Marvelous Market

ain't so marvelous anymore.

This Washington DC chain had always been primarily a bakery, with add-ons (like premium canned goods, non-alcoholic drinks, and ready made sandwiches and salads) added on in increasing variety over the years.

The breads were high quality (even if too many of them were sour dough based for my taste), and the market was especially busy on Fridays, because that was the only day they sold their plain, poppy, sesame and fruit challas, which were of extremely high quality.

Last year or so, the chain was sold, but nothing much changed. A month or so ago, however, the new management made its presence felt by announcing that they had closed their bakery, and were now going to buy their baked goods from Uptown Bakeries, a local bakery that services many venues around town. This meant a different variety of breads, and a different variety of pastries in general. It also meant that Marvelous Market was no longer unique.

Uptown also makes Friday challas, although only in two varieties (plain and sesame-poppy), but the quality, while not low, is not extremely high.

Because there are no other convenient quality challah outlets, our Friday night table is very different now. In fact, without high quality challah on Friday night, is there any reason to remain Jewish any more?

That got me thinking. Judaism clearly could not have lasted as long as it did if matzah was a 52-week a year requirement; this is why the sages limited it to just eight days. The Catholics lost a lot of meat eaters in the 1950s, so they had to abolish meatless Friday nights, and many Catholics, during Lent, give up things now like pepperoni ice cream, or cold cream of turnip soup. And think of all the fallen away Catholics, who just could not take one more Sunday morning wafer.

Food is clearly important to religion, which got me thinking.........

Many formerly mainstream religious denominations have complained about loss of membership in recent years. Conservative Judaism is one of these denominations, and they keep looking for ways to bring families back into the fold.

I think I have a way. I think that Conservative Judiasm should require that all Friday night dinners end with peach pie and vanilla ice cream.

Take that, you Orthodox.