Bulletin on Chometz after pesach from Y. Herman

[Yoseph Herman]

*BULLETIN OF ITEMS RELEVANT TO PURCHASE OF CHOMETZ AFTER PESACH*

By Yoseph Herman

For many years we had published an annual report “A Survey of the US
Grocery Scene With Relevance to Purchase of Chometz After Pesach”. We
decided not to publish this report this year in updated form. The reason is
that the corporate information listed in last year’s report has not changed
appreciably in one year. Even more pertinent, the premise of that report
was that if the officers of a company have Jewish-sounding names, most
likely they are Jewish. Unfortunately, that has become less and less a
given in recent years. In any case, that report was never meant to be a
practical guide to the individual consumer. Rather it was meant as
reference for Rabbonim and other poskim. It is possible to get a copy of
last year’s report by sending an email to chometz at sefer.org. (Write any
arbitrary words in the Subject and Message part of the email.) This
Bulletin is meant to call your attention to two new items of interest:
potential issues with purchasing liquors, spirits and beer in local stores
after pesach and a change with the arrangements at the Shoprite Supermarket
on Route 59 in Tallman (Monsey) NY.


*ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES*

Many alcoholic beverages are chometz, being produced from the 5 types of
grain. In the past we never investigated the subject of the purchase of
such beverages after pesach. This year, our attention was called to the
fact that many distributors of spirits and beer are privately owned. At
least some of these owners are Jewish. This means that even if one
purchases such beverages at local stores owned by non-Jews, such stores may
be selling items that were owned by Jewish middlemen over pesach. As a
starting point, the following 3 establishments were pointed out to us:

*Allied Beverage Group* claims to be the largest and most comprehensive
wine and spirits distributor in New Jersey. It owns subsidiaries Flagstaff
Distributors, Meritage Wine Group and J&J Distributors. The owner and CEO
is Jeffrey Altschuler, a Jew. This company sells its chometz through
Lubavich. However the sales and deliveries continue through pesach.

*Manhattan Beer Distributors* states that it is one of the biggest beer
distributors in the Greater New York area. It has distribution centers in
Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Long Istand and the Hudson Valley. Through these
it serves the New York area (including Rockland County-Monsey) for a total
of about 12 counties in New York State. It is privately owned by a Jew. It
does not do a sale of the chometz to a non-Jew through a Rav before pesach.

*Peerless Beverage Company* sells and delivers alcoholic beverages
throughout the Metropolitan New York area. It is privately owned by a Jew.
It does not do a sale of the chometz to a non-Jew through a Rav before
pesach.

As a preliminary indication of the potential scope of this problem, note
the following company.

* Southern Wine and Spirits*  says it is the largest distributor in the
USA, serving more that 200,000 stores and outlets. It is privately owned.
The officers are Harvey Chaplin Chairman and CEO, Wayne Chaplin President
and Barry Goldberg Senior Vice President and Managing Director. It is not
known if the owner is Jewish.

The field of distributors of alcoholic beverage is a very complex one. It
is apparent that many such distribution companies are privately owned. Some
of these owned are Jewish, as a minimum as noted in the above examples
which are particularly relevant to the Metropolitan New York area. The
assumption that one can go to a local non-Jewish owned store after pesach
and buy spirits or beer without any concern may not be correct. Most local
stores only stock merchandise that covers only a few day’s sales. After a
short period, these items are replenished by the distributors.

Please contact your local Rav or other posek about the relevance of this
information and how to utilize it.

* *

*SHOPPING FOR CHOMETZ AFTER PESACH AT SHOPRITE TALLMAN (MONSEY) NY*

Over the past many decades, a Vaad in Monsey had been working with the
management of the Shoprite supermarket on Route 59 in Tallman to minimize
the probability that chometz purchased there right after pesach has
halachic problems of chometz. This year they have not been able to conclude
satisfactory arrangements with the store management for this task.
Therefore they can no longer verify the arrangements for any chometz at
Shoprite. Please consult your Rav on this matter. The above warning does
not apply to “heimishe” company products. Such products are not delivered
on pesach.
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