News from Israel

Israelis Deal with Non-Kosher RealityTel Aviv…
Combined Sources…

While surveys continue to show that the majority of Israelis subscribe to a kosher lifestyle, there is growing evidence of a significant non-kosher Israel. An estimated $1 billion of non-kosher foods are sold in Israel, largely as a result of the large Russian immigration to Israel, including a substantial number of spouses who are not Jewish. Also blamed for the increase is the evolving Israeli culinary habits of younger secular Israelis who are estranged from their parents’ preference for kosher. Many Tel Aviv residents were in an uproar when mini-market super chain AM:PM, a staple of chic secular city life, announced that they were removing any and all non-kosher products from their shelves, focusing particularly on shellfish and meats manufactured by the Mizra Deli. News that non-kosher food was permitted on army bases also created quite a stir and was the subject of discussion in the Knesset. Israeli society always had a number of non-kosher restaurants and night spots, but the growing retail presence is quite new. The Tiv Taam chain is cited as one of those retailers that is building a business from non-kosher Israelis. There is the Mania Deli chain, which caters largely to Eastern European immigrants, but is also trying to cultivate the non-kosher taste buds of young secular Israelis.

While Israelis see the trend to non-kosher as unavoidable, they also point to the astronomical growth of kosher in the country. Said one Israeli food manufacturer: “Non-kosher food is less than 10% of overall food sales in Israel, which is the best indication that kosher still reigns supreme in the holy land.”


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