Remembering Orthodox Jewish Founder of Tofutti Non-Dairy Products, David Mintz

Tofutti founder David Mintz passed away last week at the age of 89. After buying a gallon of tofu in New York’s Chinatown in 1972, Brooklyn-raised David Mintz’s life changed, Within 12 years, he had started a non-dairy revolution, an industry which will soon be worth more than $1.2 billion dollars. His frozen tofu-based dessert, known as Tofutti, was started out of the desire to find a creamy dessert to eat after a meaty meal. The Lubavitch Mintz was exuberant as his creation went from just pleasing palates of observant Jews to become a 1980’s sensation. It sold out at Zabar’s before going on to make him a millionaire. Throughout, Mintz sought advice and blessings from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who steered him away from the restaurant business and towards food manufacturing. Every Tofutti box had the abbreviation for “Baruch Hashem” printed on it. From his Alpine, NJ home where he reportedly fed the koi fish in his 15 ponds tofu, Mintz regularly donated to Orthodox Jewish causes, including schools and mikvahs. He helped found Machane Israel Development Fund, Bris Avraham, JLI and Chabad of Tenafly, NJ. Read more here.

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