Manischewitz
Encyclopedia
Manischewitz is a leading brand of kosher products based in the United States
, best known for their matzo
and wine
. Founded in 1888 and under family control until 1990, it is the world's largest matzo manufacturer and one of America's largest kosher brands.
The B. Manischewitz Company, LLC was founded by Rabbi Dov Behr Manischewitz, in 1888 in Cincinnati
, Ohio
. The company built a second production site in Jersey City
, New Jersey
, in 1932, to better serve the large Jewish community of the New York metropolitan area
, and the Cincinnati facility was eventually closed in 1958. In 1990 a $1 million fine was levied against the company for price fixing with its two main competitors at the time, Streit's
and Horowitz. Ownership of the B. Manischewitz Company was maintained by the Manischewitz family until it was purchased by a group led by Kohlberg & Company
in 1990 for $42.5 million. In 2004 its name was changed to R.A.B. Food Group, LLC and today is known as The Manischewitz Company. Manischewitz remains the world's top matzo manufacturer and one of America's top kosher brands. In the 1930s, in order to produce their products all year round, the company created the Tam-tam cracker, which looks like little matzos, according to a recent book Manischewitz: The Matzo Family, written by the founder's great-granddaughter, Laura Manischewitz Alpern. Their original product, the square matzo, revolutionized matzo making, which until the family's production process, used to hand roll the matzo and trim the edges. It was also considered quite revolutionary to make matzos by machine.
On June 14, 2011, a new 200000 square feet (18,580.6 m²) facility was announced. Located on 80 Avenue K in the East Ward of Newark, NJ, it would act as both plant and corporate Headquarters for The Manischewitz Company.
that were being demonstrated.
In addition to matzo, Manischewitz-labeled foods include cookies, pasta, and soups. Other well-known kosher brands associated with R.A.B. include Carmel, Elite, Mother's, Rokeach, Mrs. Adler's, and Tradition; many of these were acquired by R.A.B. after successful runs as independent kosher labels. Kosher foods such as these are staples of many supermarket
s in the United States.
R.A.B. is not involved with Manischewitz wine, however, except in name: it has, since 1986, licensed the Manischewitz brand name to the Manischewitz Wine Company, a subsidiary of Canandaigua Wine Company (now Constellation Brands
).
is located in Naples, New York
, and has since 1987 been the property of Constellation Brands, which continues to license the Manischewitz name from R.A.B. Foods. The Winery was founded by Leo Star and run by the Star family since 1927.
The Manischewitz winery is best known for its sweet concord
wine, which is widely available in much of North America. Made from labrusca grapes, its aroma is unusual, and is combined with a large amount of residual sugar. As concord was popularized over the years by U.S. media as being the kosher wine, it is often the wine used by non-Orthodox Jews in celebrating Passover
. However, Manischewitz's sweet Concord contains corn syrup, a sweetener derived from corn, which is a food forbidden for Passover among Ashkenazi Jews (see Kitniyot
for details on why corn is forbidden). Manischewitz produces special Kosher for Passover bottling of their wine which are sweetened with cane sugar as opposed to the corn syrup used throughout the year.
It is also used as Communion
wine.
The sweetness of Manischewitz wine and other kosher wines is often the fodder of jokes. However, Kosher wine does not have to be sweet. One of the reasons for the prevalence of sweet kosher wine in the U.S., and in the Americas generally, dates back to the early days of Jews in America, when there was the need to locally produce kosher wine for the Kiddush
ritual on the Shabbat
and holidays. The combination of a limited choice of grape varieties that could grow in the areas where Jews had settled, along with limited time available to produce the wine and a market dominated by hard cider, yielded a bitter wine that had to be sweetened to make it palatable.
Indeed, so well-known is the sweet Manischewitz variety in the U.S. that the existence of a thriving kosher wine
industry anchored by vineyards in France and Israel
, along with a growing U.S. industry, is often a surprise to Americans unaccustomed to taking kosher wine seriously.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, best known for their matzo
Matzo
Matzo or matzah is an unleavened bread traditionally eaten by Jews during the week-long Passover holiday, when eating chametz—bread and other food which is made with leavened grain—is forbidden according to Jewish law. Currently, the most ubiquitous type of Matzo is the traditional Ashkenazic...
and wine
Kosher wine
Kosher wine is grape wine produced according to Judaism's religious law, specifically, Jewish dietary laws .To be considered kosher, Sabbath-observant Jews must be involved in the entire winemaking process and any ingredients used, including finings, must be kosher...
