| Home | “…other survivors include daughters Elaine Sorky of Israel, Edith Best of North Carolina…” |
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http://chakra.org/announcements/persSep24_03.html
http://dipika.org/2003/09/21.25/22.urmila.father.leaves.body/index.html
http://vnn.org/usa/US0309/US21-8359.html
Your servant, Pratyatoṣa Dāsa (ACBSP)
From
http://www.nj.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-33/1064123526277820.xml?starledger?obits:
Sunday, September 21, 2003
BY KITTA MacPHERSON Star-Ledger Staff
Some surnames keep life interesting.
At least, that’s the way it was for Bernard Manischewitz of Verona, who often traveled under an assumed name and would never give his name when making restaurant reservations.
“He used to say that when you have a name that’s also a brand name it’s a bit of a burden,” said his son, Ronald Hoffman, a physician in New York. “If he was going to Alaska to buy gefilte fish, he would say he couldn’t use his real name—the price would have been doubled.”
Mr. Manischewitz, the last in his line to run the kosher food giant B. Manischewitz Company before it was sold to private investors in 1991, died at home yesterday after a short illness. He was 89.
He had been suffering from heart disease, said his wife, Beatrice Manischewitz.
Though the brand name, renowned for its sweet wine and matzo, is recognized worldwide, Mr. Manischewitz balked at using it to influence people.
In fact, when he met Beatrice, his second wife, at a lecture on Israel at the Jewish Community Center in West Orange 27 years ago, he whispered his name to her during their introduction. “I didn’t believe him. I thought he was kidding around,” she said.
A first marriage ended in divorce.
Mr. Manischewitz was president and chief executive officer of the B. Manischewitz Company in Jersey City. He represented the third generation of his family to run the company. He spent his entire career there.
Company studies showed that the firm had 100 percent recognition with Jewish families and 70 percent recognition with the general public.
Born in Cincinnati, he lived in New York City, Newark and West Orange before moving to Verona a year ago.
His grandfather, Rabbi Dov Behr Manischewitz, founded the company in Cincinnati in 1888. He had starting making matzo, the unleavened bread Jews eat at Passover, for his family and a few friends, based on a 5,000-year-old recipe.
The business grew, and in 1932 the company built a second factory in Jersey City. It eventually moved operations there. The plant quickly became the model for all new machine-made matzo bakeries worldwide.
Mr. Manischewitz joined the company in the 1940s after graduating New York University. His father made him start at the bottom, his wife said. First he had to scan the production lines, making sure the matzo didn’t break. Then, for a time, he was in charge of opening operations at 4 a.m..
Slowly, he worked his way up. At age 29, he became president and chief operating officer and stayed at the firm for his entire career. He was known for expanding the line of foods beyond basic kosher products.
He also weathered a scandal at his firm. The company was accused of price-fixing matzo over a period in the 1980s and was fined.
Mr. Manischewitz was active in Jewish philanthropy. He was a past president of the New York United Jewish Appeal. He was also president of the men’s club at Shearith Israel, the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in New York. He was also a member of the Chief Executive Officers Association.
Services will be at 2 p.m. today in the Beth Israel Cemetery, Woodbridge. Arrangements are by Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel.
In addition to his wife, Beatrice, and son, other survivors include daughters Elaine Sorky of Israel, Edith Best of North Carolina, Harriet and Alice Hoffman of New York; six grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
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