A History of Boston Jews, Kosher Restaurants, and Chinese Food

It's a strong tradition, some even might say a sacred tradition, for Jews to enjoy Chinese food on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The connection of Jews to Chinese food extends back over 100 years, possibly even to the late 19th century. I want to explore some of the history of the connections of Boston's Jewish population, Kosher restaurants, Chinatown and Chinese cuisine. 

A small number of Jews have lived in the Boston area since at least since the 18th century, but it wasn't until around 1880 that much more significant Jewish immigration to Boston began. Many thousands moved to the North End, especially around Salem Street, but in the 1890s, a number also moved to the area of Chinatown. 

In comparison, Jewish immigration to New York City started much earlier, establishing a strong Jewish community. For example, the Fall River Daily Evening News (MA), November 19, 1867, noted there were about 40 Jewish restaurants in New York City. At that time, there weren't any Jewish restaurants in Boston, and wouldn't be for over twenty years.  

The first Jewish restaurant in Boston wouldn't open until 1889. The Fall River Daily Evening News (MA), October 31, 1889, reported that a new Kosher restaurant “on an extensive scale” had just opened in Boston, “where the meat has been killed according to the law of Moses.” The name and location of the restaurant was not provided in the article. However, it seems likely that it was located in the North End, where most of the Jewish population in Boston was based.

It seems likely that five years later, this same restaurant was mentioned again, with a bit more detail, although the name of the restaurant wasn't provided. The Boston Globe (MA), January 7, 1894, stated, "The only Jewish restaurant in this city is on Hanover st. About 125 customers take meals there every day. There is a different bill of fare each day. The prices are high enough to keep out unwelcome guests, the price of dinner being 40 cents." The 40-cent dinner consists of soup, roast and boiled meats, including chicken, turkey or goose. Tea, coffee, milk, pie and pudding are served. The people who eat there are 'everyday people.' There one might ask for 'noodle soup' and be understood by the pretty waiter, but not by the ordinary American. The new customer might receive a cup of tea or coffee when it is called for, but the everyday patron will have his in a cup." 
 
By the mid-1890s, a number of Jews began settling or working on Harrison Avenue in Chinatown. The Boston Globe, June 28, 1896, printed an article that was subtitled, “Harrison Av Home of Many Jewish Merchants” Salem Street, in the North End, had a new rival for being the primary area for Jewish merchants. The article continued, "Harrison av, whose name suggests the word ‘Chinatown,’ is now, and has been for several years, offering extra inducements to purchasers of property for persons desiring to form a new settlement.” It was also noted, "This district had no Jewish families a few years ago. Now they are in full control...There are barber shops, butcher establishments, Jewish restaurants, furniture, new and second hand. Everything needed to successfully start housekeeping is for sale on a very small space of ground.” So, Jewish restaurants now existed in Chinatown.  

The Boston Globe, September 5, 1896, mentioned that Salem Street, Lowell Street, and Harrison Avenue were all places where Kosher meat could be obtained. 

Did the Jews of Harrison Avenue patronize the Chinese restaurants of that area? It's difficult to know for sure, but definitely seems possible. Much depends on how strongly the Jew wanted to eat kosher and whether they saw Chinese restaurants as acceptable under their dietary laws. At the very least, some Jews might have dined at Chinese restaurants on Christmas Day, especially considering most other restaurants were closed. 

As I mentioned in another article, Chinatown's restaurants on Christmas in 1897 were relatively empty. However, the Boston Globe, December 26, 1898, reported, “Down in Chinatown Christmas was observed in the ‘same old way.’ The Chinamen simply regard it as a pretty good time for business, and they are not so far out of the way, judging from last evening, for every restaurant in Chinatown was crowded by white folks.” 

How many of those customers might have been Jewish? It seems likely that some of them might have been Jewish, as they weren't involved in Christmas celebrations at home like most non-Jews. And many other restaurants were closed on Christmas, so Chinese restaurants were one of the few available options. If so, then the Jewish tradition in Boston of eating Chinese on Christmas extends back about 128 years! 

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From 1900-1920, a number of Jewish Kosher restaurants would open in Chinatown, including one of the longest lasting, Prime Restaurant.

The Standard-Times, November 5, 1900, reported that Benjamin Holshanetsky, a Jewish restaurant keeper, had been charged with keeping liquor with intent to unlawfully sell the same. Police raided his searched his restaurant, with a warrant, and found 3 pint bottles of lager, a half pint of brandy, a bottle of cherries and rum, a small quantity of light wine, and several empty bottles, Benjamin claimed it was only for his family, but he was found guilty and fined $50. 

The Boston Globe, May 18, 1901, published an ad, “Board and rooms for the summer season, everything first-class, salt water bathing, boating, fishing, etc; engage early. Mrs. Stone’s Kosher restaurant, 174 Chamber st, Boston.”

The Boston Globe, August 7, 1905, briefly noted that the Jewish section of Salem Street had a number of Jewish restaurants.

The Jewish Advocate, March 3, 1906, posted this ad for Fewes Kosher Restaurant, located on 78 Kingston Street.

The Jewish Advocate, October 8, 1909, had this advertisement for Guterman's Restaurant, alleging it was "The Oldest and Best Kosher Restaurant in Boston." It was located at 94 Essex Street, which would have placed it on the Chinatown border. However, I haven't been able to find any additional information about this restaurant, such as the date they were established. It's thus can't confirm that it was the "oldest" Kosher restaurant in the city.

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The Jewish Advocate, October 28, 1920, provided maybe the first advertisement for the opening of Prime Restaurant, a new Kosher spot located in Chinatown, on 155 Harrison Avenue. The ad stated it was “where a real god meal will be served at all times.”  

Prime Restaurant Co., was organized on September 17, 1920 and incorporated the next day. At this time, the area was a hub for the garment industry, which had strong Jewish involvement and investment.  So, having a Kosher restaurant nearby was a benefit to many. Prime Restaurant would last for over 40 years!

The Jewish Advocate, September 21, 1922, published another ad for Prime, noting it was a Kosher Restaurant and Delicatessen, and "Meals Served at All Hours."

The Jewish Advocate, March 18, 1926, had another ad, recommending Jews patronize the restaurant for Passover. It was also noted that breakfast was served at 6am, and dinner at 10am. 

The Jewish Advocate, April 22, 1926, had a short article on Joe Bullian, the manager of The Prime Restaurant. It was also noted that the owner of the restaurant was William Josephs and it "is now considered one of the leading Kosher restaurants in the city." It was also mentioned that copies of the Jewish Advocate would now be placed on every table at the restaurant for the customers.

The Jewish Advocate, May 10 and 17, 1928, mentioned that Prime was probably the largest Jewish restaurant in Boston and now have opened a strictly vegetarian restaurant at 11 Harrison Avenue, "The Only One of Its Kind in Boston." 

The Jewish Advocate, April 11, 1930, promoted the restaurant for Passover meals, from Passover Suppers to Passover dishes at their Cafeteria and Vegetarian spots.

The Jewish Advocate, November 6, 1931, noted that Prime was "The Finest Jewish Restaurant in the Heart of the Theatrical and Business Center."

Another advertisement in The Jewish Advocate, September 15, 1936.

The Jewish Advocate, March 19, 1937, had a brief article about Prime Restaurant, stating it would offer strictly Kosher meals for Passover, "featuring special suppers and services at the first and second seders in their newly created Kosher Dining Room at 9 1/2 Harrison avenue (upstairs) with Rabbi B. Mostofsky certifying to the kashruth."

The Jewish Advocate, March 26, 1937, had an ad about their Passover meals.

The Jewish Advocate, December 16, 1938, noted that Prime would have a New Year Party for two nights. 

The Jewish Advocate, February 17, 1939, had an ad, noting you could now dine and dance at the restaurant, which now had a "special floor show" and no cover charge.

Unfortunate news! The Boston Globe, July 26, 1939, reported that there had been a two-alarm fire at the five-story brick building located at 9 1/2-11-13 Harrison Avenue. The damages were estimated at about $10,000. The first two floors had been occupied by Prime Restaurant and had been filled with flames and smoke. There was also water and smoke damage to the upper floors. 

