Matzo Shortage of 2008
The Matzo shortage of 2008 was a large-scale crisis that struck the United States of America between March and April. Though the numbers have never been officially gathered, it is said[by whom?] that the catastrophe left thousands of Jews without matzo for the celebration of the widely popular Jewish holiday of Passover.
Causes
A number of ideas have been suggested to explain the shortage. Some blame depressed production, while others point the finger at local grocers, claiming that they did not correctly plan for an increase in Jewish observance of the holiday. Another theory is that the loss of outlets carrying the product may have affected the communities more than was foreseen. Trader Joe's chose not to carry the product in 2008, citing a re-evaluation as their reasoning. Costco pulled the product for 2008 as well. “It’s not a huge item for us," said a Costco spokesman, Bob Nelson.[1] Some considered Trader Joe's and Costco responsible for the disrupted market.
Impact
A number of chain grocery stores were reported to have run out of matzo, including Safeway, Whole Foods, Lunardi's, Lucky and Mollie Stone. Even specialty Jewish food stores were said to have been completely sold out. Local Jewish organizations were outraged by the incident. The Jewish Community Center of San Francisco said, "It appears there's been a huge disconnect between the Bay Area grocery community and the Bay Area Jewish community in terms of supply and demand." "I've spoken to a lot of folks who are kind of at their wits' end,"[2] Grocery store chaos ensued in the days following Passover night. As one Jewish woman recounted, “I ran with my hands in the air, pumping the box in my hand saying, ‘I got the last box of matzo!’ ”[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Steinhauer, Jennifer (22 April 2008). "It's Passover. Who's Hiding the Matzo?". NY TIMES ONLINE. Nytimes.com. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
- ↑ Nick, McMaster. "Matzo Shortage Plagues Passover in Calif". Newser staff. Newser.com.
http://articles.sfgate.com/2008-04-22/bay-area/17146112_1_matzo-trader-joe-grocery-stores[permanent dead link]
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