Between Kosher & Halal // For Russia’s kosher kingpin Pinchas Slobodkin, it’s all about a strong work ethic and a lot of siyata dishmaya

Pinchas Slobodkin is not your average kosher food magnate. Not only has he cornered the kosher market in Russia, but he has millions of Russian Muslims gobbling up his food products as well. Even more unlikely is the fact that some 200 Muslim employees, mainly from the predominantly Muslim Republics of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, are working in his factory, Pinhas Inc.—a large complex located in the basement of the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters in Moscow. “We have Jews, Muslims and Russians all working together. It’s like one big family,” he tells me with evident pride.

The factory’s kashrus supervision is provided by the Chabad shliach, Russia’s chief rabbi, Berel Lazar. At the same time, it has halal certification from the Council of Muftis of Russia.
Like Judaism, Islam prohibits pork and mandates a similar kind of slaughter, using a well-sharpened knife to make a swift, deep incision that cuts the front of the throat, the carotid artery, trachea and jugular veins. For that reason, kosher meat is regularly consumed by Muslims when halal isn’t available. There are, however, some other requirements, Pinchas informs me.

“They asked us to make sure that there isn’t any alcohol in their food, and we’re very careful about that. The imam came to inspect our plant together with Rabbi Lazar, and he was very satisfied. We have a very good relationship with their religious leaders. They know that our meat is healthy and kosher. We’ll also go out of our way to accommodate specific requests.”

Russia has roughly 250,000 Jews. By contrast, approximately 20 million Muslims make Russia their home; two million reside in Moscow alone, making up 16% of the city’s population.

With figures like that, it is no wonder that Pinchas, an Orthodox Jew, ventured into the halal food sector. He makes almost a dozen varieties of halal TV dinners. “I was bored stiff, so I figured, shoin, it’s time for halal. Someone was destined to make money in Russia doing it. Why not me?” he asks rhetorically with a hearty chuckle.

Still, he’s making out quite well in the kosher food industry alone. Pinchas owns most of Moscow’s kosher restaurants—no less than four, according to his own count. Pinchas’ restaurants, all located near the Chabad shul, have received glowing reviews from restaurant critics for their delicious fare. One restaurant, which serves Jewish Belarusian food, offers four different kinds of gefilte fish. Many of his patrons aren’t even Jewish, including employees of the FSB, the successor to the KGB, which has its headquarters nearby.

He also operates the cafeteria at the Jewish Museum in Moscow, provides kosher catering to the local Jewish community, and sells some 40,000 meals each month to several large airlines, including Aeroflot and British Airways, served in containers inscribed with his company’s logo. Then there’s his centrally located store, Kosher Gourmet, which carries a full line of ready-made foods and both dairy and meat products.

“We’re still in the basement of Chabad,” he tells me, “but I opened another plant nearby, and that’s where I’m developing additional products. We have four mashgichim, and we’re open from 7 a.m. until midnight. We’d also like to add a night shift in the near future.
“Over the last few years I opened up three different divisions: one for cold cuts and delicatessen, another for cheeses and butter, and another just for smoked fish. I realized that it’s not only frum people who need kosher food; even non-Jews buy kosher these days, because they believe that it’s healthier.”

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