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Photo: Reut Hefetz

The world record that wasn't

Blizzard forces cancellation of huge Israeli hummus happening

Napoleon learned from fighting on the Russian front that winter is the worst enemy of every grandiose campaign. Even less-heroic intentions can fail because of the weather – like our ambitious plan to get into the Guinness Book of World Records with the world’s largest plate of hummus.

 

Maybe it sounds delusional, but that was the plan earlier this month in New York. Unfortunately our drive for the record books was foiled by a massive blizzard that blanketed northeastern North America..

 

Every year on the fourth of July, newscasts worldwide focus on the annual Nathan’s hot dog eating contest at Coney Island. Every year scores of people compete to see who can eat the most hotdogs but somehow, it’s always some fat Japanese guy, and not an American who wins.

 

But that’s not the story. What’s important is that every TV station in the country carries a 30-second spot about it and there’s a photo of the contest in every small-town newspaper in the world.

 

The media loves stupid competitions, especially if they are connected to food. If you organize such a contest, chances are you’ll get media coverage. The mozzarella cheese wheel-spinning contest in Torino, the chocolate sculpture contest in New York or the marzipan models of the Eiffel tower in Paris – anything goes.

 

And a few weeks ago, between reports on the war in Iraq and Iran’s intention to develop nuclear power I saw a report on CNN about a carp throwing contest in Australia. I swear.

 

The hot dog eating contest gave me an idea: setting a world’s record for the largest hummus platter in the world! If the Americans and the Australians have their stupid food contests and records than there is no reason we Israelis can’t.

 

Now, before all you talkbackers jump on me, let me bet upfront: I admit it's a silly idea. I suppose creating the world’s largest plate of hummus is pretty stupid compared, to say, the elections in the Palestinian territories, but that’s precisely its brilliance: Open any American newspaper and all the coverage about Israel deals with elections, or conflict, or politics. You never see light-hearted or soft stories.

 

And what could be softer than hummus? What harm would it do for people to see a side of Israeli culture most people around the world no nothing about? We also love to eat; we love to act silly. We don’t just deal with Hamas; we deal with hummus too.

 

Spread the word, spread the hummus

 

Sabra, the North American subsidiary of Strauss Elite took up the gauntlet and agreed to provide one-half ton (!) of hummus and to worry about serving dishes. The Jewish Community Center of Manhattan agreed to host the event in the framework of Israeli culture week which included films and concerts.

 

Your humble servant was responsible for the organization and coordination of the event.

 


Giant plate - minus the hummus (Photo: Reut Hefetz)

 

Now, if you think that organizing a hummus eating event is easy let me walk you through it: Six months ago I contacted the Guinness people in London to find out if a record for hummus existed and lucky for us it had not. There were records for the largest pizza, guacamole, a cup of coffee and chocolate but no hummus. Health standards had to be maintained and on the day of the event, a minute by minute documentation had to be recorded, two witnesses were required to fill out the entry form. A health supervisor was needed on the premises to ensure the purity of the food product and another person was required to measure and to confirm that the event took place.

 

A few more forms, letters and phone calls and the event is approved – we’re on our way to setting a Guinness world record.

 

Now we had to think of a platform to spread the hummus and decide on a circular trampoline. We cut off the legs and then covered it. Brilliant.

 

Next, to recruit hundreds of people who would arrive at the right time with pitas in their hands and smiles on their faces. To give the happening some 'celebrity' we invited a number of well-known Israelis who live in New York. Even Arieh Merkel, the Israeli counsel general, promised to come and say a few words as well as take the first dip into the hummus.

 

Sabra’s public relations officer mobilized the local media and received assurances from several television networks and wire services that they would be there with their flashes.

 

All that remained to be done was spread the hummus on the day of the event and then watch NBC news.

 

Record snow, no hummus record

 

There was only one detail we did not take into account: the cold wave that hit the eastern seaboard and the night before the big event, snow began falling on the city. We woke up the next day to a snowbound city. Some 30 centimeters had fallen over night and that is a lot.

 


Snow in New York (Photo: Reut Hefetz)

 

New York City shut down more or less. All the entrances to the city were blocked and television crews were sent out to cover the city’s worst blizzard in 50 years. But the worst thing: our hummus, a half a ton of beautiful hummus, was stuck in containers on a truck in New Jersey and couldn’t move.

 

We frantically began making phone calls. We figured we could postpone for a few hours but alas, there was no chance to break the world's record, at least not for hummus, and so we cancelled.

 

Maybe it seems funny now, but there are few things as depressing as seeing months of effort go down the drain because of the snow. Even worse is knowing that you had a real chance to finally get something positive about Israel into the papers and it just didn’t work out.

 

The hummus was stuck in New Jersey and I am stuck with 1,000 pitot. So if you find yourself in New York in the coming months, come on over and eat a few.

 

Just bring your own hummus.

 


פרסום ראשון: 02.19.06, 22:17
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