The Boston Herald, August 11, 1940, had a notice of an auction of dining room and kitchen fixtures and equipment of the Prime Restaurant, likely due to the fire, smoke, and water damage. The restaurant was apparently closed for a time, but reopening in less than a year.

The Jewish Advocate, April 11, 1941, published an ad for the Prime Restaurant, noting it would re-open on April 11.  

The Jewish Advocate, April 18, 1941, ran a brief article mentioning that the Prime Restaurant and Cocktail Bar had formally reopened last week. The proprietor was noted as being Willie Joseph. The article also stated, "The Cocktail Bar will be opened to the public April 22, serving the finest nationally advertised brands of ale, beer, and bonded liquors at popular prices."

Another ad for Prime in the Jewish Advocate, April 3, 1942. It was noted they now had a new dining room and banquet hall, which can accommodate over 300 people.

The Prime restaurant continues to promote itself for Passover in an ad in the Jewish Advocate, March 10, 1949.

The Jewish Advocate, November 7, 1957, mentioned Prime would serve Thanksgiving dinners. 

The Boston Evening Globe, January 18, 1961, had an obituary for William Joseph, age 70, who was the Treasurer of the Prime Restaurant while his brother, Benjamin, was the President. Then, the Boston Globe, August 5, 1962, reported that Benjamin Joseph, age 62, had died too. He was noted as the former owner of the Prime Restaurant, and two other restaurants. The new owner of Prime had been Isaac Manski, who came to the U.S. in 1937 from Poland. The Boston Herald Traveler, July 13, 1967, reported that Isaac, aged 72, had died. 

It's probably not a surprise then that Boston Herald, June 23, 1963, posted an ad for an auction of the equipment and furnishings for the Prime Restaurant. For over 40 years, Prime Restaurant, located in Chinatown, was one of the premiere Kosher restaurants in Boston. Because of its popularity, and location, many Jews spent time walking through Chinatown, and likely became curious about the Chinese restaurants.

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In Dining Out in Boston: A Culinary History (2016) by James C. O’Connell, there was a mention of a Boston Globe article from 1916 discussing the myriad restaurants in the city. that mentioned there had been at that time about 218 Jewish owned restaurants, mainly lunchrooms and delicatessens. It was noted, "The number had grown from a single Jewish restaurant in 1894 to 218 in 1916, reflecting the immigrant influx to Boston. These restaurants were mainly lunchrooms and delicatessens, selling Eastern European bagels, borscht, chicken soup, smoked fish, latkes, and the like, usually meeting kosher standards.” 

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A quick note: The Jewish Advocate was a weekly Jewish newspaper, established in 1902, serving Greater Boston and the New England area. It was an important source of information for the Jewish community, and helped to promote the idea of Jews patronizing Chinese restaurants.

The Jewish Advocate, September 7, 1907, presented the first advertisement in their newspaper for a Chinese restaurant, the Hankow, on 19 Essex Street. The ad noted the cleanliness of the restaurant, and that it will become "one of the BEAUTY SPOTS of Boston." However, it seems it would be nearly 20 years before the Jewish Advocate would run another ad for a Chinese restaurant. This might indicate that Chinese restaurants weren't too popular with the Jewish community until the mid-1920s.

It wasn't until 1926 that the next advertisement for a Chinese restaurant was published. The Jewish Advocate, September 9, 1926, had an ad for the King Joy Chinese Restaurant, at 311 Union Street, The ad also wished a Happy New Year to the Jewish community, referring to Rosh Hashanah, which was celebrated from September 8-10, 1926. A burst of other Chinese restaurants would advertise in the newspaper during the rest of 1926. This might have been the beginning of the close connection between Jews and Chinese food in Boston. 

The Jewish Advocate, September 16, 1926, presented an ad for China Rose, offering specials meals, including a Club Lunch for 45 cents, a Table D'Hote Dinner for 85 cents, and Sunday & Holiday Special for $1.25. Dancing was also available at the restaurant. 

The Jewish Advocate, September 16, 1926, also had an ad for the Palm Garden, with similarly priced special meals. The restaurant also offered music, but didn't mention whether dancing was available as well.

The Jewish Advocate, September 23, 1926, published this ad for the Santung Restaurant, which offered a Special Luncheon every day, and also had dancing. 

The Jewish Advocate, November 11, 1926, had an ad for the Tremont Gardens, noting you could dine and dance. 

There was a brief article in the Jewish Advocate, December 9, 1926, which discussed the new opening of the Symphony Restaurant, alleged to be the largest Chinese restaurant in Boston. It was located  adjacent to Symphony Hall on Huntington Avenue. "Indeed the management has spared no expense to make this 'the largest and most beautiful restaurant in New England.'" It was also claimed that it would have the largest dance floor in Boston. The article also noted, "Mr. Wallace Hong of New York, who has come to the Hub to manage the 'Symphony,' has many Jewish acquaintance here in town and looks forward to their patronage."

The Jewish Advocate, December 16, 1926, published this ad for Young China, promoting its "Chicken Chow Mein."

The Jewish Advocate, December 16, 1926, also had this ad, for the Si Woo Restaurant, noting it was taking New Year Reservations. 

The Jewish Advocate, December 23, 1926, published this ad for Yen Ho, an "American-Chinese Restaurant de Luxe." The restaurant offered music and dancing, and its New Year reservations cost $5.00 per plate.

The Jewish Advocate, December 23, 1926, also had an ad for Chung Sai, promoting its New Year's Eve celebration. 

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When did Chinese restaurants first offer dancing? The common legend is that around 1925, Joseph Rines, a famous Jewish musician, convinced the manager of the San Tung (or Santung) restaurant to install the first dance floor of any Chinese restaurant in Boston. Joseph Rines was born October 1, 1902 and would die on December 12, 1986. 

The Jewish Advocate, August 19, 1926, mentioned, “It was only a few years ago that Joe Rines just out of high school gathered several other young men and organized a band. Then came the radio and his appearance several times a week through Jackson’s Cabin on Station WEEI and now he has under his direction five leading orchestras in several of the most exclusive resorts in New England.” Joe was obviously very talented and driven, coming very far in only a short time.

The Jewish Advocate, July 28, 1927, published the above photo of Joe Rines. The accompanying article noted that Rines had come from an unusual family of musicians. “His grandfather was the leader and owner of the first band in the city of Boston and his grandfather and uncle practically controlled all of the better type of musical organizations about the time that the first Boston Musicians’ Union was formed.” In addition, other family members, including uncles and cousins were also musicians. As for Joe, “While Joe can now play almost every instrument in his 10-piece orchestra he is not satisfied. His one ambition is to be able to play every instrument in his orchestra well.” Personally, Joe was married, his wife named Gertrude, and they had a 2 1/2 year old daughter, Barbara. 

The Jewish Advocate, March 7, 1929, claimed that about 3 and ½ years ago, Joe Rines, had an intriguing idea. “The idea of a dance floor in a Chinese restaurant had not been tried in Boston until Mr. Rines persuaded the manager of the San Tung Restaurant to mix dance notes with chop suey and install a dance floor. The idea caught on, and it was a success from the first.” It was also said that this idea made him “the ‘Paul Whitman’ of Boston, master of jazz, and entertainer par excellence.” Currently, Joe is the maestro of the Metropolitan Theatre Orchestra.” He was also popular on the radio, and it was noted,  “It is said that he individually handles more radio work than any other Boston musician and employs more than 100 men weekly.” 

The Boston Herald, February 25, 1919, had an advertisement for the opening of the Santung Restaurant, at 241-243 Huntington Avenue. They offered music every evening. 

Six years later, the Boston Herald, January 25, 1926, published the first ad for the Santung which mentioned dancing was now available at the restaurant. There was no mention of the involvement of Joe Rines, but that might have been expected. 

However, in 1925, the Santung restaurant actually wasn't the first Chinese restaurant to offer dancing, so Joe Rines was not the first to recommend dancing. 

The Boston Globe, December 30, 1920, had the above ad for the Grand Garden and their New Year's Eve Celebration which offered "Orchestra--Entertainment--Dancing--Favors, etc." This could be seen as a one-off, and that dancing was not the norm at this restaurant, simply something extra for New Year's. 

