Kosher Meat a New Treat in Southern Town

For the small, southern community of some 700 Jewish families in Wilmington, N.C., buying kosher meat no longer requires travelling hundreds of miles or owning an industrial size freezer.

Thanks to Rabbi Moshe and Chana Lieblich installing one next to the synagogue at Chabad-Lubavitch of Wilmington, community members need travel no further than their own neighborhood for a variety of meats, including kosher chicken, beef, lamb, hotdogs and hamburgers.

“The freezer makes getting kosher meat really accessible,” said Devorah Jenson, who lives five miles from the Chabad House. “Before, we had to get our meat when we would travel out of town. But now we have it here.

“It’s just so amazing,” she further gushed. “I’m so proud to have this here in our community.”

Through an agreement with Griller’s Pride, an Atlanta-based butcher and kosher meat store, Chabad of Wilmington was able to install the 20-cubic-foot freezer on consignment, helping to fulfill a goal set by the Lieblichs upon their arrival two years ago to increase the awareness and availability of kosher food in their new community.

Early sales were brisk.

“We were looking to sell this meat to provide a service to the community. Promoting kosher eating is important for every community,” said the rabbi. “If you are what you eat, then eating kosher food affects us on many levels.”

Shai Shalit, who once owned a kosher restaurant in Wilmington, asserted that the business model could be successful in other communities.