Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on August 28, 2010 under Rosh Hashana, Sixth Sense | 
By Menachem Lubinsky
With the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) only weeks away, the Metropolitan Coordinating Council on Jewish Poverty was already publicizing an extensive list of distribution points for holiday food for the Jewish poor, which only seems to increase with the ongoing recession. A prominent Jewish community leader was concerned that increased prices for the holiday food would also wreak havoc for those with large families and others suffering from a job loss or simply from an inability to cope with such prices. I reached out to many retailers who assured me that despite being forced to pay higher wholesale prices, they would make every effort to “hold the line.” One bakery told me that he was paying much higher prices for wheat than he did a year ago as a result of the increase in commodity prices but “would pretty much keep his prices the same.”
Typically, I hear these concerns on the eve of Passover, but this year it is very telling that the concern is so strong on the eve of Rosh Hashanah. I suspect that retailers know the true state of many of their customers better than anyone. They are aware of customers whose fortunes have turned or may have had a life-changing event in their family life. It is a time of year where there is an increase in charitable giving, compassion and understanding, which would suggest that this would not be lost on the retailers.
Many in the kosher industry tell me that “wise shoppers” will find a host of special and reduced prices, albeit that it may take a bit of organization and travel to come up with a package of good pricing.
Posted by admin on July 28, 2010 under Sixth Sense |
By Menachem Lubinsky
The Dagim Company, manufacturers of many fish products, recently contributed a significant amount of product to Masbia, a network of kosher soup kitchens founded by Alexander Rappaport and supported by the Metropolitan Coordinating Council on Jewish Poverty. Just before Passover, KJ Poultry delivered truckloads of kosher poultry products to various Jewish neighborhoods with large numbers of poor. Sources tell me that many kosher food manufacturers routinely donate products to Masbia, Met Council and other food pantries that help needy Jews with kosher products. They also say that they could use many other products that they are forced to purchase and which puts a strain on their limited budget.
The re-emergence of the soup kitchen is an ominous sign that Jewish poverty has not been relegated to the past. In fact, Met Council says that well over 150,000 Jews live below the federal definition of poverty. While the soup kitchens of another era, in the ‘30’s and ‘50’s, served mainly elderly Jews, today the clients are young families, many victimized by the relentless recession. Some of the “clients” of Masbia are people who at one time were amongst the Middle Class, but as a result of an illness, death, or job loss suddenly find themselves in need of a hot meal in one of the Masbia soup kitchens throughout the city. For those companies that have stepped up to the plate thank you and for those waiting on the on-deck circle the community will no doubt thank you as well.
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on June 28, 2010 under Sixth Sense |
He was portrayed as a vicious person, one who employs minors and thinks nothing of children handling knives. Even in his federal conviction for bank fraud, he was portrayed as a monster; one that prosecutors argued deserves life imprisonment, a disproportionate sentence for the crimes that he was accused of. After all, who could forget the unprecedented government raid of hundreds of armed law enforcement officials that led to the eventual bankruptcy of Agriprocessor. Shalom Rubashkin was according to a coalition of unions, liberal rabbis, extremist animal rights advocates, and even Church officials nothing short of a villain who perpetrated vicious crimes. Crimes? Not one of the charges made against Mr. Rubashkin in the raid stuck and a jury last week acquitted him of the remaining 68 charges of child labor. The raid, it turns out, was an unbelievable blemish on overzealous law enforcement.
As I look back on this case (and yes I did represent Shalom Rubashkin for a period of time, as it turns out for a just cause), the saddest part of this tragedy is that so many people denied Shalom Rubashkin of a fundamental right: a day in court. He was prejudged, convicted and even hung before evidence was ever presented in court. It behooves me that people who spoke in the name of justice saw nothing wrong with destroying a man, a family, and a business. They were so sure of their cause that they cast aspersions on the ability of government and kashrus organizations to care for animals and laborers. They indeed got their pound of flesh but in the end of the day there should be no question about their destroyed credibility. My hope is that we learned a valuable lesson of never rushing to judgment before a man or woman has had their day in court.