 

However, the Boston Post, January 15, 1921 printed an ad for the new Nankin Garden, the “Latest American Chinese Restaurant,” located on Brighton Avenue, at the corner of Harvard Avenue and next door to Allston Theater. This restaurant offered dancing and a jazz orchestra, from 6:30pm-11:30pm, and it wasn't a one-off or holiday celebration. This might have been the first Chinese restaurant in Boston to offer dancing on a regular basis.

There was an ad in the Boston Herald, January 20, 1925, for the Grand Garden, an American & Chinese restaurant at 660 Washington Street, at the corner of Beach Street. This now was a Dine and Dance restaurant, and the ad predated, by a week, the Santung advertisement mentioning dancing. 

The Boston Herald, May 16, 1925, printed ads from two Chinese-American restaurants. The first was for the Santung Restaurant, which offered music and dancing. The other was the Palm Garden, at 218 Huntington Avenue which also offered music and dancing.

The Boston Herald, September 16, 1925, posted an ad for China Rose, a Chinese-American restaurant at 1088 Boylston Street in Kenmore. The restaurant offered dancing, without a cover charge.

 

The Boston Herald, November 25, 1925, printed an ad for the Court Chinese Restaurant, located at 14 Hanover Street. The Chinese-American restaurant also had music and dancing.

So, it seems dancing at Chinese restaurants extends back to at least 1920, although it didn't become a regular feature of any Chinese restaurant until 1921, four years before Joe Rines allegedly introduced dancing at Boston Chinese restaurants at the Santung restaurant. 

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During the 1920s and 1930s, the Jewish Advocate presented a handful of Chinese recipes, mostly Chop Suey, although some were more Americanized.  

Maybe the first recipe was presented in the Jewish Advocate, September 6, 1928. The recipe was for "American Chicken Chop Suey."

The Jewish Advocate, May 16, 1929, presented the same recipe, but it's much easier to read. As you can see, it doesn't require any special Chinese ingredients. 

As an aside, the Jewish Advocate, March 14, 1929, mentioned that at a local carnival, there would be a food demonstration by Alice Bradley of Miss Farmer's School of Cookery. Her demonstration would include Chicken Chop Suey and Chicken Chow Mein, both which would be Kosher. Unfortunately, her recipes were not published in the newspaper.

The Jewish Advocate, April 17, 1931, published a different American Chop Suey, which could be made with any type of meat. The most curious aspect of the recipe is that the Chop Suey was supposed to be poured over Rice Krispies!

The Jewish Advocate, July 7, 1933, had another recipe for Chinese Chop Suey, which now used a couple Chinese ingredients, such as bamboo shoots and soy sauce.

The Jewish Advocate, February 23, 1934, ran a lengthy article, titled Chinese Dishes for American Cookery by Barbara B. Brooks, Home Economics Dept, Kellogg Co. Battle Creek, Michigan. It stated, "Few of us would find time to cook many of the traditional dishes." In regards to Chop Suey, the article noted, "It was created by the Chinese in foreign lands to satisfy Western tastes." It continued, "Ingredients are cut into shoestring strips, tiny morsels, or flower-like bits. Seasoning is all important."; It also noted, "There are endless variations for making Chop Suey." 

In the recipe above, Rokeach Nyafat was a pure vegetable shortening that was widely used as a kosher substitute for chicken fat. 

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Finally, there were at least a couple restaurants which combined Jewish and Chinese foods, although they were generally prepared separately, and not as a fusion cuisine.

The Jewish Advocate, May 15, 1931, had an advertisement for Miller's Delicatessen and Lunch, in Brookline, which offered "Real Chop Suey To Take Out." Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find more information about the nature of the chop suey they sold.

The Boston Globe, October 12, 1952, published a help wanted ad for Counter Girls for the Chit Chat Snack Bar, at 58 Tyler Street. The Tufts Medical Journal, Vol 21 (1953) had the above ad for the spot, and again, it said little about the type of cuisine served there.  

However, the Boston Traveler, March 16, 1956, had a brief article about the restaurant, noting it was under a combined Jewish and Chinese management team, and it featured the cuisine of both! The article stated, “Chop suey and hot pastrami are staples; blintzes and chow mein are featured; and the patrons are as polyglot as the menu.” So, it seemed the two cuisines were presented separately, and not as fusion. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find much else about this restaurant, except that in October 1956, it was up for auction. So, it only was in operation for about four years.

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So, why did Jewish people embrace Chinese restaurants so closely? That question has been previously addressed by numerous articles in the media. First, in New York City, the Jewish and Chinese communities lived very close to each other. As for Boston, that was true as well, as Harrison Avenue, and other parts of Chinatown, became a popular spot for Jewish businesses, from the garment industry to Kosher restaurants. In addition, the Boston theater district was close to Chinatown, and numerous Jews involved in the entertainment industry would dine at Chinese restaurants. 

Second, generally the Chinese community didn't discriminate against the Jews, but rather welcomed them. Jews faced discrimination from many other groups, so finding the Chinese to be amenable to them, to welcome them into their community was very appealing. 

Third, Kashrut is the set of Jewish dietary laws that define which foods are kosher, and thus acceptable to eat, and which are treyf, unfit for consumption. One of the kashrut laws was that meat and milk shouldn't be mixed, and Chinese cuisine generally didn't violate that law. Although Chinese cuisine did serve pork and shellfish, which weren't considered kosher, the Chinese commonly chopped up the meat and seafood to tiny pieces, so it has harder to identify them. Jewish customers could convince themselves that they weren't eating anything forbidden, that they were consuming "safe treyf." Newer Jewish generations also started choosing not to follow kashrut, so they had no trouble with consuming Chinese food. 

Fourth, the Jewish tradition of dining at Chinese restaurants on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day extends back over 100 years, and may even extend to the late 19th century. In Boston, I previously noted that in 1898, Chinese restaurants on Christmas Day were packed with non-Asian diners. 

How many of those customers might have been Jewish? It seems likely that a fair number of them might have been Jewish, as they weren't involved in Christmas celebrations at home like most non-Jews. And many other restaurants were closed on Christmas, so Chinese restaurants were one of the few available options. 

As Forrest Gump might have once said, "Jews and Chinese food go together like peas and carrots."

Water Doughnuts: Some Bagel History (Part 3)

And a look into the fascinating history of the bagel continues...

Technology would create one of the most significant changes in the bagel industry. The Hartford Courant, January 6, 1965, reported on The New York Bagel Bakery, which is owned by the Lender family and alleged to be the world's largest bagel bakery. On January 5, they started the automation of the bagel process with an assembly line that can turn out 120,000 bagels a day. This would revolutionize bagels, allowing the Lenders to create vast quantities of bagels and make them millions.

For a couple amusing bagel items, let's start with an article in The Bridgeport Post, March 13, 1965 (CT) which talks about Shakuntala, an elephant at the Beardsley Park zoo which likes to eat bagels. I never thought an elephant might enjoy a bagel. Does he want lox on it?

The Akron Beacon Journal, April 7, 1965, wrote about the success of Sean Connery as James Bond, discussing all types of 007 merchandise authorized to capitalize on this fame. However, Jay Emmett, the head of 007 promotions, turned down an offer for a 007 Bagel. There aren't any details so we don't know what they would have constituted. A martini-flavored bagel?

Another intriguing bagel article was in the Daily News, April 14, 1965 (NY), which initially noted that New Yorkers eat about 250,000 bagels a day. There was then a description and some information from the East Side Bagel Bakery, which makes the claim the original bagels were pumpernickel. This is the first time I'd seen such a claim so can't speak as to its validity or not. East Side makes a variety of bagels, about 500 dozen a day, including garlic, salt, poppyseed, sesame seed, onion, whole wheat, and pumpernickel. In addition, they make oversized bagels, which are called "bull bagels," for certain restaurants. They even make green bagels for St. Patrick's Day. It was also noted that the average bagel baker makes about $45 a day and can take 2 dozen bagels home each day.

The Weirton Daily Times, April 28, 1965 (WV), provided some information on the Lender's family and their bagel business. Their father, who started the business, worked for a year in New York City before establishing his own bagel bakery in Connecticut, where he delivered his bagels by a gand cart. More recently, before they began the bagel automation process, the Lenders were producing about 72,000 bagels a day, and now they have increased that number to 120,000 bagels with the start of their new assembly line.

