This is a talk from my Jan '08 presentation at North Shore Synagogue on Seltzer water. More on the project at givemeseltzer.com.

2. Jews & Seltzer a crisp, refreshing history

4. March 27, 1982

6. On the Street Interview 1

7. 1900 In the Jewish Lower East Side, there were no fewer than 73 soda fountains located within this one third square mile area.

8. Herschel Goldhirsch

10. Harry Golden The entire Lower East Side Civilization was addicted to seltzer and of the great variety of sweet drinks mixed with seltzer. You bought a drink from a man behind a marble counter at any of the hundreds of soda-water stands scattered through the sections. A small glass cost a penny –“Give me a small plain. No syrup .” Syrup cost another penny. For a large glass you said, “Give me for two cents plain.”

11. Harry Golden As the man filled the glass , you said casually, still holding tightly to your two pennies, “Put a little on the top .” You wanted syrup, of course, but you didn’t want to pay the third penny . The next time you tried it, though, the man insisted on your two pennies first before he started to fill the glass. “ I know my customers ,” he’d say.

12. The National Bottlers’ Gazette March, 1882 W. B. Keller “ The bottlers of this country deserve a journal , a practical journal, and that is just what we propose… With our experience to guide us, we start anew into the elysian fields of bottlers literature , and we shall ever aim to keep abreast of the times… You will probably be agreeably surprised , and we intend you shall be. Give us a hearty welcome, brother bottlers , and we will give you a first-class, independent, live, and interesting journal… By our works ye shall judge us.”

15. “ The Jew in the Bottling Business” Lest we be misunderstood, in reference to the "Jews" in the bottling business , we desire to say that we use this term advisedly , as a descriptive appellation , to distinguish a certain class of industrious and energetic men, who are finding the business of bottling beverages an attractive vocation .

16. “ The Jew in the Bottling Business” … the Jews are learning the business in large numbers and are growing in force and influence beyond all peradventure of a doubt... This is not to be wondered at, considering that they are natural born traders , and their thrift to be commended. The bottling of siphon waters , because that branch offers the least resistance, naturally attracts their first attention…

17. “ The Jew in the Bottling Business” We notice , however, that there is antagonism between the American born Jew and his foreign coreligionist . This is, perhaps, only natural , and candor compels us to say that a similar feeling or sentiment exists among others classes of the human race, although, maybe, not quite so pronounced or apparent . That feeling, however, soon wears away as the " foreigner" develops American habits and ideas, much as it wears away in all classes of immigrants .

18. “ The Jew in the Bottling Business” The Jews in the bottling business number a very respectable minority and are scattered all over the country. In New York City , Brooklyn, Newark , Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago, they are quite numerous; so much so, in fact, that they have, in nearly all the cities mentioned, separate protective bottlers' associations . This feature of their methods we do not commend --for there is usually only room for one such an association

19. “ The Jew in the Bottling Business” in a given city--and yet we must acknowledge that "racial" differences has no doubt driven the Jews to seek their own company and each other's protection rather than force their rights and wants on or in a gentile association of bottlers. The mere matter of forming such bottlers' associations is a very good sign , though, of rational business methods, and in this respect the Jews are far ahead of any other nationality…

20. “ The Jew in the Bottling Business” In this respect and many others we commend the Jew bottler to his coreligionist in the bottlers' supply business. It is only fair to say that in whatsoever branch of the supply business the Jew merchant, trader, or manufacturer finds himself, he soon adapts himself to his environment and lives up to the best ideals of a first-class business man.

21. “ The Jew in the Bottling Business” … the Jew is no doubt in the bottling trade " for keeps ." That much is evident. It is to be hoped that he will not degenerate --rather that his evolution will be progressive , onward, upward. W. B. Keller, July, 1903

22. On the Street Interview 2

23. The Forward November 3, 1906

24. Despite hunger, exhaustion and beatings of employees at the hands of gangs hired by their bosses, the ongoing strike of the

25. Union of Mineral Water Workers is holding fast and is as strong as iron. As of yet, not one worker has broken ranks

26. with the strikers. The strike could be settled in a matter of days, if the bosses and shops would simply accept the union

27. and allow their workers to join it. Until then, the Forward requests that its readers not drink any seltzer unless it

28. has the union label on the bottle. Without the union label, you’ll be drinking bloody seltzer!

29. On the Street Interview 3

30. Israel and Seltzer Bombs

31. Cast a GIANT POSTER

33. Video of Shavelson

34. ALLAN SHERMAN

35. Up from Seltzer 1981

36. On the Street Interview 4