By COLlive reporter
The Manhattan Beer Company, one of the largest beverage distributors in the United States, completed the annual sale of chametz ahead of Pesach on Monday.
The company, owned by Mr. Simon Bergson together with his sons Avraham and Mordechai, conducted the sale with Rabbi Kalmen Weinfeld, the company’s rabbi, alongside Rabbi Yaakov Teichman and philanthropist R’ Nossen Sternberg.
Following the sale, the Bergsons donned tefillin, continuing a yearly tradition. While wearing tefillin, Mr. Bergson shared a message to Jewish communities worldwide, calling on Yidden to strengthen the mitzvah of tefillin. He emphasized that in the merit of this mitzvah, Jews in Eretz Yisroel and around the world should merit true shalom.
The annual sale marks approximately the ninth consecutive year the company has sold its chametz ahead of Pesach, a practice that began in 2018.
The initiative began at the suggestion of Rabbi Don Yoel Levy OBM, head of OK Kosher, leading to Rabbi Kalman Weinfeld and R’ Nossen Sternberg approaching Mr. Bergson to arrange a proper halachic sale.
After significant effort, Bergson agreed, marking a breakthrough that resolved widespread kashrus concerns for kosher consumers. Since then, the sale has been conducted each year, facilitated by Rabbi Weinfeld, Rabbi Teichman, and R’ Sternberg, ensuring that the company’s products remain accessible without halachic complications.
