Passover is around the corner and the preparations are very much in evidence. I watched a large tractor-trailer back out of a driveway of a local matzoh bakery with its expensive cargo. Yes, shmurah matzoh prices are rising again and so are many other prices for basic Passover prices. “I feel for the customer,” one store manager told me. “Some of the prices are going through the roof.” Samuel, a young Chasidic employee at a medium sized grocery store said: “I spend a great deal of time explaining that we are just passing along new pricing that we are paying for foods.”
Are they concerned about shortages? Sam and my other new friend simply gesture and add: “we’ll be fine.” Both of my new friends hasten to tell me that it will be a better year than last year or the Covid year in 2020. For now, they are busy restocking shelves for the upcoming Purim holiday. But clearly Passover is very much on their mind. Sam joked: “Passover is on my mind all year round so now is no different.”
