Kosher Beef Shortage Nationwide By BEN GALLOB JTA Staff Writer NEW YORK (JTA) — The federally imposed price freeze on beef, slated to remain in effect until Sept. 12, has re- sulted in shutdowns of some kosher processing plants, cur- tailment of operations and layoffs of workers in others, and spreading shortages in raw and processed kosher meats, particularly delica- tessen foods, at the retail level. These are the highlights of a survey by the Jewish Tele- graphic Agency, _centered on wholesalers, processors and kosher butcher shops and other retail outlets in the East, the area of the nation's largest concentration of Jews. Many housewives, the JTA was informed were telling friends they could not con• tinue to buy kosher meats because prices have been raised in some outlets despite the price freeze. Reports were widespread of a rush of panic buying of meat by Jewish, as well as non-Jewish, consumers, which had exacerbated the problem. Many kosher butch- er shops were posting signs of limits on purchasing and others were closing early when their supplies were ex- hausted. There was widespread agreement among spokesmen for all levels of the industry that the prices of kosher meat, like those of non- kosher meat, would almost certainly rise after the price freeze was ended in Septem- ber. The head of one of the nation' s largest wholesale distributors of meat to kosh- er butchers and provisioners described to the JTA a unique arrangement by which some 200 New York City kosher butchers have banded together to get regular sup- plies of beef. their regular supplies. He added that the kosher butchers were losing money but that the losses were mini- mal and "at least they are staying in business for the time being." Hebrew National Kosher Foods, the country's largest processor of delicatessen meats reported that 80 work- ers, about 20 per cent of its work force, were fur- loughed. Leonard Pines, presi- dent, told the JTA that "most of our suppliers have gone out of business." He said the company was "somehow" managing to get enough meat to provide about half of its normal deliveries to some 3,000 customers but that it was "strictly a day- to-day thing." * Jerome M, Becker, of the Metropolitan New York Co- ordinating Council on Jewish Poverty, reported that spiral- ing food costs, which are putting a "fiscal crunch" on all American families, were having a "devastating effect" on kashrut-observing Jews. Becker said that the Jew who keeps kosher "is being most adversely affected by the current inflationary spi- ral. "In man cases, the kashrut- observing Jew is a senior cit- izen. These older adults, many of whom subsist on So- cial Security pensions in pockets of poverty through- out the metropolitan area, can no longer afford even the cheapest cuts of kosher meat at today's rapidly-escalating prices. They are confronted with t h e unconscionable choice of abandoning their life-long principles or suffer- ing malnutrition." He reported that the Co- ordinating Council was acting "to alleviate the plight of the hard-core Jewish poor. We are currently in the proc- ess of planning programs in conpunction with the newly- adopted Title VII Nutrition Act that will assure the daily delivery of hot kosher meals to the aged and infirm Jews of New York who are in the most dire need." After much discussion, he he said, a number of the butchers organized a Kosher Butchers Associates of New York who, collectively, could do what some supermarket chains have been doing—buy- ing beef animals from ranch- Prophecy—Ingathering ers and slaughtering them "And I will gather you locally. from amongst the peoples, The arrangement, he re- ported, enabled his company to recall its employes and resume operations while also making it possible for the 200 kosher butchers in the group to get at least 50 percent of and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel." —Ezekiel 11, 17. 22—Friday, August 24, 1973 THE BOOTERY Bigger Supply of Beef, Bigger Prices Due After Sept. 12, the date set for the end of the price freeze on beef, there will be plenty of kosher meat avail- able in Detroit for holiday shoppers. But at 15 25 per cent higher prices. This was the projection by Allan Cohen, president of the Detroit Retail Kosher Meat Dealers Association. Cohen said that if all fac- tors are positive, including a good crop of feed for the animals, prices eventually should level off. Veal and poultry prices have risen because of in- creased demand, but at least one kind of poultry—friers- dropped 10 cents a pound this week. Because of the forth- coming holidays when de- mand will be high, the price of pullets, capons and tur- keys will remain steep, said Cohen, but there will be plenty of merchandise avail- able. Although supermarkets have been reporting near- normal meat supplies, be- cause they are acquiring beef directly from suppliers, this increase has not been reflect- ed so far in the kosher trade, Cohen said. He reported that panic buying ended two weeks ago, and now there is more ration- al purchasing. Although meat dealers shortened their hours during the beef shortage, none had to close, he said. 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