Passover scuffle at Kosher market

A group of Sephardic teens caused a minor incident at Sami’s Kosher Emporium, when they began taunting three Ashkenazi boys about not being able to eat legumes, more commonly known as “Kitniyot,” on Passover. Amir Katon who is Moroccan, admitted to being involved, but claimed the rule about not being able to consume foods like rice and beans on Passover struck him as so absurd, he just couldn’t take it anymore and had to lash out. “I saw Seth Greenbaum buying something stupid for Passover like that awful cereal. He’s in my class at school and kind of a jerk anyway, so I told him he should think about buying some water, but check with three rabbis first to make sure it’s okay and he got all mad. What a baby!”

Seth Greenbaum, who is an Ashkenazi Jew, clearly identified by his pasty whiteness and abhorrence of the sun or any outdoor activities, said it was the Sephardic boys who started and he simply responded in kind. “Amir made his crack and I told him to go have three more servings of rice with every meal, and his friends started shouting some stuff.”

The owner of the store, Persian couple Sam and Samira Hamshandanah said that Passover is always a stressful time and nothing more than some yelling and shoving occurred. Sam broke it up quickly. “I told the boys to knock it off, and that it’s not the Ashkenazi boys fault they have traditions that aren’t based in any logic whatsoever. Tradition is tradition no matter how little sense it makes. The Sephardic boys just shook their heads and then left.”

When video surveillance tape was played back, shouts from the Ashkenazi boys of, “whatever bean boy!” and “go ahead captain corn eater!” were heard, as well as one of the unidentified Sephardic boys shouting, “Enjoy your potatoes uuuuuuuhgain!” Sam and Samira hope that this is an isolated incident and that cooler heads will prevail as the holiday continues.