End of an era for Nussbaums

JORDAN MOSHE

Members of the Johannesburg Jewish community were stunned on Sunday when the family company announced its immediate closure and cessation of production as of Monday in a widely-circulated press release.

“For us, it’s a very sad day,” admits Ian Lurie, chief executive and owner of Nussbaums. “We’ve been a family business and a business of family from the start.” The SA Jewish Report met Ian, his children and senior members of staff on Tuesday for a difficult and heartfelt conversation, looking back on an epic odyssey.

Ian reflected on the early days of Nussbaums, founded in 1936 in Doornfontein. His parents bought the business in 1973 from the Meyers, who took it over for almost a year from the original Nussbaum family.

Ian joined his father about ten years later, quickly learning the ropes, and ran the business thereafter. Under his watch, it went to the very heart of the Jewish community. Nussbaums landed contracts with Jewish old-aged homes and youth movements, even supplying meat to the army for Jewish national servicemen.

Ian sat on a kashrut committee at the Beth Din to advise on industry difficulties, and even helped to re-establish kosher slaughter in Poland for the first time since World War II.

Over time, the business developed a flourishing network. So legendary were its deli meats, it began supplying them to non-kosher establishments. Even the Mandela family ordered its Christmas turkeys from Nussbaums for 20 years, and products have been exported as far as Hong Kong.

Ian relocated the business in 1994 to premises on Louis Botha Avenue, making kosher products more accessible. Over time, he offered cost-effective catering options, freighted products into Africa for far-flung Jewish communities, and consistently supported local community initiatives. In June 2016, the business moved to Glenhazel, placing itself literally at the community’s front door.

Given the Lurie’s involvement in the community, the reaction to the closure comes as little surprise. “This is someone who has given so much to the community,” says Ian’s daughter, Eden. “To see it come to an end shocks people, and they feel scared. Someone sent us a message to ask, ‘What am I going to feed my family tonight?’ We’ve had people crying with us because they feel the loss as much as we do.”

Multiple factors account for the decision to close the business, Ian says. They include a dwindling Jewish community, market trends, and the increasingly tight budget constraints faced by a growing number of people.

“As time has gone by, the community has diminished. Customers come in weekly to thank us for everything, and say that they’re moving to America or Israel,” he says.

“The financial climate isn’t easy, and businesses are feeling the pinch. Over the past two years, things have got tougher, and consumers are hurting.”

Ian’s son, Baruch, says that 13 years ago, bulk buying was the norm, with customers ordering ten chickens at a time. “Today, they order only two chickens for a single meal once a week. It has become unaffordable. Jewish families are struggling to keep kosher.”

Eden says more Jewish consumers are becoming money conscious. “We had a customer who never asked in 22 years the price of a cut of meat, asking what it costs per kilo. More people are ordering rib eyes, and some are even asking which cut is cheaper.”

In spite of all the challenges, the decision to close was not anticipated, they say. “I don’t believe we ever saw it coming to this,” says Baruch. “From a financial perspective, the last year has been extremely tough. As much as we know our business, we never thought it would get this bad.”

Though it’s increasingly difficult to cope with the added expense of kosher production, Baruch stresses that kosher costs didn’t break Nussbaums. “Nussbaums and kosher worked for 83 years,” he says. “In a turbulent economy, in order to survive, you need to have everything going for you. Challenges along the way make it that much more difficult, but kosher made us who we are.”

“The fact is that financially, we just couldn’t carry on. I have invested my life and money in the business, and we got to a point where we just couldn’t. It was a very difficult decision,” Ian says.

In spite of indicating in the release that a buyer had been found for the business, Ian says negotiations are ongoing. “We thought we had a deal on the table,” he says. “In principle, it seemed good. It needed to be signed, but unfortunately it didn’t come to fruition. We are looking at other options.”

The future is uncertain for the entire Nussbaums team, and contrary to belief, the Luries have no intention of emigrating. The welfare of shop staff remains a priority for management, which is seeking alternative employment opportunities for them.

“Unfortunately, we have no jobs nor plans,” says Lurie. “We are waiting for the dust to settle before we look to the future.”

The team say they will miss being at the heart of the community, and interacting with its variety of people. Poignantly, they will miss the warmth of the environment they’ve shared. “We’ve been working with family,” they say. “We fight like a family, and love each other like a family.”

They thanked the community for the outpouring of support, love, and positivity over the past few days, and for years of loyal patronage. “The journey has been a privilege. It has been a blessing to serve the community,” says Lurie.