Related Article: Deli's new status is sign of change

After just three months, Zayda's Kosher Deli has announced it has dropped its glatt kosher status, effective Oct. 19.

In July, the 54-year-old kosher butcher in South Orange transferred its kashrut supervision to the Va'ad Harabonim of MetroWest, accepting a kosher standard considered more stringent by many Orthodox consumers.

On Oct. 19, it returned to its former kosher supervision under Rabbi Samuel Rosenberg, an Orthodox rabbi in Elizabeth.

"Unfortunately, people just didn't come," said Andrew Halper of Livingston, who has owned Zayda's for the last four years with his wife, Alison. "I had plenty of new customers. But there wasn't enough volume to sustain it."

Halper cites the higher costs for glatt kosher meat and supervision.

"This is a much more expensive way to do business, and I knew that going in, but I thought the sales would cover the expenses," he said Tuesday. "I needed a heck of a lot more than I was getting."

Clearly disappointed at the outcome, he added, "I spent a year putting this together. It's not something I did overnight. It's a process. But it didn't happen, and what do you do? You can't sit and hope. As a businessman, I have to continue to give good value to my customers. The thing I'll miss and what I really enjoyed was my relationship with the rabbis at the Va'ad."

Halper said Zayda's has brought back, in addition to its former Orthodox kosher supervision, his former suppliers and his former methods for soaking and salting the kosher meat he purchases.

"I had a thriving business, and that's what people liked, and that's what people will come back for," he said.

Leaders of the Va'ad were similarly disappointed at the results of their first foray into expanding kosher options and supervision in the area.

"We're more sad than anything else," said Va'ad copresident Rabbi Mendel Solomon. "A lot of time and effort went into making this happen, and we're saddened that it didn't work out. Andrew is a real mensch. Zayda's was a great place to go for a high-quality steak and hopefully he'll continue to flourish serving his constituency."

Rabbi Eliezer Zwickler, another Va'ad copresident, added, "We had a very wonderful relationship with Andrew. Everything we had asked from him, he did. He was really gung-ho and on board."

In an open letter to the community, the Va'ad wrote, in part, "This action is being taken solely at the owner's request based on a number of unforeseen and unanticipated factors and is not related to any Kashrus issues. The Va'ad appreciates the sincere effort and cooperation extended by Zayda's throughout the entire period that the store was under our supervision."

Zayda's announced the latest change in an advertisement appearing in this week's New Jersey Jewish News. "We're back!" the ad reads. "We are pleased to welcome back Rabbi Samuel Rosenberg as our Orthodox Supervision. Zayda's appreciates the sincere effort and cooperation extended by the Va'ad of MetroWest throughout the entire period that the store was under its supervision."