Talk about food trucks! The Circleville Herald, June 9, 1965 reported that, "The Brooklyn Bagel Box, believed to be the only fully equipped, mobile, kosher delicatessen in the U.S. has transferred its operations to Fullerton, California, where it offers door-to-door service. Equipped with refrigeration, slicing machines, tables, and display counters, the Bagel Box is averaging more than 40 stops a day." Why don't we have something like this now? Door-to-door service sounds wonderful.

The Evening Journal, August 7, 1965 (DE), provided more information on the Lenders, stating they  produce a variety of flavored bagels, about 600,000 a week. Back in 1954, they first started placing frozen bagels in supermarkets and a year ago they found automated machinery to mix and shape the dough, which was instituted this year.

The Ohio Jewish Chronicle, September 17, 1965, published an article, mentioning how bagels were becoming more mainstream, and not just a Jewish delicacy. In 1964, Americans spent $15 Million for about 225 Million bagels. It is also noted that New York and its environs has 36 bagel bakeries, turning out about one million bagels weekly. There are 14 other bagel bakeries around the country, though their location is not mentioned. In addition, the article mentions some of the bagel types that are now available, including onion, egg, pumpernickel, whole wheat, raisin, and poppyseed.

By the middle of the 1960s, bagel variety was spreading. The Jewish Post, November 5, 1965, noted that you could now buy frozen or even canned bagels. Plus, bagels came in several different varieties rather than just the traditional white and pumpernickel bagels. The article also included a number of bagel recipes from the "... home economics department of the country’s largest bakers of bagels, the New York Bagel Bakery,..." This is the Lenders' bagel bakery. The recipes included Toasted Bagel Cheesies, Hamburgels (burger on a bagel), Sunshine Bagels, Cinnamon Circles, and Piquant Salmon Broil. Did you know that bagel burgers extended back this far.

Murray Lender, of Lender's Bagels, was trying to make bagel more mainstream, and one way was through new recipe ideas for bagels. In the Santa Cruz Sentinel, November 22, 1965 (CA), he provided a recipe for the Hambageler, basically a cheeseburger on a bagel. The recipe called for  a sliced bagel, 1 slice American or Mozzarella cheese, a hamburg patty, and 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce. A simple idea, meant to appeal to non-Jews who knew little about bagels.

The Daily News, November 25, 1965 also reported on news concerning Lender's Bagel. It quoted Murray Lender that "Automation has brought a whole new era to the bagel. They are now made in a startling variety of shapes, sizes and flavors." You can find Lender's bagels that are rye, pumpernickel, egg, onion, garlic, poppy seed and raisin. Of all those varieties, only the raisin appears to be a new variety, started by the Lenders. The rest all have been around for a time. The article also noted automation has allowed for such items as, "There are miniature heart-shaped bagels for Valentine's Day, green bagels for St. Patrick's Day, and square bagels guaranteed not to roll off the table." Murray also said, "The day is here...when we have triple-decker bagels, bagel heroes, bagel burgers, and pizza bagels."

What was the effect of automation on Lender's Bagels? The Chicago Tribune, September 28, 1966 provided some fascinating answers. In 1965, American doubled their consumption of bagels, indicating bagels were making inroads into new markets. As for Lender's Bagels, in 1964, before automation, they produced about 9 million bagels for about $500,000 in sales. In 1965, with automation, those numbers rose to 30 million bagels for over 1 Million in sales. And in the first quarter of 1966, they quadrupled sales from a year earlier. Impressive numbers, more than tripling their output, in their first year of automation. About 60% of their sales are frozen bagels.

To put that into perspective, New York City had 36 of the nation's 50 bagel bakeries. With only 14 bagel bakeries in the rest of the country, it is no wonder that so many people were still unaware of bagels. All together, the bagel bakeries produced about 250,000 bagels a day and 750,000 on weekends. Marvin Lender stated, "No longer do we try to identify the product with lox and cream cheese. Now we try to market it like English muffins or toast. We have people try it toasted with jelly or butter."  Marvin also provided some history of the invention of the green bagel. Seven years ago, in 1959, Lender was invited to a St. Patrick's Day party so he brought along some green bagels. They were such a hit that they now produce them each year.

This Week magazine, November 13, 1966 printed an address for Lender's Bagel Bakery, in Connecticut, so you could send away for free recipes including Bagel French toast, Pizza Bagel and Cinnamon Circles.

The Daily News, January 5, 1967 reported that in 1966, Americans consumed 307 million bagels, worth about $20 million. They also described the Grossinger Bagel, which is produced by Murray Lender. "The Grossinger Bagel is a 48-hour bagel. Other bagels get hard after 24 hours. Unlike other bakeries, we use eggs in the Grossinger formula. It makes them more palatable and softer." You don't hear about this bagel nowadays.

In further news from the Daily News, March 12, 1967, it was mentioned that there are now 60 bagel bakeries in the country. It also stated that there are two main types of bagels: Water bagels and egg bagels, as well as varieties including salted, unsalted, sprinkled with garlic or onion chip, white flour, whole wheat, rye, raisin, pumpernickel, and peppered with poppy seed, sesame, or caraway. In addition, the price of a bagel with a shmear of cream cheese and a touch of lox is close to a dollar.

The Daily Press, April 23, 1967 (VA) was very complimentary to Lender's Bagels, noting that they have done a great job. Some of their achievements include softening the bagel, producing 12 flavors, pre-slicing some and freezing some.

More bagel variety is addressed in the Jewish Post, March 17, 1967, as it reported that, "In honor of St. Patrick’s day, Lender’s Bagel Bakery here baked bagels that were green. The package of frozen green bagel bore the slogan, ‘‘Erin go bragh, shalom” on the bag."

Though Miami had bagel bakeries for many years, the Jewish Post, February 9, 1968, reported that Atlanta, Georgia, finally opened a "bagel factory," the only one in the southeast, outside of Miami.

Ever hear of bagels being referred to as "Bulls?" In The Bronxville Review Press & Reporter, March 6, 1969, there was a supermarket advertisement that stated, "Large JUMBO, handmade Bagels are called “Bulls" by New York’s Bagel Makers." The term "bulls" appears to be uncommon nowadays so most people are probably unaware of it.

More Lenders information. The Hartford Courant, May 18, 1969, states that Lenders is the country's largest bagel bakery, making 30 million bagels annually. The number of bagel bakeries in the country had also risen to 150. In 1955, Lenders added shortening, eggs and sugar to their bagel recipe, to make them softer and with a longer shelf life. They also introduced the use of plastic bags, to hold six bagels, which made them easier to introduce to large grocery stores. Though they introduced the frozen bagel in 1963, they didn't promote it much at first because they couldn't make enough bagels. However, the introduction of automation changed that, andante now have 12 different varieties, including raisin. Murray' rule of thumb is that you needed about 100,000 Jews to support a bagel bakery. By introducing their bagels to non-Jews, Murray hoped to open up plenty of opportunities.

Continuing to promote bagels, in the Independent Press-Telegram, August 28, 1969 (CA), Lender's  provided a bagel recipe, which did not require eggs but did include boiling. Then, The Pittsburgh Press, November 23, 1969, provided some recipes with bagels, including the Sunshine Bagel (toasted bagel topped by egg), Cinnamon Circles (cinnamon and sugar atop a bagel), and Toasted Bagel Cheesies (cheese and tomato, oregano and parsley atop bagel). The article also mentions that bagels have only 50 calories. It still boggles my mind that bagels ever had this few calories!

The Daily News, January 1, 1970 (NY) had a grocery story ad, noting Freshly Baked Bagels, Hand Made, were 5 cents each, which would be 60 cents for a dozen. The Los Angeles Times, January 2, 1970, had an ad for Chalet Gourmet, offering deli specials, including bagels (water, egg, onion and pumpernickel) for 7 cents each.

Bagel burgers! The St. Louis Jewish Light, January 14, 1970, posted an ad for The Red Brick restaurant, noting their "Juicy Bagel Burger." Bagels in Missouri? Yes, bagels are becoming much more main stream.

The Desert Sun, January 19, 1970, provided a recipe for a Pizza Bagel, "Take a frozen bagel; split it, butter it and top with a slice of mozzarella cheese, 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce, oregano, and a dot of butter. Broil 5 to 8 minutes, serve and eat and ciao!"