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on June 14, 2010 under Sixth Sense |
By Menachem Lubinsky
A nursing home administrator recently joked that he served Sushi at a birthday party for a 100-year old patient. Sushi in a nursing home? Distributors are quietly whispering that even foodservice clients are demanding some of the new gourmet and upscale kosher products. A Yeshiva looking to replace a cook who had taken ill asked if I knew of a “quality chef” that could do the cooking for his boys school. A chef in a Yeshiva kitchen? In Boys Town Jerusalem, the “cook” is a master chef with 17 years of experience with the Dan Hotels in Israel. He even takes the time to teach some of the boys to cook.
It certainly seems that times are changing in that the menus at many institutions are going a notch or two higher than the traditional foods. In a Long Island nursing home, at least one meal a week includes foods that are grilled over an open fire. The chef used a variety of upscale sauces to douse the meats. There is most certainly a move to upgrade the foods served at institutions, which means that Foodservice distributors should take notice, and apparently they have. I can certainly see Sushi heading for some of the summer camps as youngsters today are amongst the major fans of Sushi. Israeli products like couscous and, of course, mini-mandels are now a basic staple at many institutions. Even hospitals are stepping up to the plate with more variety in their cafeterias for staff and even some new items for patients who do not have a restricted diet. At New York’s Citifield, the fare is also much improved including kebabs prepared over a grill. Kosher has most certainly leap-frogged into a new era of more exotic and upscale items. But who would have believed that even foodservice would not be too far behind.
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on May 27, 2010 under Sixth Sense |
The perception that kosher foods are healthier than other foods has led many Americans to embrace kosher fare. While it is true that kosher products certainly do not use pork and in most cases today are devoid of animal foods, it would be incorrect to say that kosher foods are by and large healthy. The recent national obsession with fighting obesity might also target those who observe kashrus. Many observers of the Shabbos would make the case that their diet was high in saturated fats and perhaps not so healthy only on Shabbos. It was as if they made the spiritual case that Shabbos calories simply don’t count. But then came the fad of eating cholent, kishke and kugel on almost every night, and certainly from Wednesday on, and that tore the one day calorie splurge theory to shreds.
With the Jewish community suffering from high rates of hypertension, diabetes and heart disease, there is certainly a new awareness of eating healthier. The kosher community has responded in kind with a broad range of low fat, sugar-free, and gluten-free products that offer the kosher consumer an unprecedented choice of healthier items. A Kosher Today reader recently wrote: “As an Orthodox Jew, I feast every seventh day, on numerous Jewish holidays and a seemingly endless stream of organizational dinners, bar mitzvahs, weddings and sheva brachos. It is virtually impossible to control my weight.” Another begged for healthier snacks for his young children from kosher manufacturers. As is the case with every medical or social problem, awareness is the first step towards coming up with a solution. That first step has seemingly been taken by many kosher consumers. It is now time for action. The health of the kosher consumer deserves a serious response!
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on April 26, 2010 under Sixth Sense |
By Menachem Lubinsky
In just two days, Sholom Rubashkin, the former CEO of the failed Agriprocessor will be sentenced for bank fraud, not for the large number of illegal immigrants he allegedly employed, not for employing minors, not for allegedly denying his workers the right to unionize and not even for animal cruelty, the charge that PETA leveled against the company that many blame for the trigger that caused Rubashkin’s downfall. As one who has in the past represented Rubashkin (in PR and marketing) and who has known the Rubashkins for many years as a result of my involvement in the kosher food industry, the treatment of Mr. Rubashkin is hard to fathom. Why is it that he was denied bail and is facing a prospect of a near-life sentence in much the same way as someone convicted of first-degree murder?
While I am not suggesting that Mr. Rubashkin should not be punished for his crime, he certainly does not deserve this unusually and totally disproportionate harsh treatment and punishment. It is hard to believe that the America I love and cherish would do this to a man with a large family and a special needs child and to someone who is the epitome of benevolence which may best be summarized with the following story: Arriving home one evening, I found a man in my driveway asking for a donation to help pay for open heart surgery for his child. As an Israeli citizen without insurance, he needed to raise the money for the costly surgery. His wife was home caring for his 6 other children and he had come to the US to work as a shochet at Agri. When I asked him if he was still working for Agri, he answered: “When I told Sholom Rubashkin of my plight, he immediately ordered me to leave the plant and to devote myself to caring for my son. He said that he would pay me until I returned after my son was well and back with his family in Israel.” Is this the behavior of a criminal who should be put away for life? I purposely chose not to recount some of the e-mails I still receive from Orthodox Jews in small Jewish communities who tell me that they no longer get the deliveries of kosher meat they used to receive from the Rubashkins at an enormous loss to the company. I hope and pray that the criminal justice system in America will not let me, his supporters and his family down on April 28th!
