Delicious for Hanukkah
Balducci’s, a gourmet market in New York’s Greenwich Village, accidentally found itself in an embarrassing situation. Sometime over the weekend a store clerk mistakenly put a sign over a set of hams describing them as “Delicious for Hanukkah.”
Manhattan novelist Nancy Kay Shapiro, a self-professed unobservant Jew, noticed the advertisement of trafe – unclean, forbidden foods – for Chanukah. Instead of being offended, Ms. Shapiro took photographs and posted them on the web.
I just thought it was funny, I wasn’t offended in any way. I just thought, here’s somebody who knows nothing about what Jews eat.
— Nancy Shapiro
Author of What Love Means To You People
When Ms. Shapiro returned to the store on Tuesday, the first night of Chanukah, the signs had vanished. A manager at the Balducci’s gourmet grocery store apologetically said that the sign had been a mistake and blamed it on a stock clerk.
Thank you, Ms. Shapiro! Where many people would have been grossly offended, you showed good humor and tolerance for other’ ignorance and fallibility.
Tags: Balducci’s | Chanuka | Food | Hanukkah | Humor | Jews | NYC | Trafe
December 7th, 2007 at 9:42 am
I second that! Fabulously refreshing. =)
December 7th, 2007 at 11:33 am
Yeah it is! So many people would have been “up in arms” and crying antisemitism at the top of their proverbial lungs, but Ms. Shapiro showed humor and class.
December 7th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Ha, I heard about this last night on the news…it’s good to be able to laugh.
December 7th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Ben, yes it is and so few seem to be able to. We’d apparently much prefer to be offended.
December 8th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
Whew! Dodged that bullet! I thought that maybe the distaste for pork in many religious menus was about to fall which would make pork more expensive! Since a good smoked ham or breaded pork cutlet are some of my favorite foods I’m relieved the prohibitions remain in place, thus costing me less!
December 8th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
LOL! No hope for you. China’s in the middle of a nasty Pig Flu that seriously impacting their production. I think they’ll be importing pork products soon, so the prices will go up.
December 8th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
LMAO, and just when I thought my culinary habits were safe! Darn capitalism and its ability to get people to eat more protein!