New-York tribune., 1900-03-25
MATZOS FOR PASSOVER.
A GREAT BOOM IN JEWISH BAKERIES

There are ten or twelve business concerns on
the East Side where work begins unusually
early and continues until long after ordinary
business hours at this season of the year.
These are the bakeries where matzos. or un-
leavened bread are made for in Jewish
households for the week beginning on April IA.
This cracker bread, as II is called by some
people, is turned out in large quantities for
months before the Passover feast begins Great
Quantities are shipped to all parts Of the United
States The stock which is intended for home
consumption is stored in large packing boxes
awaiting the time for delivery TO the consumer
The matzos bakers usually start business
about October l, and run their machines leis-
urely while the solicitors are gathering the or
ders, and in the mean time large quantities are
sold to people who buy them to take the place
Of crackers These crackers are made of -four
and water and contain no salt. ''They are be-
coming popular every year" said one
baker, and if had no customers who eat
them for week to commemorate the Passover
feast we should still bake them and find
market for a fair supply"
A barrel of -four yields about one hundred and
seventy pounds of matzos, and as they are sold
at various prices ranging from cents TO 10
cents pound il is easy to see that making
matzos has a commercial as well as a religious
end.
As an Illustration of the quantity turned OUT
by the East Side bakeries one of the larger
of these usually consumes about thirty-flVe
thousand barrels of -four in season The
largest Of these bakeries is not in the Jewish
district This is run the year round, and when
the Jewish population is recovering from the
INDIGESTION caused by weeks indulgence IN
matzos and rich holiday food the big matzo
bakery begins work on the next seasons supply
The product of this large concern and Of several
other uptown places of that kind is circular
in form. each piece being about the size of an
ordinary teapIate and these are packed in cir
cular cartons containing from one To five
pounds The round matzos not used by the
orthodox Jews who eat only the square ones.
An item Of great Importance during the Pass
over week is the -four which is used as substi-
tute for the ordinary article. This is Of two
kinds; one is made of potatoes, and the other
and most commonly used is simply made Of
matzos ground into a fine powder.
The East Side bakeries from which the people
in that district get their bread and cake during
the rest OF the year close their doors and prac-
ticaIly go out of business during the Passover
week. except those who have the means to sub
stitute a complete outfit for the one generally
in use and use II TO bake Passover dainties
out Of the peculiar -four. But the loss Of the
baker is the physicians gain. and the Passover
week is usually their busy season There are
not many Jews on the East Side who are so
poor that they cannot indulge in the rich and
indigestible food which comes with the Passover
HOLIDAYS. and those who unable TO provide
their table are taken care Of by their neigh
/ bors, who give cheerfully in order that all may
/ indulge in the seven days feast.