing of at least eight days of yeast privation.

...During Passover, many Jews avoid leavened products in commemoration of the exodus from Egypt, during which, according to Old Testament tradition, the Israelites had so little time to flee that the bread they were baking did not have time to rise, and came out of the ovens as matzo...“Generally,” he said, “we do one and a half times” the normal business on the day after Passover ends.

...Lenny’s Bagels, on Broadway at 98th Street, was open during Passover. But Benjamin Choi, the owner, said that business was down 20 percent during the eight-day holiday. He said he typically makes up for that as the holiday ends...“On an average day, we sell 50 dozen,” he said. “Thursday night and Friday, it’s 70 dozen.”




source


and there's the Reform Judaism input:

...Reform Jews typically celebrate Passover for seven days, said Rabbi Andy Bachman, the senior rabbi at Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope, Brooklyn...Rabbi Bachman said he knows more people who are hungry for pizza or pasta, which are also off limits during Passover, than for bagels.

“Maybe what that tells you is that what we’re slowly experiencing is the Americanization of Jewish eating proclivities,” Rabbi Bachman said. “People will go out for more American food than the classic Jewish ethnic food of the bagels. People rush to eat after the Yom Kippur fast, but most people I know don’t rush for a bagel. They go for a slice with some pasta.”


Funny, the NYTimes is enamored with bagels. They had a story just last November.

Looking for bagels? Go here.

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