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February 16, 2001/Shevet 23, 5761, Vol. 53, No.20
Karsh's kosher supervision lost
LEISAH NAMM
Staff Writer
Due to economic factors, Karsh's Bakery in Phoenix will resume Saturday business hours starting Feb. 17, according to owner Arnie Gardner. As a result, Greater Phoenix Vaad Hakashruth, the Valley's kosher supervising agency, has notified Gardner that the agency will remove its kosher certification.
Karsh's has been certified by the Vaad since 1965 and had always been open for business on Saturdays until Sept. 30. Gardner said he began closing Saturdays because of a plea from Rabbi David Rebibo, rabbinic administrator at the Vaad.
"That's what the kosher consumer was demanding," Rebibo told Jewish News.
Since closing Saturdays, the bakery has lost about 20 percent of its business, Gardner said. Saturday is the second busiest day of the week, next to Friday, he added.
"We've had a relationship with (the Vaad) for so long," Gardner said. "We tried very hard to please the Orthodox Jewish community." He said that although a lot of kosher consumers became customers after Karsh's closed for the Sabbath, it didn't make up the difference in the customers he lost. Those who used to shop on Saturday "didn't all of a sudden become Friday customers and Sunday customers, they just disappeared," he said.
Karsh's will continue to use only kosher ingredients and have separate dairy and pareve areas in its kitchen, Gardner said.
"I would like to continue doing the things that we've been doing all along," Gardner said.
Karsh's Bakery is located at 5539 N. Seventh St. in Phoenix.
On Feb. 7, Gardner sent the Vaad a letter stating that, due to economic hardship, Karsh's would resume Saturday hours.
"It's just good business sense; I just can't stay closed on Saturdays any more," he said.
Rebibo told Gardner Feb. 12 that the Vaad could not continue to supervise the bakery if it is open on Shabbat and Passover.
"Once you've had something under supervision with certain standards and then ... those standards have been lowered, it becomes more of a problem," Rebibo said.
He said the only reason the Vaad is removing its certification is because the bakery will be open on Shabbat and on Passover.
"We've never found (Gardner) to be deceptive," Rebibo said. "God forbid anyone should think he did something wrong. That's not the point."
Rebibo explained that "there is no Vaad that today can give a certification for a retail operation that is going to serve the retail public that ... is transacting and doing business on Shabbat."
Rebibo said that supervised challah is available at Segal's New Place in Phoenix or in some supermarkets.
"We are concerned about the needs of the community," Rebibo said. "We're exploring and investigating other avenues to make sure that there's enough adequate facilities to provide for all the needs of the community."
Karsh's plans to cover up the Vaad supervision labels already printed on bags with a sticker.
"The basic message to the Jewish community would be how sorry I am that this has to be done, but it's a matter of economic importance," Gardner said.
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