Connection Through Bagels: From the DeafBlind to the Chelsea Football Club
I started the New York BagelFest because of the belief that this humble food has a unique ability to bring people together. In my original mission statement from 2017, I wrote:
"In a city that is often divided by class, status, and profession, bagels manage to cut across every line of separation – bagels can rightly be called New York’s great equalizer."
Creating a space where everyone can celebrate this uniquely egalitarian food remains our driving force. Recently, we had two events that perfectly embody this core value.
Making Bagels with the Deafblind…
Reva and I had the incredible opportunity to lead a bagel-making class at the Helen Keller National Center, where DeafBlind participants (a condition in which an individual has combined hearing and vision loss) got hands-on to make bagels in celebratation of the grand reopening of their newly renovated Independent Living Kitchen. This experience beautifully demonstrated that the joy bagels bring knows no bounds, regardless of ability.
…and World Class Soccer Athletes
In the same week, we hosted a bagel class for the Chelsea F.C. Women’s team during their U.S. tour. These world-class athletes experienced the same joy in making, eating—and yes, kicking—bagels.
The juxtaposition of these events—watching people who can’t hear, see, or speak experience the same joy as some of the world’s best athletes—reinforces that this food unites people from all walks of life.
As we gear up for the 2024 New York BagelFest at Citi Field on Saturday, September 28, we want you to know that we’re creating this event so that everyone can have a seat at the table.
Unless you’re a bagel scooper—in which case, you’re out! 😉