More achievement for Lenders! The St. Petersburg Times, March 29, 1970, metaled that Lender's now produces more than 50 million bagels a year and recently made their one billionth bagel. The article also had a bagel recipe.

A return to the Bagel Burger. In Synapse - The UCSF Student Newspaper, October 30, 1970, there was a restaurant advertisement, "FERDINAND'S Home of the BAGEL BURGER!!. 1/4 pound freshly-ground chuck char-broiled to perfection. Served with melted cheese on a genuine New York water bagel, topped with a ripe cherry tomato and complimented with favorite garnishes. All this and your choice of salad or fries for only 85c!" It is interesting that this California restaurant was buying New York bagels for this sandwich.

More recipes for home cooks to make bagels also returned. In three issues of the Jewish Post December 11, 1970, December 25, 1970 and January 15, 1971, they provided various recipes to make bagels at home, apparently spurred on my requests from their readers for such recipes. the Daily Illinois, November 6, 1971 also offered their own version of a bagel recipe. In addition, the Desert Sun, January 16, 1974, provided a recipe to make Beer Bagels, though the recipe didn't specify any particular type of beer. Do any of you remember family members making their own bagels at home during the 1970s?

The Journal-News, April 19, 1972, continued news about the Lenders. In 1971, they sold over 57 million bagels in 8 varieties, including plain, egg, garlic, onion, rye, raisin, pumpernickel, and poppy seed. Their sales exceeded $2 Million and they now sell their bagels in over 30 states. They have also been test marketing a pizza bagel. The article also included a bagel recipe.

Much of this information was supported by an article in the Hartford Courant, September 27, 1972. This article stated that in 1971, they produced over 58 million bagels with sales over $2.25 million. When you consider that only 400 million bagels were consumed in the year, 80% on the East Coast, Lenders has a significant market share. This is in contrast to back in 1955, when their sales were only $55,000. Lenders also conducted a customer survey, concluding that 52% of their customers didn't have Jewish sounding names, indicating that bagels were no longer just a Jewish food item.

The Indianapolis Star, April 15, 1973, stated that the Lenders turned out over 60 million bagels last year, in 8 varieties. The Chicago Tribune, June 14, 1973, printed that the Lenders had introduced frozen bagels in 1955 but that they didn't do well then, and they reintroduced frozen bagels in 1963, when consumers seemed more amenable to the idea. I'll note that frozen bagels actually existed in 1949, so the Lenders weren't the first to offer frozen bagels. Murray Lender was quoted in this article saying, "The beauty of the bagel is that it has warmth, body and personality without being a rich goody. It's appropriate as a dinner roll, for a coffee break, sandwich base, and late evening snack, as well as for breakfast."

Noting an increase in the cost of bagels, the Philadelphia Inquirer, November 11, 1973, published that the price of bagels had risen from 8 cents to 15 cents, while the cost of frozen bagels was about 7 cents.

In what might be a first, the Hartford Courant, January 4, 1982, provided a number of "restaurant" reviews for various hospitals! In a review of Mount Sinai Hospital, it was noted it "does have bagels and cream cheese--and even lox (smoked salmon), if you ask for it discretely." Just FYI, the Manchester Memorial Hospital received the highest rating, 3.5 Stars out of 4.

Finally, The New Mexican, July 20, 1986, wrote a lengthy article titled, First Bagels Roll Into Illinois for Prairie Breakfast. Lender's Bagel Bakery, now owned by Dart & Kraft, Inc., opened a new plant in Mattoon, Illinois, which will now be the largest of their four plants. The new plant will eventually turn out about 2 million bagels a day, making their daily total about 3.75 million. "It is automated, turning 2,000 pound-pieces of dough into balls that are flattened, boiled, baked, sliced, bagged, and frozen for shipment to supermarkets and other outlets." To celebrate the opening, Marvin Lender through a huge bagel breakfast.  "We're here to celebrate the world's largest bagel breakfast," said Marvin Lender, president of Lender's Bagel Bakery, whose newest plant on the edge of town is turning out 1 million bagels a day." Many of the people present had never tasted a bagel before and "People then began spreading cream cheese and jelly on the 30,000 bagels,...";

The article also mentioned that bagels have been quickly expanding beyond their traditional markets on the coasts. Retails sales doubled in the last four years, and Americans now eat about 8 million bagels a day. Lender also noted though that 82% of U.S. households still had not yet sampled a bagel.

What a wild ride through the history of water doughnuts!

"In fact, women both sold and baked bagels: the bagel oven was also known as the vayberisher oyvn, or wives’ oven. It was an accepted way of making a living for women,.."
--The Bagel: The Surprising History of a Modest Bread by Maria Balinska (2008)

Part 1
Part 2

(Please note that this is a significantly expanded/revised version of a prior article I wrote on bagel history. It has more than tripled in length.)

Water Doughnuts: Some Bagel History (Part 2)

And a look into the fascinating history of the bagel continue...

Bagels were popular not just in New York but also in places such as in Miami during the 1940s. The Jewish Post, February 14, 1947, in an article on Jewish life in Miami, wrote, "Why not enjoy your “lox,” and you might even try it with "bagel.” Continuing in that vein, the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle, March 12, 1948, published an article, Miami Beach--The Tel Aviv of America, noting that this town has about 32,000 residents, 54% being Jewish. During the winter, the town will be visited by about 650,000 tourists, 85% being Jewish. It is noted that you can find a bagel with cream cheese for 30 cents, or 45 cents with the addition of lox.

The Tuscon Daily Citizen, June 11, 1948, showing bagels are also popular in Arizona, gave some prices for the bagels in a deli ad. A lox and bagel was 30 cents, and 45 cents if you also added cream cheese. Interesting that the prices were the same despite the distance between Florida and Arizona.

Do you like Pizza Bagels? I know I enjoyed them when I was growing up. The first reference I found to pizza bagels was about seventy years ago, in The Daily Journal, May 1, 1948 (NJ). The newspaper had a bakery ad which offered Pizza Bagels. The Miami News, February 5, 1952, also mentioned pizza Bagels, noting that it "Embodies the best qualities of pizza sans soggy dough." The Daily News, June 8, 1952 (NY) had an ad too for pizza bagels, but included a price. The cafeteria at the S. Klein store sold pizza bagels for 25 cents, and in their October 12, 1952 issue, noted a Monday special where the pizza bagels were only 10 cents.

The Ohio Jewish Chronicle, February 11, 1955, also had an advertisement for Max's 21 Restaurant & Delicatessen which mentions "Max's First Bagel Pizza" though no further description is provided. Later, the Ohio Jewish Chronicle, June 22, 1956, presented an advertisement for Johnny's Pizza which also offered a Bagel Pizza, though in 9 varieties. Again though, there are no further details, but this is the first mention of different varieties of pizza bagels that are available. The Greenville News, October 13, 1957 (SC) wrote that in New York, they have a pizza-bagel, "a bagel stuffed with pizza sauce."

The first reference to "egg bagels" seems to be The Cincinnati Enquirer, November 5, 1948, which had a pastry shop ad offering "Egg Bagel." The Tampa Tribune, January 15, 1949, had a similar bakery ad for Egg Bagel while The Bakersfield Californian, May 11, 1949, had a grocery store bakery add mentioning Egg Bagels. None of the ads though described what an egg bagel might be and how it differed from other bagels, except, of course, it contained eggs.

More bagel prices! The American Israelite, February 3, 1949 (Ohio) published an ad for Rothstein's Bakery, noting a dozen bagels costs 36 cents. The Rutland Daily Herald, February 17, 1949 (VT) printed a bakery ad, selling  a dozen Jewish Bagels for 35 cents, which can be compared with a dozen Plain Doughnuts for 25 cents. The Tuscon Daily Citizen, December 9, 1949, had an ad for a dozen Water Bagels for 35 cents. The Hattiesburg American, February 15, 1951 (Missouri) had an ad for freshly baked bagels at 40 cents a dozen. Fairly close prices for a dozen bagels.

