At Balducci’s in the Village, there was a display of food for Chanukah. Beside the traditional latkes, was a ham. Yes, you read right — a ham!

There was evidently a Balducci’s employee who thought he would feature a display of food celebrating the Jewish holiday of Chanukah. He had good intentions. Too bad he didn’t realize ham isn’t kosher, and so is not an appropriate food to feature for a Jewish holiday. Oops!!

Most people just laughed; after all, the very religious would be shopping for their Chnukah meal at a kosher market, or at Zabar’s or the kosher section of Gourmet Garage on the Upper West Side. And secular Jews like myself do eat pork. {as a matter of fact I confess to breaking my Yom Kippur fast with Chinese food once in high school}. But, to feature ham as the main dish for Chanukah dinner — well, give that Balducco’s employee forty lashes with an over-cooked brisket!