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NEWS
Cost of Kashering Hotels for Pesach: NIS 70 Million
By M. Green
The cost of kashering hotels in Israel for the upcoming
holiday will total NIS 70 million ($17 million) at over 300
hotels around the country, according to a survey by the Hotel
Union's Economics Department, which conducted a survey for
the first time this year to assess the costs associated with
kashering hotels for Pesach.
The survey shows that on Pesach hotels incur costs 30-40
percent higher than on regular days. At hotels that are made
glatt kosher, daily expenses went up as much as 60 percent.
Extra daily costs range from NIS 50,000 ($12,000) for a small
hotel to NIS 1 million ($240,000) at large hotels. Pesach
preparations begin about a month before the holiday and reach
their peak during the holiday, and are overseen by kashrus
supervisors.
A large portion of the cost is spent on kashering the kitchen
— thoroughly cleaning the storage areas, refrigerators
and ovens (including replacing the rubber seal around
refrigerator and oven doors) and replacing the serving
dishes, pots, pans, cooking utensils, plates, glasses,
cutlery, storage containers, etc. with products bought
especially for Pesach and kept in storage all year. Special
Pesach keilim are also purchased for use in room
service, along with the purchase of cleaning supplies.
Large sums are also spent on purchasing food for Pesach,
which includes certain expensive products. Among the staple
costs that rise significantly are wine (60 percent), eggs (50
percent), kosher baking products and meat (40 percent) and
vegetables, especially potatoes (40 percent).
As the holiday approaches, hotels have their employees work
overtime or bring in temporary workers to help the room
service and laundry crews as well as the storage and
maintenance workers. During the holiday hotels also pay
significantly higher wages. According to Shmuel Tzurel,
director of the Israel Hotel Union, the Pesach season is
noted for the many excursions in Israel and abroad. "At the
end of the day we're happy that this investment is
articulated in high occupancy rates during Pesach," he
said.
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