There were some worries during this time period that bagel making might be a dying art. The Detroit Free Press, February 27, 1949, in an article titled Dying Bagel Art Survives in Detroit, talked about the Bagel King Bakery, a shop with 8 bakers that sold 9,600 bagels on a Saturday night. They stated that it took about 2/12 years of training to learn how to make bagels and that "A deft bagel twister can shape 84 in 5 minutes." Bagel making, by hand, is tough and skilled work. This isn't the only article I read that stated bagel making was a dying art.

The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 13, 1949, printed an amusing tidbit, "A pretzel is a bagel running around in the wrong circles.  A bagel is a pretzel that has gone straight."

In a technological step forward, The Journal News, June 6, 1949 (NY), reported on a new bagel slicer. A Cleveland restaurateur invented a machine, and is currently seeking a patent, to slice a bagel, "It includes a block of wood which holds a bagel firmly against a metal upright so it can't slip while being sliced into halves like an open clam." Nine years later, the Jewish Post (June 20, 1958) reported on a new bagel holder, created by a Miami plastics company. The article states, "The instrument has six sharp teeth on each side, to hold bagel firmly, and its use insures equal bagel halves for toasting,..."

The first frozen bagels? The Republican & Herald, July 4, 1949 (PA), in an article, Gossip In Gotham, mentioned that "Frozen bagels are due any day now, six to a package." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, June 6, 1950, in an article on frozen foods, noted that you can now find frozen bagels in San Francisco.

In prior newspaper references, the term "bagel" is presented as is, but the Tuscon Daily Citizen, November 4, 1949 (AZ) was the first I found with a Deli ad mentioning "New York Water Bagels," though no explanation for that descriptor was provided.

A new Jewish cookbook was highlighted in the Jewish Post, January 20, 1950. Jewish Cookery, by Leah W. IV. Pearlroth Leonard (previously the food columnist for The Post), is a 500 page tome, broken down into 35 chapters. The article states, "Mrs. Leonard, in her chapter on bread, writes sadly of the fast-disappearing art of bagel-making in America. She includes a recipe for these water doughnuts, which she insists are typically Jewish as gefilte fish "exacted from a retired baker, who learned the art in Europe and practiced it in one of our large cities for more than 40 years.” She tested it successfully, in spite of the baker’s warning that it could not possibly be done at home. Get a copy of "Jewish Cookery,” and bake yourself a batch of bagel." I love the description of bagels as "water doughnuts."

More bagel pricing. The Albuquerque Journal, March 4, 1950, published an ad for Court Bakery, noting a dozen bagels cost 34 cents. And in the Dunkirk Evening Observer, May 4, 1950 (NY), there was an ad for a dozen bagel rolls for 50 cents. The Daily Times, November 2, 1950 (MD) printed a bakery ad offering bagel rolls for 40 cents a dozen. The Daily Times, April 19, 1951 (MD) printed an ad for fresh bagels for 50 cents a dozen.

Green bagels? The Kingsport News, March 23, 1950, reported that in Manhattan, "The kosher places celebrating St. Patrick's Day with window displays of green matso balls and bagels." This would seem to predate when Murray Lender began making green bagels in 1959. Lender might have made the practice more popular, but it doesn't seem he was the first to make them.

More bagel recipes were provided in the Dayton Daily News, April 19, 1951, which described some traditional Passover foods. Their recipe was for Pesach'dige Bagels, and they used matzo meal and there was no boiling of the bagel dough. The Press & Sun Bulletin, October 26, 1951 (NY) also printed a Bagel recipe, though it was more traditional and included the necessity of boiling. The Pittsburgh Press, March 26, 1953 had a recipe for "bagel (pretzel roll)."

An intriguing financial opportunity was included in The Record, March 20, 1951 (NJ). In an ad titled "Sell Bagels." it stated, "If you now sell to groceries, luncheonettes or house-to-house, this is your opportunity to increase your income 100%. Call Cliffside..." with a telephone number. Selling bagels as a way to generate additional income? A door-to-door bagel salesperson? It sure beats selling  encyclopedias.

The Miami Daily News, March 23, 1951, announced the opening of a new English-Yiddish variety show entitled "Bagels & Yox for 1951." The show will have comedians, singers, and a ventriloquist, with Velvel, the only Yiddish-speaking dummy.  The March 25, 1951 edition mentions that the show is about three and a half hours long. Plus, much of the show is comedy with a significant amount od off-color humor. Cellophene wrapped bagels were also passed out to the audience. The April 19, 1951 issue mentioned that because of Passover, the show wouldn't be passing out bagels, but would pass out matzohs instead. The Daily News, June 2, 1951, reported on the success of this show and indicated it was due on Broadway in September.

I hadn't previously heard of a difference between Western and Eastern bagels. The Jewish Post, March 23, 1951, though reported on them, "The difference between Western bagels and Eastern bagels caused a minor crisis on the set of Warner Bros. 'Tomorrow is Another Day.' Director Felix Feist discovered that the bagel-peddlers cart in a New York street was loaded with Western-type bagels--i.e. small and donut shaped. He insisted on the Eastern type--i.e. larger and pretzel shaped. The property master finally hustled up some of the Eastern bagels from a delicatessen on Los Angeles' Brooklyn Avenue."

Another bagel strike hits New York. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, December 17, 1951, reported that the Bagel Bakers of America, Local 338, A.F.L. closed 32 of the 34 bagel bakeries in the city, involving the 10 in Brooklyn. The workers claimed management had failed to live up to their contractual obligations. This led to a decrease in sales of lox as well, as "the true bagel devotee insisting the smoked salmon just doesn't go with anything else but a tooth-destroying bagel." The Miami News, January 26, 1952, reported that the strike was set to end on January 28. The union got a $3 per day raise for the employees, to a daily rate of $30.

The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle, May 11, 1951, reported that nationally syndicated columnist George Sokolsky was upset that the new Dictionary of Americanisms failed to include the words "bagel" and "lox." The dictionary is a "two-volume publication on words added to the English language in this country." George noted the prevalence of these two words on Broadway. Other newspaper articles would later mention how readers could find either word in a dictionary so wrote to their local newspapers for mire information.

The Courier-Journal, February 21, 1952 (KY), published a long bagel article, noting that "Except in cities where there is a large Jewish population, the general population is in woeful ignorance of some mighty fine eating." It describes the nature of bagels, and also talks about certain related matters, such as "Among Orthodox Jews, it used to be a custom to serve people in mourning a dish of bagels, since the bagel, a circlet without beginning or end, represents the continuity of life." Bagels also figured into curses, as "So much have bagels entered into the thinking that little street urchins don't tell you to go to the devil--they'll tell you where to go, and then add the instructive phrase--'and bake a bagel."

Some controversy was brought to the bagel stage in an article in the The Boston Globe, March 9, 1952. The play, "Bagel & Yox," was playing at the Schubert Theater, led by New Yorker Lou Saxon, as the master of ceremonies. Lou stated, "Boston bagels are bigger and better than New York bagels. They taste better--I guess New Englanders use more butter." Though this comment probably pleased Bostonians, I'm not sure Lou's fellow New Yorkers were too happy.

The Burlington Free Press, March 28, 1952 (VT), described some of the food stores in the city of Burlington, with a section on Passover foods. The article mentions, "A newcomer to the bread line is available in one delicatessen that sells 75 dozen over Saturday and Sunday. It is bagel, the loaf shaped like a doughnut. The dough is boiled before it is baked, resulting in a hard crust and soft center." Seems bagels were relatively new in northern Vermont.

A bagel battle comes to New York. The Star-Gazette, April 5, 1952 (NY) reported that the Lovitch Bakery had been making "bagel" on only Sundays for almost forty years. It is specifically noted that "bagel" is a "singular, collective noun" and that it is "something made of flour, egg, and water, boiled in hot water for ten minutes and then oven-baked for 20 minutes." Their bagels sells for 40 cents a dozen. A super-grocer came to the area, selling bagels made in Washington, D.C., which is "shipped in daily, brown-and-serve affairs" that cost 65 cents a dozen. Baker Joe Lovitch calls them "synthetic."

One of the first mentions of a different variety of bagel is in the Orlando Evening Star, August 13, 1953, which mentions a "poppyseed bagel." The article also gives an amusing definition of lox, "Lox? That's a smoked salmon with sex."