. Founded in 1888 and under family control until 1990, it is the world's largest matzo manufacturer and one of America's largest kosher brands.
History
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. The company built a second production site in Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, in 1932, to better serve the large Jewish community of the New York metropolitan area
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
, and the Cincinnati facility was eventually closed in 1958. In 1990 a $1 million fine was levied against the company for price fixing with its two main competitors at the time, Streit's
Streit's
Aron Streit, Inc. is a kosher food company based in New York City, best known for its product, Streit's Matzo. It is the only family-owned and operated matzo company in the United States and distributes matzo in select international markets...
and Horowitz. Ownership of the B. Manischewitz Company was maintained by the Manischewitz family until it was purchased by a group led by Kohlberg & Company
Kohlberg & Company
Kohlberg & Company is a private equity firm that focuses on leveraged buyout transactions founded by industry pioneer Jerome Kohlberg, Jr.Today, the firm invests in a variety of transactions including leveraged carveouts , take private transactions and acquisitions of privately held companies...
in 1990 for $42.5 million. In 2004 its name was changed to R.A.B. Food Group, LLC and today is known as The Manischewitz Company. Manischewitz remains the world's top matzo manufacturer and one of America's top kosher brands. In the 1930s, in order to produce their products all year round, the company created the Tam-tam cracker, which looks like little matzos, according to a recent book Manischewitz: The Matzo Family, written by the founder's great-granddaughter, Laura Manischewitz Alpern. Their original product, the square matzo, revolutionized matzo making, which until the family's production process, used to hand roll the matzo and trim the edges. It was also considered quite revolutionary to make matzos by machine.
On June 14, 2011, a new 200000 square feet (18,580.6 m²) facility was announced. Located on 80 Avenue K in the East Ward of Newark, NJ, it would act as both plant and corporate Headquarters for The Manischewitz Company.
Foods
Manischewitz has revolutionized the way in which matzo is produced. By mass producing matzos they turned matzo making from a strictly local product into a national, and eventually international product. Manischewitz matzos were also the first to feature uniform texture, taste, and feel. When the company first began shipping matzos they also decided to make them square, whereas before matzos had been consistently round. Manischewitz's main innovation - making matzos with machines instead of by hand, aroused some initial controversy. Some rabbis of the era claimed that in order to be acceptable for religious use, the matzo had to have been made by a man and not a machine. Manischewitz was ultimately able to overcome these concerns, in part by demonstrating the meticulous adherence to the religious rulesHalakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
that were being demonstrated.
In addition to matzo, Manischewitz-labeled foods include cookies, pasta, and soups. Other well-known kosher brands associated with R.A.B. include Carmel, Elite, Mother's, Rokeach, Mrs. Adler's, and Tradition; many of these were acquired by R.A.B. after successful runs as independent kosher labels. Kosher foods such as these are staples of many supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
s in the United States.
R.A.B. is not involved with Manischewitz wine, however, except in name: it has, since 1986, licensed the Manischewitz brand name to the Manischewitz Wine Company, a subsidiary of Canandaigua Wine Company (now Constellation Brands
Constellation Brands
Constellation Brands, Inc., headquartered in Victor, New York, is the world’s leading wine company with a broad portfolio of widely admired premium brands across the wine, beer and spirits categories.-History and description:...
).
Wine
The Manischewitz wineryWinery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
is located in Naples, New York
Naples (town), New York
Naples is a town in Ontario County, New York, USA. The population was 2,441 at the 2000 census.The Town of Naples contains a village, also called Naples...
, and has since 1987 been the property of Constellation Brands, which continues to license the Manischewitz name from R.A.B. Foods. The Winery was founded by Leo Star and run by the Star family since 1927.
