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October 3, 2008
Shul Hub for Eco-Kosher Meat
Barbara Pash
Associate Editor
Chizuk Amuno Congregation recently became the first outlet in the Baltimore metropolitan area for eco-kosher meat.
In mid-September, more than two-dozen boxes of beef and lamb were delivered to the Stevenson synagogue from Kol Foods, a Silver Spring-based company, based on previous orders.
“We are piloting the program, and if it’s successful, we would like to continue offering it,” said Chizuk Amuno’s Rabbi Deborah Weschler. “It’s in line with what we teach at Chizuk Amuno, and encourages ethical kosher consumption.”
Kol stands for “Kosher Organic-raised Local,” according to Devora Kimelman-Block, who founded the company in 2007. The goal, she said, is to provide and promote “sustainable” food choices, specifically meat, to the kosher consumer.
Kol Foods offers organic-raised, hormone- and antibiotic-free meat. It sells “captured meat,” meaning the animals are not confined to feed lots but instead are allowed to roam in outdoor fields. The animals are humanely slaughtered, Ms. Kimelman-Block said.
As far as she knows, Ms. Kimelman-Block said Kol Foods is the only company in this business on a national basis. So far, it has outlets in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, northern New Jersey, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Ms. Kimelman-Block said Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin, head of the Baltimore Jewish Environmental Network, recommended Chizuk Amuno as her entry point into the Baltimore market.
“A community-supported agriculture group operates out of there,” she said, referring to an organic vegetable order and delivery system. “The folks who are hooked into a CSA are more likely to be interested in a kosher meat system.”
Kol Foods is part of the eco-kosher (or eco-kashrut) movement, a broad term in which produce and meat are viewed in the context of traditional Jewish kashrut laws and concerns about modern agricultural and slaughter methods.
As it happens, starting a Kol Foods system in Baltimore makes perfect sense since Kol Foods obtains its meat from two small slaughterhouses here, and the meat is processed by Shlomo’s market in Baltimore and Shaul’s in Kent Mill, near Silver Spring. Supervision is by the Star K, or Va’ad Harabanim of Greater Washington, depending on location.
“I started the business in D.C. using Baltimore resources. I was contacted by people in Philadelphia and New Jersey to expand there. It seemed logical to be in Baltimore, too,” said Ms. Kimelman-Block, who is Kol Foods’ CEO.
Ali Chava Kaufman Yares, a Chizuk Amuno congregant, coordinated the first order and shipment. She said she sent an e-mail to people whom she thought would be interested, and they forwarded her e-mail to others. Ms. Yares is a member of the CSA that operates out of Chizuk Amuno.
Within a week of sending her e-mail, there was a flurry of responses. Ultimately, the first shipment came to 17 boxes of beef, about 22-25 pounds per box, and 11 boxes of lamb, about 8-11 pounds per box, according to the introductory e-mail.
The beef boxes cost $13.25 per pound and included a mix of cuts. The lamb boxes cost $15 per pound and also included a mix of cuts.
“It was easy to organize,” said Ms. Yares, who bought a box of beef herself but has not cooked any of it yet. “A bunch of people wanted more information. Others were interested, but it was too much meat. I connected two people so they could split an order.”
Rabbi Wechsler said Chizuk Amuno officials were curious themselves as to what the interest would be. There was not a lot of time between the e-mail offer and the delivery, she said. Even so, “We sold a lot more than Devora expected. People thanked us for providing the service,” she said.
Rabbi Wechsler said the initial orders were primarily from Chizuk Amuno members. “But we are happy to be a resource to the larger Baltimore Jewish community, so that it’s available to the kosher consumer,” she said.
Ms. Kimelman-Block said she was pleased with the Chizuk Amuno response. “It was a good run,” she said. “There was a huge amount of interest. I sold more in that one instance than most other first times.”
She said she is already thinking ahead, and would like to arrange one delivery a month via Chizuk Amuno. She said she will probably skip this month because of the High Holiday season.
“But definitely November and December,” said Ms. Kimelman-Block. “I’m thinking of turkeys for Thanksgiving.”
For information about Kol Foods, go to its Web site at http://www.kolfoods.com . For information about ordering Kol Foods from Chizuk Amuno Congregation, go to its Web site chizukamuno.org , and click onto the Kosher Steak icon.