Posted on 06/01/23
It was with a great deal of mixed emotions that I learned of the decision by Diversified Business Communications (Portland, ME), producers of Kosherfest since 2003, to cancel Kosherfest 2023 and beyond. It was nearly 33 years ago that I launched Kosherfest with great trepidation. Looking back, I can proudly say that the show was an amazing run and the impetus for a glorious chapter in the growth of kosher and the Jewish community. I very much cherish all the relationships I have made over the years and am particularly grateful to the wonderful people at Diversified who went beyond the call of duty to assure Kosherfest’s success.
The exponential growth of kosher in all categories is extraordinary. The last three plus decades of the show was a period when tens of thousands of products became kosher, dozens of huge modern kosher independent supermarkets were launched, there was an explosion of kosher restaurants of diverse themes, dozens of new kosher cookbooks published, and we witnessed the advent of a new era in social media and the Internet to name but a few of these gigantic accomplishments. Kosher became popular in every area of life, from travel to catering at the White House, and in every part of the world.
As much as I will miss Kosherfest, I will continue to lead the way in seeking out new opportunities for the industry. I very much look forward to my continued role as consultant for so many enterprises who seek to benefit from the greatly expanded world of kosher. I certainly hope to use my professional experience with kosher to help many people and businesses take advantage of the unprecedented opportunities of an extremely popular and growing category.