REAL WORLD INSIGHTS ON

Meet Lulav and Etrog Salesman Stephen Colman

The ‘arba minim’ are the four species of plant that are brought together during Sukkot, consisting of a ‘lulav’ (date palm frond), an ‘etrog’ (citron), at least three ‘hadassim’ (myrtle branches) and two ‘aravot’ (willow branches). It is possible to buy pre-prepared rabbinically-approved sets of arba minim, but many prefer to select their own. Stephen Colman sells arba minim every year at the Golders Green Beth Hamedrash – we asked him to tell us more about his vocation.

How long have you been selling arba minim for?

About 45 years now.

Where do you source the different components from?

Mainly Israel, but also Morocco and Italy - and possibly Spain this year because it’s a shmitta year. (‘Shmitta’ is also known as the Sabbatical year - just as the Torah calls for Jews to work six days and rest on the seventh, it calls for us to work the land six years and let it rest in the seventh. It applies only in the land of Israel.)

Does shmitta affect the arba minim at all?

It most certainly does - but only the etrogim. This year most of our etrogim will come from either Spain or Morocco, but we will also have some from Israel under certain special conditions.

How do you go about choosing and buying the etrogim?

Buying etrogim is a lengthy and tiring job. Our main supplier in Israel is situated in a vast 'machsan' (warehouse) with large refrigerated rooms and boxes piled high to the ceiling with etrogim covering every square inch. You have to spend at least a whole day going through thousands and thousands of etrogim, choosing the ones you think your customers will want. You also have to commit to buying a large quantity of cheaper etrogim before the supplier brings out - reluctantly - some of the better quality ones. When he does start bringing out the better ones, invariably they will not be of the quality you want and you need to start negotiating in order to get him to bring you better stock. The machsan is very hot and noisy, and there are always quite a few other merchants from America, England and Europe going through the same process in another corner. Two shmitta cycles ago in 2008 I went to Agadir in Morocco to source our etrogim. I was travelling by car to visit an etrog orchard and we had very rough instructions as to how to get there. The journey went from road to dirt track to a large open field in the middle of nowhere. We suddenly saw a jeep coming towards us across the field and the men inside called out to us to stop. We were a bit apprehensive to say the least, but it turned out that in the back of their truck were several boxes of etrogim, which they tried to sell to us! We declined their offer as we only buy our etrogim from recognised sources, but the way that this jeep appeared of the blue with boxes of etrogim was very memorable. The one shul in Agadir was packed with Jews of every nationality that week, all there to buy etrogim. We were all staying in different accommodation but we decided to get together on Shabbos and eat our meals together. It was an amazing Shabbos. Everybody had their own food and own minhagim (traditions), and the common language was sometimes English, sometimes Ivrit and sometimes Yiddish. We were a very mixed bunch of Sefardim, Ashkenazim, Chassidim and lots more in between. It was a wonderful break after a week's very hard work - and a Shabbos to remember.

Do any of the items ever get damaged on the way to you? What do you do with them?

Indeed they do get damaged, but because they are well wrapped and packaged, damages are generally kept to a minimum. Any damaged etrogim are used to make etrog jam - the other three species usually end up in the bin unfortunately!

Are there ever any other issues during the importing process?

It seems that every year a different problem arises and must be dealt with. The best example was a few years ago when the first shipment arrived - and was promptly pounced on by the health authorities. It appeared that a new EEC regulation regarding the maximum length of the etrog's 'uketz' (the stem that is cut from the tree) had been advised to - and ignored by - the Israeli suppliers. This was to counteract any potential spread of disease to other citrus fruit trees (the fact that we do not have citrus fruit trees growing in the UK was irrelevant!). When the shipment was stopped and examined it was found that 95% of the etrogim in that shipment had an uketz that was too long. They wanted to destroy the whole shipment. I was the first to discover this issue and luckily it was only a small shipment, and gave us time to try to act. I immediately got in touch with the Board of Deputies who sprang into action, and after much negotiation between quite a few different government bodies, we managed to reach a last minute agreement that ensured that we had etrogim for that Sukkot. But it was very tight!

Who determines the pricing and how do they decide how much each item should cost?

As with any commodity, price is determined by quality and availability. With the etrog, shape and cleanliness are the key factors. A totally ‘clean’ etrog, i.e. one without any marks or dots, and with a pleasant shape will go into the higher price bracket, simply because of the rarity factor. The same applies to the other three species. I buy a whole selection of grades but also need to regrade them on arrival as they often change in shape and cleanliness from when picked to when they arrive here in the UK.

When do you normally start selling arba minim?

I open for business on the day after Rosh Hashana - but most people buy after Yom Kippur.

What do people tend to look for when choosing their lulav and etrog?

As I mentioned, the etrog should be as clean as possible - according to the price category - and tower shaped. They either come with or without a ‘pitam’ (a small extension on the fruit located at the opposite end from the stem), so whether the customer wants a pitam is also a factor. The lulav should be tall and straight, and what is most important is that the top middle leaves should not be split.

How much do people normally spend on average on an arba minim set?

That is a difficult question to answer. I try to cater for everybody - that means every shape, size and quality. I would say that an average price range would be between £35 and £50 for a set, but of course we also have cheaper and more expensive sets as well. What’s the strangest question or request you’ve ever had? Every year a few people come armed with a tape measure as they need to fit the lulav into a suitcase, and we have to find them the shortest lulav possible - we usually end up having to trim it to fit (from the bottom !!) . People also often have their own way of binding the lulav. Usually we put three 'rings' around the lulav to hold it all together. We had one regular customer who wanted it bound with a minimum of 18 rings.

What’s the most you’ve ever heard of someone spending on an etrog?

I have heard of an etrog (not the set - just the etrog) being sold for £500+. But let me hasten to add that is quite rare, and certainly doesn’t happen at my own retail outlet.

What do you do the rest of the year?

I am a mortgage broker by profession specialising in equity release mortgages for the elderly.

What advice would you give to the general public about buying a lulav and etrog?

I always see many customers browsing through my stock, not really knowing what they are looking for and looking over their shoulders to see what the next person is doing. I would say to them – “Stop! Come and find me, or my son Yehudah (an expert in his own right!) or any of our staff, and ask for our advice and help”. We are always happy to explain everything to our customers and help them choose a set they will be proud to hold and shake on Sukkot.

Sales of arba minim will held be at the Golders Green Beth Hamedrash Hall, The Riding, London NW11 8HL. For sale times go to www.arbaminim.net Arba minim can also be ordered online and delivered to NW London postcodes.

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