Kosher Berkshires

Kosher food is not difficult to find in Berkshire County, but you have to know where to look. The following guide may help.

Kosher Meat and Groceries may be purchased easily at these supermarkets:

• Stop & Shop on Dan Fox Drive at the intersection with US-7/20 (best for fresh meat & poultry)
• Market 32 on US-7/20 in Lenox
• Market 32 off Hubbard Street in Pittsfield (best for cheese made under rabbinic supervision)
• BJ's on Hubbard Avenue, Pittsfield
• Big Y, Lee, near Mass Pike exit 2

The supermarkets usually receive shipments once a week, on Wednesday or Thursday. Fresh Empire chicken, ground beef, Hebrew National products and frozen chicken and turkey are often available at this Stop & Shop store. It would be unusual to find roasts or steaks. Stop & Shop stocks some cheese with kosher symbol on the rear display of the gourmet cheese case; Market 32 in Pittsfield sometimes has a better supply. BJ's stocks kosher frozen food in quantity. Cheese made under rabbinic supervision is usually the most challenging kosher product to find locally - many locals who keep kosher choose to eat cheese made with microbial rennet, even if it is not made under kosher supervision.

Many KI congregants take advantage of a monthly special order delivery to the Lenox Price Chopper from the Colonie (Albany, NY) Price Chopper kosher store, call your order in 1-518-456-2970 ext 6.

Stop & Shop (the Dan Fox Drive store) stocks well for Passover.

The next closest stores where it is easy to find kosher food are the Price Chopper in Albany's Colonie neighborhood, which hosts a kosher butcher and deli, and several supermarkets in West Hartford, Connecticut, including the Crown Market. All of them carry a wide range of kosher meats, prepared foods, breads, cheeses and other products.

In 2018, the Crown Market from West Hartford offered regular deliveries to Pittsfield through its 'Butcher on the Run' service during the peak summer season. It was helpful - you would place your order online or over the phone, then meet the Crown truck in the KI parking lot. We will see if and in what form this continues in the future.

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Sources for kosher bread in the Berkshires include:

Pittsfield Rye Bakery, under the supervision of K-V-H Boston, on US 7-20 at the southern tip of Pittsfield behind Guido's Market. A fourth-generation kosher bakery owned and operated by the Robbins family of Knesset Israel, Pittsfield Rye opens to the public on Friday mornings for purchase of artisanal rye and other breads. All products are kosher pareve, and challa is taken. When you find Pittsfield Rye products in the supermarket, make sure to watch for a "K-V-H" symbol on the package; while Price Chopper/Market 32 stocks Pittsfield Rye bread baked in the kosher factory, Big-Y stores bake the loaves in store - not under K-V-H supervision.

The Stop & Shop, BJ's and Price Chopper stores mentioned above sometimes have fresh or frozen, ready-to-bake breads (ciabatta, sourdough, multigrain, baguette) in stock in their bakery displays. BJ's Warehouse Club on Hubbard Avenue, Pittsfield, carries kosher-certified challah, cookies and rye bread in its bakery. The Pittsfield and Lee Big-Y stores also carry kosher bread products and pareve baked goods (Zomick's, Lily's, Green's).

Regrettably Bagels Too has closed. The closest bagel bakery under rabbinic supervision is at the Price Chopper in Colonie, NY.

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Kosher Wine

A selection of kosher wine is available at Spirited Liquors on US 7-20 at the corner of Holmes Rd. in Lenox.

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Kosher Lunch Program

The Jewish Federation of the Berkshires operates a reservation-only kosher lunch program for seniors on Mondays, Tuesdays (not during July and August) and Thursday, hosted at Knesset Israel. Please call for reservations 413-442-2200 before 9:00am the day of the meal.