The Manischewitz winery is best known for its sweet concord
Concord grape
Concord grapes are a cultivar derived from the grape species Vitis labrusca which are used as table grapes, wine grapes and juice grapes....
wine, which is widely available in much of North America. Made from labrusca grapes, its aroma is unusual, and is combined with a large amount of residual sugar. As concord was popularized over the years by U.S. media as being the kosher wine, it is often the wine used by non-Orthodox Jews in celebrating Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
. However, Manischewitz's sweet Concord contains corn syrup, a sweetener derived from corn, which is a food forbidden for Passover among Ashkenazi Jews (see Kitniyot
Kitniyot
Kitniyot, qit'niyyoth are a category of foods which are defined by Jewish law and tradition that Ashkenazi Jews avoid eating during the Biblical festival of Passover....
for details on why corn is forbidden). Manischewitz produces special Kosher for Passover bottling of their wine which are sweetened with cane sugar as opposed to the corn syrup used throughout the year.
It is also used as Communion
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
wine.
The sweetness of Manischewitz wine and other kosher wines is often the fodder of jokes. However, Kosher wine does not have to be sweet. One of the reasons for the prevalence of sweet kosher wine in the U.S., and in the Americas generally, dates back to the early days of Jews in America, when there was the need to locally produce kosher wine for the Kiddush
Kiddush
Kiddush , literally, "sanctification," is a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat and Jewish holidays.-Significance:...
ritual on the Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
and holidays. The combination of a limited choice of grape varieties that could grow in the areas where Jews had settled, along with limited time available to produce the wine and a market dominated by hard cider, yielded a bitter wine that had to be sweetened to make it palatable.
Indeed, so well-known is the sweet Manischewitz variety in the U.S. that the existence of a thriving kosher wine
Kosher wine
Kosher wine is grape wine produced according to Judaism's religious law, specifically, Jewish dietary laws .To be considered kosher, Sabbath-observant Jews must be involved in the entire winemaking process and any ingredients used, including finings, must be kosher...
industry anchored by vineyards in France and Israel
Israeli wine
Israeli wine is produced by hundreds of wineries, ranging in size from small boutique enterprises to large companies producing over ten million bottles per year. Wine has been produced in the Land of Israel since biblical times. In 2009, Israeli wine exports totaled over $22 million...
, along with a growing U.S. industry, is often a surprise to Americans unaccustomed to taking kosher wine seriously.
List of foods
- MatzoMatzoMatzo or matzah is an unleavened bread traditionally eaten by Jews during the week-long Passover holiday, when eating chametz—bread and other food which is made with leavened grain—is forbidden according to Jewish law. Currently, the most ubiquitous type of Matzo is the traditional Ashkenazic...
s- Unsalted Matzo
- Saltine Matzo
- Thin Unsalted Matzo
- Thin Salted Matzo
- Thin Tea Matzo
- Whole Wheat Matzo
- Spelt Matzo (Kosher for PassoverPassoverPassover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
) - Savory Garlic Matzo
- Egg & Onion Matzo
- Everything Matzo
- White Grape Matzo
- Concord Grape Matzo
- Egg Matzo
- Yolk Free Egg Matzo
- Matzo Crackers
- Regular Matzo Crackers
- Egg Matzo Crackers
- Everything Matzo Crackers
- Original Tam Tam Crackers
- Garlic Tam Tam Crackers
- Whole Grain Lighted Salted Tam Tam Crackers (Kosher for Passover)
- Whole Grain Garden Herb Tam Tam Crackers (Kosher for Passover)
- Onion Tam Tam Crackers
- No Salt Tam Tam Crackers
- Everything Tam Tam Crackers
- Matzo meal
- Matzo Meal Canister (Kosher for Passover)
- Potato starchPotato starchPotato starch is starch extracted from potatoes. The cells of the root tubers of the potato plant contain starch grains . To extract the starch, the potatoes are crushed; the starch grains are released from the destroyed cells...
Canister (Kosher for Passover) - Matzo Farfel Canister (Kosher for Passover)
- Whole Grain Noodles
- Egg Noodles
- Yolk Free Egg Noodles