Jewish Trivia Quiz: Bagels

By Mark D. Zimmerman

Mark D. Zimmerman

Bagels ‍are ‍one ‍of ‍the ‍quintessential ‍Jewish ‍foods. ‍There ‍are ‍references ‍to ‍bagels ‍in ‍Kraków, ‍Poland ‍in ‍the ‍early ‍1600’s, ‍though ‍they ‍may ‍have ‍first ‍appeared ‍in ‍Germany ‍prior ‍to ‍that. ‍Polish ‍immigrants ‍brought ‍bagels ‍to ‍the ‍United ‍States ‍around ‍the ‍turn ‍of ‍the ‍20th ‍century. ‍The ‍bagel ‍became ‍so ‍popular ‍that ‍the ‍International ‍Beigel ‍Bakers ‍Union ‍was ‍established ‍to ‍represent ‍the ‍interests ‍of ‍the ‍workers ‍who ‍eventually ‍were ‍producing ‍millions ‍of ‍bagels ‍weekly. ‍Automation, ‍popularized ‍by ‍Lender’s ‍Bagels, ‍brought ‍an ‍end ‍to ‍the ‍dominance ‍of ‍the ‍union ‍and ‍hand-rolled ‍bagels. ‍But ‍according ‍to ‍a ‍recent ‍article ‍in ‍‍Politico, ‍“The ‍bagel ‍has ‍emerged ‍as ‍the ‍unofficial ‍food ‍of ‍official ‍Washington.” ‍The ‍‍Guardian ‍reports ‍that ‍“New ‍York-style ‍bagels ‍are ‍becoming ‍something ‍of ‍a ‍trend ‍in ‍Manchester, ‍London, ‍Leicester ‍and ‍Edinburgh.” ‍Even ‍Burger ‍King ‍is ‍testing ‍an ‍everything ‍bagel ‍bun. ‍According ‍to ‍a ‍report ‍published ‍by ‍online ‍site ‍‍Snack ‍Food ‍& ‍Wholesale ‍Bakery, ‍in ‍2022 ‍bagels ‍led ‍the ‍way ‍in ‍sales ‍compared ‍to ‍other ‍fresh ‍breads ‍such ‍as ‍English ‍muffins ‍and ‍sandwich ‍breads. ‍And ‍while ‍Supreme ‍Court ‍Justice ‍Clarence ‍Thomas ‍faces ‍controversy ‍over ‍his ‍choice ‍not ‍to ‍disclose ‍millions ‍of ‍dollars ‍of ‍vacations ‍and ‍other ‍gifts ‍he ‍received ‍from ‍wealthy ‍donors, ‍Justice ‍Elena ‍Kagen ‍notified ‍her ‍circle ‍of ‍high ‍school ‍friends ‍that ‍she ‍could ‍not ‍accept ‍their ‍offer ‍of ‍lox ‍and ‍bagels ‍from ‍New ‍York’s ‍Russ ‍& ‍Daughters ‍as ‍she ‍felt ‍it ‍might ‍violate ‍the ‍court’s ‍ethics ‍rules ‍for ‍accepting ‍gifts. ‍What ‍is ‍a ‍unique ‍bagel ‍store ‍that ‍recently ‍opened?

A. Schmatte’s Bagels, located in New York’s Garment District, sells 15 types of bagels, plus schmears, and desserts such as rugelach and babka, but all the products they sell are made of recycled clothing. The bagels and other products are sold in a new section of the gift shop of the Garment District Museum.

Bagels‍. Credit: Steam ‍Pipe ‍Trunk ‍Distribution ‍Venue‍ ‍via Wikimedia Commons.

B. Beagle’s Bagels, located in New York’s Soho neighborhood, sells 15 types of bagels, plus schmears, and desserts such as rugelach and babka, but all the products they sell are for dogs only. It is rumored, however, that some human patrons have raved about the taste of their Pup-peroni Bagels.

C. Feltz Bagels sells 15 types of bagels, plus schmears, and desserts such as rugelach and babka, but all the products they sell are made of felt. The products were created by artist Lucy Sparrow and are sold at TW Fine Art, a gallery in Montauk, New York, whose mission is to serve “as a nurturing space where artists can experiment, grow, and push the boundaries of their practice.”

D. Barbie Bagels, a popup bagel stand in Hollywood, sells 15 types of bagels, plus schmears, and desserts such as rugelach and babka, but all the products they sell are pink in color.

E. Potz Bagels, located in Greenwich Village in New York, sells 15 types of bagels, plus schmears, and desserts such as rugelach and babka, but all the products they sell contain cannabis, some in the form of THC which can make one high, and some with CBD, the non-intoxicating form of cannabis that can have medical benefits.

Link to answer: http://rrrjewishtrivia.com/answers-2023/bagels-answer.html

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Mark Zimmerman is the author of a series of Jewish trivia books, under the title RASHI, RAMBAM and RAMALAMADINGDONG: A Quizbook of Jewish Trivia Facts & Fun.