Gentrification Forces Manischewitz’s Exodus from Jersey City

by Mobius · Thursday, March 15th, 2007

The Record reports,

For more than 80 years, the six-story factory off Marin Boulevard has been what company officials say is the world’s largest producer of matzo – the unleavened mixture of flour and water that is a staple of the Jewish Passover. Earlier this year, the factory ran its last batch of Passover-specific matzo, which requires additional baking rituals and oversight, but the company makes other kinds of matzo – including the matzo meal used for matzo balls – year-round.

The Manischewitz name and the 145,000-square-foot factory are owned by specialty-food company R.A.B. Food Group, and officials said the relocation to Newark is an effort to consolidate the company’s kosher food production. The Newark facility was the former home of another kosher manufacturer, Rokeach, which R.A.B. acquired last year.

Last summer, R.A.B. also shut a 45,000-square-foot Manischewitz plant in Cumberland County that produced gefilte fish and soups.

Richard Frawley, manufacturing director for R.A.B., said condominiums that have sprouted around the Jersey City factory have made it impossible to schedule flour deliveries in the early morning to avoid waking up residents.

Meh, couldn’t have happened to nicer people.