Beer Distributor Inspired to Donate Thousands of Bottles

By COLlive reporter

One Mitzvah leads to another…

After selling his Chometz for Pesach, Mr. Simon Bergson, President and CEO of Manhattan Beer Distributors in New York, has decided to top it off with another Mitzvah.

Manhattan Beer was founded in 1979, in Bronx, New York, by Bergson, a New York resident and a son of Holocaust survivors. It is the largest single market beer distributor in the country with $950 million a year in beer sales, providing beer to hundreds of kosher stores and restaurants in the New York metropolitan area.

Last year, Bergson agreed to sell his company’s Chometz for the first time with the help of Rabbi Kalman Weinfeld, rabbinic coordinator of restaurants, catering, and hotels for the worldwide kashrus organization OK Kosher. The monumental move caused a stir in the Jewish world. This year, again, Bergson agreed to do so.

Rabbi Weinfeld commented that Mr. Bergson’s decision to sell his company’s chometz had not only helped save many Jews from the worry of purchasing Chometz that was owned by a Jew during Pesach, “but he was so happy that he did a great Mitzvah as well,” Rabbi Weinfeld told COLlive.

“When I spoke to Mr. Bergson, I kept thinking of the lesson my mother, who recently passed away, taught me, and whose amazing Kokosh cake recipe I used to bring a special home-baked gift for him, which is that every good deed should also have an action with real results,” Weinfeld told COLLive.

Weinfeld explained to the beer executive that his actions had made it easier for hundreds of religious Jews to celebrate a Shalom Zachor celebration, which is held on the Friday night after a baby boy is born, and typically, beer is served.

In the past, the purchase of beer which had not been sold over Pesach would not be able to be purchased for approximately 6-7 weeks, Weinfeld explains.

“Hearing about the Shalom Zachor custom, Mr. Bergson said, ‘I want to be part of all these celebrations!’ and said he will donate free beer for all Shalom Zachors in the New York area for this Shabbos,” said Weinfeld.

Since creating a video of Mr. Bergson’s offer, Weinfeld says he has received nearly 50 requests for beer, from Boro Park, Williamsburg, Flatbush and Crown Heights.

He says they will have pickup points in each neighborhood and will do their best to get to everyone, he says.

“Mr. Bergson has already donated thousands of bottles of beer to give out for this Shabbos,” Weinfeld said.

If you are making a Shalom Zachar this Shabbos, you can contact Rabbi Kalman Weinfeld by email [email protected]

View this post on Instagram

In Honor of his decision to sell his chometz, Mr. Bergson of Manhattan Beer distribution, has announced that he is giving out beer For Shalom Zachar’s taking place this coming Shabbos (אחרי) and is wishing everyone Mazel Tov for their new baby boys! . . If you are making a Shalom Zachar this Shabbos, you can contact Rabbi Kalman Weinfeld by email [email protected]

A post shared by COLlive (@colliveofficial) on Apr 29, 2019 at 1:11pm PDT