Video – Shliach Gives Pesach D’Var Torah in Supermarket

NEW HAVEN — Marilyn Press of Stratford walked up to Rabbi Adam Haston at the Amity Stop & Shop to ask, “No margarine for Passover?”

Haston assured her that store workers told him the product would be in Wednesday, and turned to answer another shopper’s question about whether regular dried fruit is kosher for the holiday.

Haston, director of Programming and Community Development at Chabad of Orange-Woodbridge, is not moonlighting at the supermarket — at least not for money. Rather, Haston has set up “The Kosher for Passover Corner” in the supermarket’s vast kosher section just in case someone has a question about foods, tradition or something else related to the holiday. He’ll even engage in conversation about the Middle East Peace process if that’s where a shopper goes with the chat.

“A lot of Jews, although they may not keep kosher all the time, keep kosher at Passover,” said Haston, noting that distinguishing what’s kosher and not has become more complicated because there are so many processed foods. “This is beneficial to the community.”

The unique service, another creative idea from the Chabad, is also being offered through Chabad of Orange at Shop Rite in Milford, where the kosher section is formidable.

Haston said store personnel like his presence because often people ask them questions about the holiday and its foods, but they don’t know the answers.

Anne Demchak, Amity store manager, said there’s a whole new generation of people who may be new at preparing a seder dinner and just like in her Italian family may not get all the traditions directly from a relative.

“He’s a great source of information and it’s well received,” Demchak said of Haston. “I think we’re going to do this every year.”

Rabbi Sheya Hecht, area leader of Chabad, said the new supermarket program is, “a good opportunity for a hands-on education.” He said the most published Jewish book is the Haggadah, which narrates the Passover story and the order of the Seder. While traditions may vary slightly, the same rules hold true for all segments of Judaism, he said.

The general rule for being kosher is not to mix milk and meat products. Also, meat must be from an animal that’s kosher and the slaughtering of that animal has to be done by ritual slaughter.

Passover carries the all-important additional rule that Jews can’t eat, own or see any leavened products in their own home. Haston said the Jews, while exiting Egypt, didn’t have time for bread to rise and so matzoh is used to remember the Exodus. He said there is also a philosophical point that differentiates matzoh and bread, the latter because of its puffiness, symbolizing the egotistical and being only self-aware. The flatter matzoh is more representative of humility, he said.

Haston, who is young, conversational, approachable and an easy smiler, worked the kosher aisles and his sample/demonstration table like a pro. His tie and yamulka, made of a matzoh print material, as well as his manner spoke to all Jews — Conservative, Reformed and his own Orthodox.

And there was no sign of proselytizing. On Sunday — the busiest Passover shopping day of the season — he wished folks a Happy Passover, gently offered for them to fill out a free raffle ticket, to taste kosher chocolate or a potato chip.

Shopper Barbara Schochat of Congregation B’nai Jacob in Woodbridge, who had questions about foil used in cooking — but knew to grind her unflavored coffee beans in a separate grinder — said Haston was helpful.

“It’s good to talk about different aspects of the holiday preparation — food, service,” she said. “We’re all together. This is a time when the Jewish community comes together.”

Another shopper, Gail Lipman of Congregation Or Shalom in Orange, said having a rabbi to answer questions is a wonderful idea. She said the preparation for Passover begins on Ash Wednesday, when people start to clean everything — every drawer, every closet — as part of the tradition.

“Just to get people aware and asking questions in case they don’t have a rabbi to ask,” Lipman said.

Press, who travels from Stratford to the New Haven store because of the selection and to see old friends, said having a rabbi stationed in the kosher section is “great, because there are a lot of people just starting out.”

As for that dried fruit question, it was among the few that Haston had to look up. It has to be marked kosher for Passover because sometimes the ovens they are dried in have contained leavened products without being cleaned. Also, if the dried fruits are sorted by hand, the tables may be greased with fats that aren’t kosher.

Haston will be at the Amity store through Friday, manning the table from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Friday, he’ll be there from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., cutting the hours short because Shabbat begins at sundown. Although Passover begins March 29 at sundown, Haston won’t be there Sunday because most people have their cooking well under way by then.