Sadness at closures
"COVID, floods, meat prices, supply chain, abattoir closure, dwindling kosher community – one simply cannot operate in that environment."
THE NSW Jewish community has reacted with sadness to the shock closure of Hadassa Kosher Butchery and Katzy’s, but Rabbinical Council of NSW president Rabbi Nochum Schapiro believes the void will soon be filled.
The much-loved butchery on Bondi’s Hall Street posted a statement on its Facebook page earlier this week saying that both it and Katzy’s would cease trading “with immediate effect”.
“In addition to the impact on our businesses of COVID, staff shortages, supply chain issues and substantial increases in the price of beef and lamb, the recent closure of NSW’s only kosher-certified abattoir has left us without a reliable meat supply,” it said.
Alan Greenstein who, along with Avron Rayman, bought the businesses six years ago and traded as Kosherworld, told The AJN that a “perfect storm” of events left them with no other option.
The recent devastating floods had an adverse effect on the only kosher abattoir in NSW, rendering it non-operational for the foreseeable future.
“COVID, floods, meat prices, supply chain, abattoir closure, dwindling kosher community – one simply cannot operate in that environment,” Greenstein said.
The shock announcement saw community members contact Melbourne’s Continental Kosher Butchers at “panic-buying like rates”.
“We feel for the Sydney Jewish community as it loses its only kosher butcher,” Continental wrote on its Facebook page. “We have fielded many queries from Sydney-based kosher households worried about their continuity of supply.”
But Rabbi Schapiro has moved to reassure the community that while “it’s sad”, it’s a temporary situation.
“My understanding is that there are people actively looking at setting something up … There are a number of things taking place that should ease the issue in the near future,” he said.
comments