Dear Friends, 

Passover preparation is a busy season. In Antebellum America, as the Jewish population rose from 20,000 to 150,000, Passover became big business. More striking, still, was how merchants divided their work to support their communities.  

The Passover marketplace was equanimous and equitable. Take Philadelphia, for example. There, Isaac Rheinstein, the “oldest Matzah Baker in town,” rented a local bakery and sold the most dependable matzah from his home on North Front Street. The baker David Canter, rather than encroach on Rheinstein’s business, presented himself as a Passover dessert expert. Canter offered his coreligionists “all kinds of cakes and confectionary, all of a most superior quality.” Most years, the creative Canter issued new concoctions “never before offered to the public.” 

In New York, L.I. Cohen advertised his “smoked and pickled beef” while Isaac Bondi purveyed Passover-approved potables: St. Croix rum, punch essence, and lemon syrup. John Lazarus & Co. sold Dutch cucumbers, cheese, olives, herring, and anchovies. 

Matzah in New York was distributed with the consumer’s budget in mind. The local synagogues incentivized R.G. Goldschmidt & Co. to lower his matzah rate to 8½ cents per pound. Similar arrangements were made with Wolf Kronethal on Houston Street who produced “superfine” matzah. 

Passover seemed to bring out the best in people. Accordingly, the “Hebrews of New York” managed to develop a system among their oft-contentious congregations to “unite for supplying the poor with matsoth.” The joint effort raised funds to bake 1,000 pounds of matzah to distribute to the needy. 

Our community draws from this charitable legacy. I’m heartened to see bulk egg purchase campaigns run through Jewish agencies and fundraisers concerned for those who cannot altogether manage to purchase Passover foods. This is particularly important in Washington D.C., where many families have lost jobs due to government layoffs. All this serves as an important reminder that with so much volatility in this world, certain seasons and thoughtful traditions bring out the best in us. 

With best wishes for a wonderful Passover,