Concerning bagel strikes, the Breckenridge American, December 27, 1953,  reported on a strike by 45 truck drivers, who delivered bagels to restaurants and neighborhood stores, which lasted for about 32 days. A settlement was eventually reached so the bagel famine ended. This story was also reported in a California newspaper and they needed to write a follow-up article to explain the nature of the bagel.

In a sports column of the Madera Daily News Tribune (December 31, 1953), they published an article titled, "Bagel is Explained." One of their readers wanted an explanation of the bagel and the article stated, "A bagel has been jocularly, but nevertheless somewhat accurately, described as a hardboiled doughnut. But unlike the doughnut it is (1) not sweet (2) not fried, but baked (3) not soft. About all it shares with the doughnut is its shape." The article continues, "It is a breakfast favorite of many a New Yorker, particularly those who have been exposed to the eating habits of the Yiddish population of the city; for a breakfast of lox (smoked salmon), cream cheese, and half-and-half (weak coffee halved with cream) is very often favored by Jewish folk." And it also states, "Dipped in coffee, its lobster-like outer shell becomes amenable to the dental onslaught of its devourer. Smeared with sweet-butter, after having been sliced across, it becomes a rare delicacy; garnished with fresh cream cheese, it is a delight; and if the salt, sweet flavor of smoked salmon is added (as the famous Lindy's restaurant serves it) the bagel becomes the center around which a whole breakfast may be built."

Why would a bagel article be presented in a sports column? The article address that question, "Many an earnest eastern lad grappling with the lower rungs of the ladder to fistic prominence has subsisted almost entirely on the bagel. Like Benjamin Franklin’s two-penny rolls, the bagel is a classic, inexpensive way to fill the void beneath the manly chest." The answer continues, "But the bagel for a long time was the stuff of which fighters were made ... at least in the early mornings of the early days of their careers." Boxing and bagels! This also harkens back to the prior article I mentioned, in the Hartford Courant, March 7, 1926, where a basketball time only had $1 for food and bought bagels.

Another initial mention of a different variety of bagel is in the Miami News, February 5, 1954, which states that Pumpernik's restaurant had invented pumpernickel bagels. This restaurant was established in 1953, and also added Pumpernik's Pantry, a bake shop. For more explanation, the Muncie Evening Press, March 11, 1954, published an article titled Once Lowly Bagel Suddenly Becomes a Glorified Food. The article noted that bagels were now selling better since the invention of the pumpernickel bagel by Pumpernik's. Arthur Godfrey, a famous entertainer and talent scout,  praised this bagel on the radio, spreading the word coast to coast, and everyone suddenly wanted pumpernickel bagels.

It might seem strange to some that pumpernickels bagels were invented in Florida and not New York. Other bakeries and shops seemed to quickly jump on the pumpernickel wagon. The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 25, 1954, spoke of something new in bagels, the pumpernickel bagel, and The Daily Record, August 13, 1954 (NJ) also promoted pumpernickel bagels. Obviously, the idea of pumpernickel bagels couldn't be restricted to Pumpernik's, so others decided to add it to their own selections. In New York, they took it to the new step. The Daily News, February 6, 1955 (NY) mentioned that onion pumpernickel bagels have become popular.

The Courier-News, February 16, 1956 (NJ), has a bakery ad mentioning Pumpernickel bagels, as well as both "water & egg bagel." It was interesting to learn in The Coshocton Democrat, April 11, 1956 (Ohio), that actor and comedian Jerry Lewis had developed a passion for pumpernickel bagels. Pumpernickel bagels certainly seemed to be extremely popular as the Democrat & Chronicle: May 20, 1956 wrote that "Jack Bell, columnist for the Miami Herald, reported that Charlie Bookbinder of Pumpernick's (it's a restaurant) boasted that he was on the verge of selling his one-millionth bagel." As the restaurant was only three years old, that is quite an achievement in such a short time.

Did you ever hear about canned bagels? In The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, December 29, 1954, there was an article highlighting Israel Hershman, the owner of the Coney Island Bagel Bakery, who is supposed to be a master at creating bagels. As the article states, "Bagels, allow me to instruct you, are created, not manufactured. Each one is fashioned by the touch of a skilled hand."  Hershman creates some bagels which will be canned, something new in bagel packaging. The bagels need to be created at the proper size so they fit within the can. Hershman has shipped these canned bagels to places including Rome and Israel. Who would have thought?

Hershman appears to not have been the only one to consider canned bagels. The Detroit Free Press, June 3, 1955, wrote that, "Bagels in a can. That's the offering of Bread Basket, Inc. claimed to be the first commercial bread product successfully canned without the use of preservatives. Prices at 24 cents for a can of our bagels..."  All you have to do is "Open the can, heat or toast and serve." The Tribune, August 26, 1955 (PA) gives more detail, that the Bread Basket, Inc., located in New York, is "offering vacuum packed canned bagels, four ready to serve."

The variety of bagels continued to expand, as mentioned in the Ohio Jewish Chronicle, November 11, 1955, with an advertisement for the Berkman-Yellen Bagelry. The ad mentions the variety of different bagels they sell, including rye, poppy seed, pumpernickel, cheese, onion, onion & poppy seed, and plain. This seems to predate most of the varieties of bagels that Lender's Bagels would later promote, except possibly the raisin bagel.

More worries about bagel being a dying art. The Sedalia Democrat, August 23, 1956 (Missouri) printed a fascinating article about bagels, aka water doughnuts," which stated "A number of Jewish bakers declare the art of bagel making has become almost lost in the United States. In fact, older men in the industry fear that bagels will disappear because the younger bakers show no enthusiasm for learning the method." The article also touched a bit on the bagel's history, noting that "In Eastern European countries the making of bagel was generally turned over to the skilled fingers of women who formed the circlets of raised dough and passed them onto the master-baker very rapidly. These water doughnuts must be handled with care and processed with precision." Finally, the article had a bagel recipe, noting variations which included sprinkling them with poppy seeds or coarse salt.

The Jewish Post, February 1, 1957, returned to the idea of making bagels at home, providing a complete recipe for the home cook. The ingredients list included: 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus 3 tblsps. for kneading board; 1 1/2 tsps. salt; 2 tblsps. sugar; 1 pkg. yeast; 2/3 cup warm water; 3 tblsps. oil or shortening; 1 egg; and 4 quarts boiling water, to which add 2 tblsps. sugar. The instructions include boiling and baking the bagel. The Daily News, November 2, 1957, also published another bagel recipe. Making bagels at home now seems to be a lost art.

Free bagels! The Escanaba Daily Press, March 20, 1957 (MI), wrote that in New York City, "A Teamsters local has an agreement with the New York City bagel manufacturers that permits all employees to take home two dozen free bagels at the end of each working day." A nice little benefit and interesting that it ended up as part of their contract.

Finally, an explanation for water bagels! The Daily News, January 12, 1958, wrote about Sam and Ann Goldsmith, who make bagels in a basement bakery in the Bronx. Their unsalted bagels outsell salted ones by 3 to 1. They also make the water bagel, "which is soaked in a boiling solution before baking to give it a glossy finish and considerable strength." This is what we know as the traditional New York style bagel, where boiling is involved. Thus, it seems logical that the egg bagels, which are the contrast to water bagels, do not involve boiling.

Mini-bagels? The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 27, 1958 published an add for a package of miniature Baglettes, which cost 39 cents, though the size of the package wasn't given.

The extent of the number of bagel bakeries in New York were explained in the Bay Ridge Home Reporter, February 7, 1958 (NY). "In 31 bagel bakeries, 204 bakers and 49 baker's helpers, members of Local 338 of the Bakery and Confectionary Employees' Union, produce all the water bagels sold in the city. Whole wheat and egg bagels for retail consumption only are made by individual bread bakers in local bakeries." It seems that the skills to produce water bagels are more valued as they are controlled by the union, allowing others to make whole wheat and egg bagels.

There are additional references to various bagel types such as the Jewish Post, February 14, 1958, which had an advertisement for a New York deli which sold a "New York Water and Pumpernickel Bagel." Ms. Baliska also mentioned in her book that during the mid-1950s, you could find Cinnamon Raisin and Onion bagels.

