Craig Lieckfelt

Thursday 1 of 3

I'm in my tenth year living in New York, and when I walk out to do my daily errands, I still get this overflow of joy.

The words "God, I love New York" pour out of me, and I pay attention to that — it's a profound sense of belonging.

In those moments I have no anxiety, no fear, just gratitude. I let this beautiful mind do its thing. I marvel that I can't be anxious and grateful at the same time.

Each day there's something new that's a treasure — a seed the sun shines upon so it grows, with water, and the might of human hands to mill that grain into bread. Daily bread, that we get to eat.

How awesome is that?

How did the bagel form?

They were created by Polish Jews in the 1600’s, because they were cheap to make, didn’t spoil quickly, and had a unique chewy texture. In the same era when Jewish people were banned from most professions, we were allowed to bake because it was viewed as low-status work, and when we came to America, we brought our bagels with us.

What makes a bagel Jewish?

The recipe we practiced through many difficult years became a sign of resilience and community, and it developed into something undeniably delicious.