Tuesday morning found me plunging backward, into the past, looking for the first use of the word "bagel" in the Chicago Record, a short-lived paper of the 1890s, and the Chicago Daily News.
The results were not what I expected.
"Bagel" first shows up as a name, such as a certain Conrad Bagel, waylaid and robbed by five masked men in front of his State Street saloon in 1893. For 40 years it is only a name, plus misreadings of other names like Paget (the tendency of microfilm is for letters to puff up and degrade; optical scanners can have trouble reading them).
The foodstuff shows up in the 1930s. In 1936, columnist Clark Rodenbach makes a colorful visit to Gold's, a restaurant at 810 W. Roosevelt since 1902. He notes that Sears executive Julius Rosenwald was a patron, Illinois' first Jewish governor, Henry Horner, "drops in when gubernatorial duties permit," as do Jewish celebrities such as Eddie Cantor, Al Jolson, Georgie Jessel and Groucho Marx.
Being a journalist, Rodenbach must count as a near-celebrity, because he can't leave without a gift.
"Before you go," says Moe Rafison, the third generation to run the place, "let me give you a bagel or two."
Rodenbach feels obligated to explain what he's talking about. "They are roughly of donut form; and, like the rye bread, crispy on the outside and tender within. A great breakfast favorite with show-people after the last show."
It was interesting to follow the bagel into more general acceptance — though even in the late 1950s, bagels were still being explained (including humorously, such as "a donut made of concrete") not only in a daily newspaper, but apparently among Jews themselves.
"Are Lox and Bagel (salmon and rolls) essential to Jewish Survival?" is the topic of a humorous debate held at the K.A.M. synagogue in Hyde Park in 1956, though I hold out hope that the explanation was inserted into the topic for the benefit of the general public.
What really intrigued me was the use of "bagel" in the classified ads in the 1960s and 1970s.
"SALESMAN BAGEL LOT," reads another, in 1972. "MUST BE EXPERIENCED."
It didn't seem a term used with the customers themselves, but part of the private lingo of the car lot. "AUTO SALESMAN" a 1976 ad explained, "Need 2 experienced salesmen for high volume 'Bagel Lot'"
My Wentworth and Flexner "Dictionary of American Slang" had nothing, as did AI. I formed a theory that it would turn out to be the deepest discount cars, pivoting off the "Jews are cheap" calumny.
I wasn't far off. In Paul Dickson's "Slang: The Topical Dictionary of Americanisms" I found, "bagel: a poorly maintained car, to a person looking at it for trade-in."
As to why a bagel was a poorly maintained car, for now we'll leave that to the imagination.
If you are like me, you are wondering what happened to Gold's. At the crossroads of the Jewish ghetto in the 1930s, it was steamrolled along with much of the neighborhood by the University of Illinois campus in the early 1960s. Although as a reminder that being Jewish is to never be too far from calumny, I noticed a brief, laudatory 1931 Daily News description of Gold's uses the word "clean" four times. A moment's reflection and you'll realize why.
A "bagel" was a worthless car, as in a "big fat zero" -- zero being the shape of a bagel.
ReplyDeleteBut part of the Ital. neighborhood around Taylor St. near UIC was preserved, though most moved out. Al's beef is still there.
ReplyDeleteThe Italians didn't" move out" they were pushed. Daley I took offence to their voting choices and put the crossroads of the new expressways through their neighborhood as well as a couple housing projects.
DeleteThe area around taylor street is known as little Italy and there are still a few old guidos living over by there
I see-the Daley bunch never did like Itals. much, same with the earlier Irish gorups, unfort.
DeleteIf you read about the histories of various cities, or about mobsters, it soon becomes apparent that Irish and the Italians were always kicking the shit out of each other. Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago...in neighborhood gang fights over girls and turf, and via organized crime.
DeleteThe Irish prevailed in heavily Hibernian Boston, but in other places, it was usually the Italians who came out on top. In many instances, especially in New York, the tough Jews and the tougher Italians teamed up, and pretty much put the Irish mobs out of business.
The Chicago Outfit also included a number of Jewish wise guys. Went to summer camp in Wisconsin with the son of one of them. Even at twelve, he acted like a hood. Six years later, his father was killed. The son also rose, but died at 22. Never found out how or why. Just saw his grave.
Spent half my life in Chicago, and can attest from experience that a goodly number of Hibernians do NOT look upon Jews with favor.. No Italians ever called me a sheeny or a heeb, as happened in Daley's Chicago. Tended to ally myself with the Italian folks. Love the food. Love Sinatra.