Bagel recipes continued to be published in various newspapers. The Boston Globe, April 2, 1958, printed a recipe for "Passover Bagel" but it didn't involved any boiling. In their June 12, 1958 issue though, they had another bagel recipe, and this one included the need for boiling. The June 29, 1958 issue then printed a slight correction to that recipe. The Salt Lake Tribune, November 28, 1958, as well as their June 26, 1959 issue, printed bagel recipes that included boiling. The Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, April 22, 1959 printed a Passover recipe for the bagel, but it didn't include boiling.

Hawaiian bagels? In a fascinating story, the Honolulu Star Bulletin, April 1, 1959, related the tale of Yun Yau Kam, maybe only Chinese bagel baker in the world. Based in Moiliili, Honolulu, he has been baking bagels for about four years. Initially, a friend of his wrote to the Jewish Bakers' Association in NY, asking for their bagel recipe so that they could provide to the local Jewish community. He received the authentic formula, which Kam quickly memorized and then "lost," refusing to reveal his ingredients and practices to others. He now make about 50 dozen bagels once a week for the Hawaiian Jewish community.

Prior to the 1960s, Ms. Balinska wrote that "...the cellar bakeries had sold their bagels wholesale to delicatessens, supermarkets and other bakeries." So, when a customer purchased a bagel, it wasn't fresh and hot out of the oven. Thus, toasting the bagel was common. However, as the 1960s began, technology began to change the nature of bagel bakeries, bringing them out of the cellars and onto street level. As she wrote, "For the bakery ‘bosses’ of the Bagel Bakers’ Association, the arrival of operations at street level was a business revelation. Consumers paid more than the retailer and could not get enough of the freshly baked hot bagel, something which had not been available in the days of wholesale. Blinking neon ‘HOT BAGELS’ signs were soon gracing the store windows of bakeries across the city." Nowadays, people may take for granted being able to buy a fresh, hot bagel but that wasn't always the case.

Previously, I mentioned the first reference I found to pizza bagels in 1948 in New Jersey. However, the Miami News, February 25, 1960, reported that the pizza bagel had been "invented by Arthur Adler of the Leamington, Ponce de Leon and Allison Hotels, and later swiped by Wolfie Cohen when he ran Pumpernik's." The article doesn't provide a date when Adler allegedly invented the pizza bagel. A couple other newspaper articles claim he invented the pizza bagel, but again, no details were provided. I suspect he might have been the first to make pizza bagels in the Florida area, but I don't believe he invented them. If so, there likely would have been additional references to his creations much earlier than 1960.

As the 1960s began, plenty of bagel varieties were being sold by various bakeries. The Cincinatti Enquirer, March 16, 1960, had an ad for plain and poppy seed bagels. The Valley News. January 20, 1961 (Van Nuys, CA) talked about the Western Bagel Baking Co. which makes a variety of bagels, such as onion, salted, poppyseed, egg, and water bagels. The Miami News, March 21, 1961 reported on the Hot Bagels Shops, which sell 6 varieties, including plain, salt, pumpernickel, onion, egg, and garlic. The Ithaca Journal, April 25, 1961, noted that Abel Bagels sells onion, egg, and water bagels.

Though The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 6, 1961, provided a bagel recipe, which included boiling, it noted that "There was a time, says the Jewish Festival Cookbook, when every Jewish housewife cherished her recipe for bagels." That seems to indicate that less and less people were making bagels at home.

Another bagel strike struck in February 1962. The Jewish Post, February 16, 1962, reported that 289 bagel bakers in New Jersey and New York went on strike, affecting 85% of New York City's bagel supply. The union wanted three week’s vacation with pay instead of two, fourteen holidays a year instead of eleven and wage increases.

The Miami News, November 11, 1962, wrote about Beach Bagel Bakeries, in South Beach, which makes 900 dozen bagels a night, including egg and water bagels. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, January 12, 1963, noted a Brooklyn restaurant created a twisted bagel, resembling a pretzel. It simply seemed to be a different shape.

Technology was starting to impact the bagel industry. For example, The News, March 20, 1963 (NJ) described how Harold Paitchell received a patent for a bagel bending machine, which "bangs dough into bagel bloops ready for cooking." The Rockland County Journal-News, March 27, 1963 (NY) had an ad which is one of the first references to frozen bagels. The ad was for Abel's Frozen Bagels, noting that they are available in all varieties, in a 6 pack for 29 cents. This is about the same time that Lender's Bagels began selling their own frozen bagels in 6 packs. The Daily News, October 9, 1963,  also had an advertisement for frozen bagels, the Bagel King Bagels, which were available in plain, onion, and pumpernickel, in a package of 6, also for 29 cents.

How many bagels were being consumed during this time period? Well, the South Bend Tribune, December 15, 1963 (Indiana) provided a figure, stating that in New York, about 2 million bagels were sold each week. That would be over 100 million bagels in a year, and doesn't include bagels consumed outside of New York.

The F&M College Reporter (April 3, 1964--Illinois) perpetuated some of the common myths about the origins of bagels, stating they were invented in Vienna around 1683, a claim Ms. Balinska thoroughly refutes. The article goes into length concerning out bagel issues. For example, it states, "To the purist, there is only one true bagel. It is handmade from white wheat gluten flour, salt water, malt, and and yeast, and simmered in hot water for two minutes before it is baked. A few flakes of onion or garlic are grudgingly permitted as a sign of the times, but other varieties of the Bagel are considered rolls with holes in them and not Bagels." The article continues on the number of bagel bakeries in NYC, "In New York City, 36 bakeries turn out nothing but Bagels at the rate of a quarter million per day and three times that many on the weekends when 60% of all Bagel are sold."

"Green" bagels? No, I'm not talking about St. Patrick's Day bagels. The Daily News, April 23, 1964 (NY) reported that a bagel baker, age 28, was arrested for selling marijuana. He claimed that he bought the weed from another bagel maker, and then sold it to adolescents and older people.

The Akron Beacon Journal, May 2, 1964, stated that National Bagel Day was May 5, celebrated by the University of Akron's Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity. However, this actually appears to be more of a floating holiday, celebrated only by the fraternity. The May 20, 1967 issue stated National Bagel Day was celebrated on May 19 by the fraternity and the June 7, 1969 issue said National Bagel Day was celebrated on June 6. The Chicago Tribune, October 26, 1969, had an ad for Begun's of Elmhurst, which appears to be mainly a clothes store, and they declared National Bagel Day to be October 26, though they repeated the day four times, on a weekly basis.

More information on the bagel's origins are found in the Jewish Post, July 3, 1964, especially concerning the term itself. "There is no Word in the German language Corresponding to the Yiddish word “baigle.” The root "baign” is derived from the German (to bend or to bow) in Yiddish "bogen.” But the formation "baigle” is purely Yiddish — which shows, of course, that Yiddish is a language by its own right and not a mere corrupted German. "Baigle” or "beigel” is the root “baign” or "beign” with the diminutive ending "1.” In German, if there were such a word, it would be "boegelein.” But there isn’t."

A differing view comes from the Jewish Post (July 24, 1964), where is it mentioned that, "The bagel originally came from the province of Silesia where it was known as a "bcugel.” The Jews in their migrations picked it up, adopted it and carried it with them as they moved eastward."

Though most bagel bakeries were located in New York, there were a small number of others across the country. The Chicago Tribune, December 20, 1964, wrote about the Litberg's Bryn Mawr Bagel Bakery, one of only two bagel bakeries in Chicago. Owned by Abe and Sam Litburg, their father, who was originally from Kiev, had opened the original bakery back in 1925. They now produce about 11,000 bagels each week. For some perspective, remember that New York produces a total of about 2 million bagels each week. The article discussed bagel purists, who only accept water bagels, and those outsell others by 20 to 1. Purists also see "pumpernickel, rye and whole wheat and poppy seed rolls as 'just rolls with holes.'

Finally, the article notes that the immersion of the dough into boiling water cooks away the starch, which helps to reduce the calories of a bagel. Thus, bagels are said to have only 50 calories while a slice of white bread has 72 calories. That is fascinating as modern bagels are now said to have an average of 250-300 calories. Even modern mini-bagels are said to have about 100 calories. So, what is the difference, reflective of the calorie disparity, between the bagels from the 1960s and those of the present era?

To Be Continued....

Part 1
Part 3

(Please note that this is a significantly expanded/revised version of a prior article I wrote on bagel history. It has more than tripled in length.)