It's Chametz Burning Time!

Photo: Adam Lawrence on Flickr

The Fire Department is reportedly responding to numerous calls about rubbish fires in Williamsburg and Borough Park, because it's time for the pre-Passover tradition of burning all leavened bread products. A few years ago, the FDNY reminded those burning chametz to be careful, because "In 2004, five people were seriously burned when a man poured paint thinner on a ceremonial fire in Borough Park, Brooklyn."

The right way to burn chametz? According to the FDNY, it's "using a metal can, a screen to prevent stray embers and newspaper instead of dangerous accelerants like lighter fluid."

There are other dangers associated with ridding the home of chametz: A doctor told the Post a few years ago, "We see a little bit of everything. Dizziness from fumes, slips from highly buffed floors or wet bathroom tiles," (another said that Passover injuries include "knife wounds from cutting food, burns from stovetops, and even fingers chopped up in blenders"). One local cleaning service not only touts pre-Passover chametz-cleansing skills but also their convenience after Passover—"Once Pesach has drawn to a close, you may notice that the influx of extra traffic from family and friends has left an undesirable mark on your flooring."

Apparently Chabad.org has been offering a service to let people sell their chametz online, but it's unclear whether it's a Kosher arrangement.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on March 29, 2010 12:24 PM

Comments [rss]

what_a_dick

sure everyone has the right to do what they want, including burning thousands of pounds of food that our city's hungry and poor could greatly benefit from and also including me calling these same people a dick. thank you.

B CYKES

Listen "super Jew" or not, who are you to judge what someone does with their food. You think it is a waste, don't participate! Everyone has their own idiosyncrasies.

Happy Kwanzaa everyone!

B CYKES

Listen "super Jew" or not, who are you to judge what someone does with their food. You think it is a waste, don't participate! Everyone has their own idiosyncrasies. Correct your own issues.

Happy Kwanzaa everyone!

what_a_dick

burning your food because you think you are too good for it and not donating it? = dick move.

Tamar Weinberg

It's not a dick move at all. The food that is burned is usually a half-eaten bag of rolls and crap like that; this stuff wouldn't quite be accepted by donation centers.

Do you really think anyone wants a half-eaten roll of bread? Or the 10 pieces of torn up bread required of the "Bedikat Chametz" process done on the night before Passover starts?

That's the stuff that gets burned. The other food is usually relinquished temporarily or donated.

Greenpoint60

This is not an issue in Greenpoint, lets hope it stays this way

Stevennnn

Only the super Jews do this kind of stuff. Nothing wrong still having Chametz in the house. Just have to leave it where it is and don't eat it. Or you can put everything in a box and put it in a closet or something.

B CYKES

Listen "super Jew" or not, who are you to judge what someone does with their food. You think it is a waste, don't participate! Everyone has their own idiosyncrasies. Correct your own asshole.

Happy Kwanzaa everyone!

Snoopy

This does not bode well for Dunkin Donuts.

seven

Seems like such a waste. Wouldn't it be a better thing to just donate all your leavened food products to food banks, rather than burn it with people going hungry across the city and country.

But alas, since when were thousand year old laws written by long-dead authorities ever rational?

Me

Believe it or not, orthodox people don't allow you do give away your chametz. If you give it to someone for free, then you still could be considered to own it, or have a right to take it back. That's why you have to sell it or destroy it. If you gave it to a shelter they'd have to give you something in exchange.

So, yes, orthodox Jews are totally nuts.

Tamar Weinberg

Yup, I'm going to echo S.K. As a Jew affiliated with an Orthodox synagogue, I've never heard of this. Thank you for enlightening me to a practice apparently done by my kind that I've never engaged in before.

Perhaps it would be in your best interest to educate yourself before saying things that are inconsistent and untrue about Orthodox Jewry.

Oh, and as for this part of the article from Jen (btw, welcome back):

"Apparently Chabad.org has been offering a service to let people sell their chametz online, but it's unclear whether it's a Kosher arrangement."

It's essentially a written "contract" and many Orthodox shuls do it throughout the country/world. I myself participate in a similar program. Therefore, yes, it is a Kosher agreement.

Me

Fair enough. I shouldn't have implied that all orthodox do this. But many do.

S.K.

I go to an Orthodox shul, and I've never heard of this. Please don't defame my people.

For the record, last year, I gave a box of cereal an a loaf of bread to my Colombian neighbors. I expressly told them it is theirs to keep. This year, I finished all my food.