Hell, people in Cleveland, New York, and Chicago have even mistaken me for an Italian. Talk a lot and wave my hands around a lot. My father once asked me how I could put up with these insults. Insulted? Was never more honored in my life.
None of this has much to do with bagels. The best I've ever had are from New York Bagel on Touhy, east of Edens. The best "shmear" is the cream cheese with the lox bits. Kraft used to make that. Not sure if they still do.
Thought there was still a section of the Jewish area in the late 70's or so where they outdoor sales of goods/flea market.
ReplyDeleteMaxwell st. Market is still there. Though not on Maxwell street. And not many Jewish people are involved with it anymore. It's mostly Hispanic and Chinese vendors
Deletethanks, FME
DeleteWe always bought our bagels in the 50s & 60s at Arfa's Bakery on Devon, just east of Glenwood. I went to Hebrew school with all his children.
ReplyDeleteDevon st. is mostly South Asian or Mid Eastern now.
Delete1. It's Devon Ave., not street
Delete2. Devon east of Damen is not Asian or Middle Eastern!
I was introduced to bagels in the seventies at the belden deli on Clark Street at belden. Lox is what really drew me in
ReplyDeleteArfa’s bakery provided the bagels and other rolls to Belden Deli.
DeleteI met my "learn something new every day" goal before 8 AM! Thank you for this. When I was a kid, we lived near a New York Bagel and Bialy shop, and I preferred the softer bialy over the bagel. Now its the opposite.
ReplyDeleteMy family wasn never big on bagels. Biscotti were preferred.
ReplyDeleteEveryone always had their choices in my family. "pass me that burnt onion roll" "i'll take the bailey" "sessemy toasted please." The calls still echo in the now empty dining rooms.
DeleteI miss the past.
In his 1968 book "The Joys of Yiddish", Leo Rosten made bagel the first entry in his B chapter, defining it as "a hard doughnut-shaped roll, simmered in hot water for two minutes before baking, then glazed with egg white." After that, he started his text, "If you have never tasted a bagel, I feel sorry for you." 1968: a dramatic and turbulent year, but apparently still bagel-free for the gentile population.
ReplyDeleteFinding the marriage and death announcements in the Chicago Daily News of my ancestors long gone brought a smile to my face.
ReplyDeleteIt also instilled many more questions.
Wikipedia suggests the Bagel came out of Poland (Krakow). It's origins hotly contested between Syrian and German migrants in the never ending sea of our past. Though the article states; "Linguist Leo Rosten notes in The Joys of Yiddish, that the first known mention of the Polish word bajgiel derived from the Yiddish word bagel in the "Community Regulations" occurs in Kraków in 1610, and that the food was given as a gift to women in childbirth.
Bagels have been a part of my life since the dawn of my time. We always break the fast with them. From Max and Benny's to Max and the Beagle to Barnum and Bagels weekend brunch included lox and bagels. I'll have to ask my familial sages how far back that trend goes.
I worked for a car dealer in the 80s and remember the "bagel lot." It's where they put the old "beaters" they took in on a trade and then try to resell to people looking for a cheap vehicle.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up Catholic on the NW side of Chicago I wasn't aware of bagels until I started at DePaul Univ. in 1978. The Jewish Union would sell them in the downtown campus cafateria as a fundraiser once a month or so. They came with cream cheese which we also never had while growing up. Bagels and cream cheese are a staple now.
ReplyDeleteYes but are they actually bagels?
DeleteFar too often I'm eating some kind of well it's hard to say exactly what it is but it is shaped like a bagel that you can buy a jewel Mariano's such a like but to find an actual bagel a good bagel you got to go hunt them down
Nothing like a toasted bagel with cream cheese.
ReplyDeleteIn South Bend there is a bagel shop called Studebagels. It’s named for the Studebaker cars that were produced in the city. I wonder if, in the 70’s, when the last Studebakers were still on the road, people called them Studebagels.
ReplyDelete56 Chevy?
ReplyDeleteI learned the difference between a bagel & a bialy from a sweet little old Jewish man who with his brothers ran the deli on the 3rd floor of 5 S. Wabash. He would take my hand in the morning when I’d place my order. He was so gentlemanly. This was around 1978/79. Also their corned beef was the best ever! Have not found anything that matched it.
ReplyDeleteI attended Our Lady of Mercy Church on Troy near Montrose a few decades back and after Mass, Kauffman’s Bakery next door was filled to capacity with Catholics getting Bagels and Kaiser rolls with the odd coffee cake for a special treat. Even as a kid I thought it was kinda cool. And loved their bagels. I believe Kaufmann’s is on Dempster near or in Skokie these days.
ReplyDelete