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NEWS
New Matzoh Bakery in Melbourne, Australia
by Yumi Rosenbaum
After several decades of using various makeshift matzoh
bakeries for Erev Pesach matzos (matzos mitzvah) every year,
the Adass Yisroel Kehillah in Melbourne decided to construct
a purpose-built matzoh bakery. With the encouragement and
participation of the moro de'asra HaRav A.Z. Beck,
funds were raised by the Kehilla's long-standing Rosh Hakohol
R' Binyomin Koppel. Architects were commissioned, plans were
drawn, and the construction of the new matzoh bakery is well
underway. The new facility was partially ready to use this
year.
The matzoh bakery is being constructed at the rear of the
Adass Yisroel Shule Complex, which already houses a beis
knesses, two botei midroshim, several smaller
rooms for shiurim and minyanim, a modern men's
mikveh, and a large function hall and kitchen, as well
as offices for the Rov shlita, the Kehillah and the
Vaad HaKashrus.
For several decades, the baalei battim, yungerleit,
and bochurim of the Kehillah spent Erev Pesach
afternoon baking fresh Seder Matzos. Over the years the
matzoh baking had been held in many different venues,
including private homes and factory courtyards. For two
decades, an oven on the grounds of the Lubavitch Mosdos was
used, with a large temporary marquee erected for the Erev
Pesach baking sessions, under the guidance of R' Yosef Chaim
Holzer.
The new bakery features a fully ceramic oven. The floor was
poured as one ceramic piece without any joins (rather than
tiles). This is a significant hiddur in that there are
no grooves or cracks. This is a new development in matzoh
oven design, based on technology used in other firewood
ovens.
Until now, each family received just six Erev Pesach Matzos
for the two sedorim. For the remainder of Pesach,
container loads of imported hand matzos were shipped in every
year from various matzoh bakeries in New York and Eretz
Yisroel. (The Pupa-Tzelem Matzos have been the most popular
here over the past few years.)
For this year, the imported Matzos are once again here.
However, it is anticipated that in coming years the new
matzoh bakery will be used not only on Erev Pesach but also
for several weeks prior, to enable hand-matzoh production.
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