SOUTH BLOOMING GROVE- After a fire heavily damaged the brand-new Mintleaf Kosher Market in the Village of South Blooming Grove in the morning hours of March 23, 2023, the community came together to reopen the store in a temporary tent located in the parking lot.
Store owner Joel Roth spoke of the fire that devastated his business. “I was upstairs in the office with my 15-year-old daughter who was off from school that day when we first saw the smoke,” said Roth. “Within minutes, the entire store filled with smoke and my main concern was making sure everyone got out safely.”
Roth said that the store was busy that morning, and he and other store employees focused on making sure all of the shoppers exited the store early. After making confirming that everyone was outside, Roth made sure the main gas and electric feeds were shut off to the building. Firefighters from several departments began responding shortly after.
According to Roth, the fire began in the ceiling area above the deli. The exact cause of the fire, which destroyed the six-week-old market, is still unknown.
While firefighters were still working at the scene, Roth along with two community leaders, Isaac Ekstein, and Joel Stern, began brainstorming about how they could reopen for the Passover holiday, which was fast approaching.
“There are about 400 families that depend on this grocery,” said Roth. “We knew we needed to reopen quickly.”
That is when the community sprang into action. The three reached out to other kosher grocery stores in Sullivan County that are closed for the winter and worked to secure shelving, produce stands, coolers, and registers. They also found a company that could provide a tent the very next day. Assistance was provided by many—including a local sign shop that created posters and signs that make the temporary shopping experience comfortable.
With the help of volunteers from the community, less than a week after the devastating fire, the Mintleaf Kosher Market reopened to the community. “This was truly a community effort, and I couldn’t have done this alone,” said Roth.
Roth plans to rebuild the Mintleaf Market but expects that based on the amount of damage done by the fire, construction could take several months.
MHNN video of the temporary facility:
