Kosher Food in Siberia

gryp

Thu, May 05 2005, 3:38 pm

OMSK, Russia – One of supermarkets operating in the west Siberian city of Omsk has just opened a kosher food department, which stocks food products of approximately 50 different brands. With most of these food products originating from Israel and Russia, the list of items now available at the supermarket include a variety of canned foods, biscuits, cookies, and alcoholic beverages.

"The supermarket's administration approached our Jewish community at its own initiative," explained the region's Chief Rabbi Osher Krichevsky. Apparently, the supermarket's management decided to offer kosher food products to meet the needs of the city's growing Jewish community following the news coverage surrounding the first kosher slaughter to take place in the city since 1917. The story was widely covered by representatives of the mass media, from the local level to the international. The story caught the attention of many local residents, including the store's owners, who decided to get in step with the kosher food movement.

"The availability of kosher food in local stores represents yet another step in advancing the Jewish Community in our city," stated Rabbi Krichevsky.

The Jewish community of Omsk is a member of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia.

http://www.chabadnik.com/eng/I.....12185

amazing how times change!!

gryp

Sat, May 07 2005, 8:46 pm

I dont know anything about how much food costs in Russia, or how much people earn there at all. seems to me like Russia keeps changing in these matters and I just cant keep up.

one of my sem teachers told us a story about he and his friends who were sent to Russia as bochrim right after the whole place collapsed, and Jews were "free" again to do as they pleased. he was walking towards a shul with a few supplies to do a program for kids or something, and there was an old man outside the shul who wouldnt stop staring at him. so he asked the old man, can I help you... the old man said, do you see what youre holding? I havent seen those since I was a small boy! my teacher looked down at his hand and saw what he was holding.... a bag of LOLLIPOPS!!!

but I think its amazing that Siberia, the freezing wilderness where Jews were sent away to labor camps never to be seen again, now has kosher food.