Ohio Jewish Chronicle, 1991-07-25

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The Ohio Jewish Chronicle
'   Serving Columbus Md Central Otyo' ' "
'    Jewish Community for Over 60 Year$ '
VOLUME 69
NUMBER 30
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DEVOTED ,TO   AMERICAN   AND   JEWISH   IDEAtS
V v  .,
Yenkin to be honored
by Agudas Afcnim Men
'     •-   "V- •    V .      page 2
Dispelling #e myth
of 'land for peace'
?&.•«
page 3
Desert Storm Captain
visits Beth Tikvah
*^' ;*" page 4
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Geri Ellman appointed
to Women's Ca&ijiet
Wiesenthal dean
to speak at
Ebner testimonal
page 7
Wolman Award sends
#eens to convention
*&>
page 8
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BLOCK'S HOT BAGELS
The bagels keep rolling along . . .
By Ina Horwitz
Columbus didn't know
much "from a water bagel"
before 1967, according to Hal
Block, who, along with wife
Audrey and son Steve, oper-,
ates two deli/bakeries in the
city. Block first introduced the
New York variety of water
bagel to the community not"
long after the family moved
here from Brooklyn, N.Y.
Today, Block's Hot Bagels
Deli & Bakery is truly a family success story. Their two
stores, at 6115 McNaughteri
Center and 3415 E. Broad St.,
will expand to three locations
by the end of 1992. The new
site will be on the northwest
side to better serve patrons
living in that part of the city.
The 1990 Jewish demographic
study shows that' approximately 51 percent of the Jewish population lives in that
area.
v "People think we originally
came here to make bagels,"
said Hal, 57. Actually, his first
intent wasn't to open a kosher
bakery, but rather to sell a
line of children's clothes—the
reason he relocated to Columbus in 1961. In fact, he still
sells a line of infants' wear,
and it's Steve, 34, who devotes
100 percent of his time to the
business, handling the eveiy-
day activities and operations.
In the '60s, Hal had a friend
"back East" who wanted to
open a chain of bagel stores.
He convinced Hal to go into
partnership with him in a
bagel operation in Cincinnati.
"We just decided to take a
shot, and it was an instant success from day one," said Hal.
He sold out to his partner
some years later and opened
his own store on Kellner Road
in 1967.
It wasn't as easy in Columbus as in Cincinnati where, he
said, the Jewish population
Was a lot bigger and seemed
more attuned to the water
bagel and other New York
recipe baked goods. It took at
. least three years before their
first store began to do well.
"We had to educate the Columbus people," said Hal.
That first store was small,
with seven flavors of bagels
and assorted cheeses from a
dairy case. They now carry 20
Varieties at both locations,
along with challah, bread,
muffins and deli items.
With their baked goods being kosher, their baking utensils and pans are kept separate, under the supervision of
Vaad Ho-ir. They even have a
special sink for their Kosher
products.
They opened their Mc-
Naughten location in 1981 and
relocated their Kellner store,
where Audrey is in charge, to
East Broad in 1987.  "My
mother is a big part of what
we have created and accomplished," said Steve.
And keeping it all in the
family, Dr. Alan Block,
Steve's brother, who recently
opened a podiatry office in the.
city, still works weekends at
the Broad Street location.
The Blocks believe that
what makes them different
and unique is that they are the
only ones in town who make a
New York water bagel, with
no preservatives, no sugar, no
oil, no shortening and no fats.
In today's health and weight
conscious society, their bagels
fit right in, according to Steve.
Hal added that they're trying
to create a healthier, lighter
type of meal.
Steve said that water bagels
are the only bakery products
boiled before they're baked.
The baking gives them their
shine, he said, and they will
harden, because they're natural products. He also attributes the quality of their bagels
to Columbus' "very good"
water.
New York has the best
water in the country, according to Hal, because it is pure,
coming from waterfalls in the
Catskill Mountains.
Hall is still somewhat
amazed at the rapid expansion of his business. "Who
would have projected that in
another year, we'll have three
stores in Columbus, particularly one on the north side?"
he asked.
For this success, the Block
jfamily is grateful to the community and proud to be a part
of it. Their strong feelings
show in their support of Jewish fund-raising drives, particularly in their volunteer work
for the Leo Yassenoff Jewish"
Community Center.
Hal served three years on
the boiard of directors at the
Center and, as corporate sponsor, is chairman of the
Center's Sports Spectacular
on July 24.
Block's also sponsors a
booth, under Steve's direction,
at the Columbus Arts Festival
in conjunction with the Center.
All profits from this year's
project have been donated to
the Columbus delegation to
the JCC/Youth Maccabi
games to be held Aug. 18 in
Cleveland. The funds will be
used for such needs as uniforms and transportation for
those who can't afford it.
"We want to give our products and our time, every way
we can, to a community that
has been so good to us," Steve
said.
Ina Horwitz is a local freelance writer and frequent OJC
contributor.