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Apr

4

Manischewitz goes MISHUGGANUH! The Tam Tam Shortage of 2008


Gosh darn it – no sooner do I go and give an hour presentation to enraptured eight year olds about Israel and end by giving them matzah made in Jerusalem than I read this article about a matzah shortage of the most palatable and my family’s favorite matzah options. ARGH!

Manischewitz, the largest maker of matzah crackers, also had to cut some items out of its Passover cracker and matzah offerings because one of its new ovens didn’t go online early enough to produce all the products, says Heinen’s receiver Bob Herlacher. “They start months and months ahead of time,” he explains. “The amount they produce is just astronomical. They had to cut some items out.”

In addition to not offering Tam Tams, Manischewitz didn’t produce four or five less popular matzah varieties, including Passover Thin Tea Matzah, Yolk Free Egg Matzah, White Grape Matzah, Concord Grape Matzah, Thin Unsalted Matzah, Shmura Matzah and Spelt Matzah. Consumers can expect to see only Manischewitz unsalted, whole wheat and egg matzah on the shelves of their local stores.

Comparing last year’s variety of Manischewitz Passover products to this year, Rosenberg says he can “see the difference. They limited a lot of stuff, about 20% of what they used to put out.”

Can I just tell you? Seriously? Tam Tams, Thin Tea, White Grape and Concord Grape Matzah are the only really edible on a regular basis matzah for the eight days that anyone can take. You can dress up the other kinds that will be available but whole wheat? All week long?

If I didn’t know better, I’d say that this is a conspiracy for the laxative production companies, because matzah is about the most constipating food item I know. And it doesn’t take much. At least the flavored ones make it a little easier to take.

Hmm – who owns Manischewitz now? An entity called R.A.B. Holdings – ha – RAB! Who knew! Here’s a company profile of R.A.B. and here’s some info on its most recent change for who is running Manischewitz.

I think the new CEO there needs an e-mail from me.

And for good measure, this is not a joke. Here’s the story in the New York Times. Check out how many people are leaving comments about it. Oy. Here in Joisey and here on the JTA blog.

It’s a shanda I tell you.

What a kvetch.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:45 pm April 4th, 2008 in Announcements, Culture, Jewish, Judaism, Marketing, Ohio, Religion, Scandal 

Comments

One Response to “Manischewitz goes MISHUGGANUH! The Tam Tam Shortage of 2008”

  1. 1 Jeff Hess on April 5th, 2008 3:24 pm

    Shalom Jill,

    Well, the matzot are supposed to remind us of our time of affliction.

    Shabbat shalom,

    Jeff

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