NEW YORK (RNS) Led by a state assemblyman and the director of a kosher soup kitchen, 30 ultra-Orthodox Jewish rabbis have signed a religious edict forbidding food manufacturers, distributors and stores from “Passover price gouging.”
During Passover, which begins April 8 this year, Jews traditionally avoid eating anything containing fermented grains, including barley, rye and wheat, that could be used to make bread. Foods must be certified as “kosher for Passover,” not just kosher, for consumption during the holiday.
The extra supervision required for these foods — even products like sugar and coffee, which don’t normally contain any forbidden ingredients — combined with New York City’s already-high grocery prices, have led to “astronomical prices” that observant families increasingly can’t afford, said New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, an Orthodox Jew who represents part of Brooklyn.
The recession has taken a heavy toll on the region’s families, said Alexander Rapaport, executive director of Masbia Soup Kitchen in Brooklyn. The kosher facility now serves more than 200 clients each week, including three times the number of children than it did last year, he said.
“We’re trying to help people put food on the table, and this year, it’s gotten harder,” Rapaport said.
While large supermarkets can negotiate bulk discounts, the small stores that specialize in kosher foods can’t lower prices if the food manufacturers and distributors keep them high. To address this issue, Hikind said he has obtained commitments from several kosher food distributors, including Golden Flow, Mehadrin Dairy and Ahava Foods, that they would maintain their regular pricing during Passover.
Ultimately, it’s also up to the consumers to comparison shop and vote with their wallets, Hikind said. In a six-week survey of local stores, his staff found huge differences in prices for kosher-for-Passover goods, including a range of $2.79 to $6.99 for a five-pound bag of sugar.
“With the economic situation, this is going to be a tough year for families to buy what they actually need,” Hikind said. “If you shop around, you’ll save a hell of a lot of money.”