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With Food Prices Rising, Should Jews Panic?

Keep your bacon and beer

by
Marc Tracy
March 24, 2011
So expensive!(_lauren_loves/Flickr)
So expensive!(_lauren_loves/Flickr)

Did you know that food prices jumped 3.9 percent last month, the most since November 1974? Scary—and yet, for Jews, maybe something of a boon, at least adjusted for inflation. According to one blogger, three particularly hard-hit prices are those of bananas (up 21 percent); bacon (17 percent); and beer (barley prices are up 50 percent). But for Jews, this should be less of a problem. We’re not big drinkers, so beer is not much of a concern. Many of us like bananas, but really, who needs the constipation? And as for bacon: Perhaps the power of the pocketbook will make more observant Jews of us all.

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.