Report: “The Hassidim of the Consumer Electronics Show”

8
>>Follow Matzav On Whatsapp!<<

b-and-hAlexis Madrigal report in The Atlantic: Las Vegas – Walking around the CES showroom floor, there is one specific cultural group that stood out to me. A surprising number of Hassidic Jews seemed to be exhibiting at and walking around the show.

When I wondered about that out loud on Twitter, a variety of New Yorkers told your humble West Coast lifer, “Duh, that’s because of B&H.” Apparently, B&H Electronics was founded and continues to be run by Hassidim.

“Known as ‘Beards and Hats’ because of the many Hasidic Jews who work there, B&H has become an authentic New York experience,” the Associated Press wrote in 2006. “Shopping there is akin to ordering a pastrami on rye at Katz’s Delicatessen.”

The AP continued: “Ask how business is going and you get this: ‘Baruch Hashem,’ or ‘Blessed be God’ — meaning, roughly, ‘Thanks to God, things are good.'”

Like any successful company, some of its employees have gone on to found their own competitors and variations on the theme. So, now there are several electronics distributors run by Hassidic Jews that are here at CES.

I stopped to chat with Asher Shtesl, the CEO of one such company, Ideal Sales of Brooklyn, New York. They’re a classic middleman operation: they buy from the manufacturers and they sell to independent electronics stores. They’ve long focused on photographic equipment but have been expanding their reach into more general electronics. Shtesl said he’s built his business from a basement operation 10 years ago into a “multimillion dollar” enterprise now.

And how does being Hassidic impact the business? “People look at us as very honest people,” he offered.

{The Atlantic/Matzav.com}


8 COMMENTS

  1. I hope each one realizes that. I am the only frum student in my class in a non-Jewish university and every day I pray that I only bring Kiddush Hash-m and not chalilah a Chilul Hash-m. Truly an awesome responsibilty.

  2. FYI B&H stands for Blimy and Hershy Schreiber and yes they are the epitome of honesty. There is absolutely no funny business allowed there. A true Kiddush Hashem

  3. Mandy,

    Are you the same person who wrote in another post about Obama, “I don’t care about his position on Israel because I am choosing a president for America. Israel can take care of itself”?

    So you love Obama more than Israel and look down cynically at other Jews? What a horrible excuse for a person you are.

Leave a Reply to anonymous Cancel reply

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here