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on March 14, 2010 under Pesach, Sixth Sense |
My Sixth Sense
By Menachem Lubinsky
There is a good chance that several of your neighbors may be heading to one of the many “Pesach programs” in major hotels throughout the country. In fact, you might be one of those headed to a 5-star resort somewhere in Florida, California or Arizona. 20,000 American and Canadian Jews will be there as well. The menu will most likely look like the elegant cuisine that you’ve come to expect from an upscale dining experience throughout the year, save for the Matzohs. The chances are that your grandparents or great grandparents would never have dreamt of such a possibility. They would say: “Pesach”?
If you are one of the “unlucky” ones to stay home, you should not fret. You will have so many foods to choose from that you won’t really deprive yourself. If you’re addicted to bagels, pizza, bread crumbs, croutons and the like, do not despair since they are all available this Pesach. In fact, one distributor told me his list of Pesach items exceeds 21,000. And he admits that he does not have the entire list. You might remember a Pesach that was virtually all made at home, devoid of potato chips and other snacks (a bar of chocolate was just fine to be washed down with Saratoga Geyser and Kedem syrup) and the daily diet usually consisting of matzoh, hard boiled eggs and potato this or potato that, especially if you were going on the obligatory Chol Hamoed (interim days) trip.
The purists amongst us are quite disappointed with the transition. In fact, many homes try very hard to emulate the Pesach home of old. To them, the ultimate guarantee of kashrus is when they are in control over the menu and then there is the concept of the mesorah (tradition) that they wish to impart on their children. Others are grateful for technology and the increased hashgacha that has made eating on Pesach not such a challenge anymore. Even they remind us that it wasn’t like that at all in Bobby and Zaidie’s home.
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on February 26, 2010 under Sixth Sense |
By Menachem Lubinsky
I noted with glee that the most recent meeting of the kashrus committees in Dallas dealt with a Bill of Rights for Mashgichim. Sponsored by the Association of Kashrus Organizations, the new policy would seek to safeguard the working conditions and compensation of thousands of kosher supervisors. I also noticed that some of these issues are being openly discussed by kashrus organizations, despite the fact that the largest kashrus organizations have been leap years ahead in protecting their mashgichim from unsafe and unpleasant work environments. I have no doubt that this is a very important development in preserving the high standards of kashrus.
Similarly, there appears to be a new awareness that mashgichim and shochtim in processing plants must have a degree of autonomy and not be subject to the same restraints placed on ordinary workers. Charged with safeguarding the kashrus, it is important for the mashgichim and rabbonim to enjoy a measure of independence, as one would expect from a strictly kosher plant. This too, when observed properly, will have an enormous positive impact on kashrus, which must constantly strive to upgrade standards. Sure, there is no perfect world and the consumer recognizes that, but at the same time the average customer expects constant efforts to assure that kosher is as near perfect as possible. In fact, in kashrus the customer has come to expect a perfect world, and as far as I am concerned, that’s perfect!
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on February 8, 2010 under Kosher, Sixth Sense |
By Menachem Lubinsky
Who would have believed? That’s the way I felt on February 1st at the Kosher Restaurant & Wine Experience, sponsored by Kedem and held on Pier 60 on the Hudson River. I am already used to seeing displays of upscale kosher wines and foods, but this was different. It wasn’t only because of the sheer number of great tasting wines from all over the world, but it was the overall presentation that included magnificent displays by some of New York’s finest kosher restaurants, and of course, Pomegranate with its carving stations with magnificent cuts of meat and exotic dips. But there is more on the horizon. In the next few weeks, Manischewitz will host its annual cook-off, featuring legendary chef Jacques Pepin, and the government of Canada will be hosting an event to introduce some of the finest foods from Canada. Met Council on Jewish Poverty will be hosting a fundraiser for its food program that will include an honor for the former master chef of the Waldorf Astoria, John Doherty.
All of these signs are extremely encouraging as the message of Kosherfest, first introduced 21 years ago, is most definitely catching on. And what is the message of Kosherfest? That kosher foods and wines have come of age, not only in serving a growing base of people who eat kosher but to the world of food in general and that is quite an accomplishment.
