Wegmans Ocean store, April 27, 2019. © Back by popular demand.

Paul Goldfinger,  Editor @Blogfinger.net    Re-post: April, 2019.

Yesterday at Wegmans, they were offering samples of their new chocolate chip bagels. I told the bakery supervisor that she will never see me buying one of these travesties of justice. “They are against my religion,” I told her.  I would rather eat cow on a Main Street in Bombay then munch one of these in public at Wegmans.  What would my grandmother think?

This is a form of cultural assassination.  Bagels were brought to this country by Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe after several centuries of baking authentic bagels–mostly in Poland.   Where is the respect?  Can you imagine gefilte fish in an Irish bar?  Or matzoh ball soup at an Italian deli?

The original kinds of bagels from the “old country” were plain, onion, poppy, salt, and sesame.   Later a few other kinds were added and have become “authentic” including “everything,”, garlic, and pumpernickel.  But chocolate chip? Oy vey!

Not authentic: cinnamon raisin , asiago,marco polo, and blueberry.

There are places in New Jersey that  have succeeded to create authentic “Jewish style” bagels such as the Hot Bagel Bakery in Oakhurst.  Here’s our link to that unique eatery:

Bagel review—4 Blogfingers for the Hot Bagel Bakery in Oakhurst.

But Wegmans, which has a Kosher department, has really come off the rails with this one. When the rabbi comes to inspect, let’s hope he doesn’t spot the chocolate chip imposter. He would surely plotz  (ie pass out.)

THE BARRY SISTERS:   Jewish  Music from Eastern Europe.  They are singing in Yiddish and English.  The former is known by Yiddish speakers as  “Mamalushin,”  i.e. the “mother tongue.”  

This song is “Tum Balalaika”–a Yiddish folk song. Tum is “play” and balalaika is a Russian stringed instrument.  You may recall it used for “Lara’s Theme” in Dr. Zhivago.

Russian Jews also played the instrument.

And here is the Lara’s theme by the Balalaika Ensemble:  

* “Feh” roughly translates into “Yuck.”