London, UK: Keeping kosher in Europe is more costly these days just as it is in the U.S. and Israel where prices have risen 5% – 10% in the past few months. According to an article in the London Chronicle, people who keep kosher are scaling back with their purchases.
Avi Avital of Hendon Bagel Bakery told the Chronicle, “People are not spending like they did before. Those who used to buy five or six challot a week now only buy one or two. People are really cutting down.
In Paris, the cost of many Israeli items has risen in the past few months, as have many local items. Similar increases are affecting Jews in Antwerp.
The cost of kosher wines from the U.S. and Israel has risen as well. Golders Green butcher Menachem Haziza told the Chronicle, “In the past eight months everything has gone up and the whole balance has changed. People are buying less. Some of my regular customers who usually put in large orders have cut them down somewhat.”
A Paris butcher said, “People are asking me for cheaper meats and these are some of the same people who used to ask for prime cuts.”
(KosherToday)
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6 Responses
Wow just amazing…!!!
The Kosher mafia, Kosher politics, and the economy all in one, makes a great cholent doesnt it?
and until a few weeks ago, the Europeans had a strong currency to keep prices in line – but given the food prices are increasing worldwide, it is hard to imagine kosher foods not going up at least as fast — Baruch ha-Shem we in America are so well fed that having to cut back won’t be a disaster
What is so amazing! This is rather sad.
In Israel there are 1.6 million people classified as poor and many of these are large families with no earning power (even if they went out to work!).
Money from abroad has slowed down tremendously and people are drowning!
IYH we have reached the stage that the gemorro describes” אין בן דוד בא עד שכלה פרוטה מן הכיס”.
May we all be zocheh to witness this soon!
Its time for some Londoners to get their act together and start fighting the absurd pricing which all Kosher shops in London are guilty of. We must begin by exposing the irrational profit margin that these owners are living on, and working from there to demand that prices are lowered once and for all. Yes, I know prices are going up all over the world, but there have been proven cases where London stores were making 83% profit on a range of food products, particular those imported from the USA. There is no excuse for that. And what about the scandals prior to Pesach? Products which are Kosher L’Pesach and are sold all year round would suddenly be raised in price 300% and placed in the Pesach shop. How long did it take You to recover from your Pesach shopping bill? Many of these shop owners are doing very well, and all at the expense of the Kehilla. This has to stop!
The sad truth is, we are partly to blame, because we seem prepared to pay regardless of the outrageous prices, and so long as we continue with that attitude prices will just keep going up. Just five months ago many meat shops started charging an extra 50%, and no one complained. If we keep remaining silent we’ll get to a point where many families simply will not be able to cope. (I personally think we’ve past that point already).
So those of you out there who know the truth of what I’m saying or those who still remain skeptical, do a little homework, investigate the facts about what I and many others have found to be extremely unfair pricing. Then publicise your findings and well stand up together and demand some serious change.
Looking forward to your responses.
May Hashem help klal yisrael to be able to afford whatever they need, especially for shabbos and yom tov.