ShalomNewYork.com

“What else accounts for his success? Recognizing a needy market. An observant Jew, Mintz was aware that many Jews would dearly love to eat ice cream (milchig) for dessert after a meal that includes meat (fleishig) — something forbidden by Jewish law. Good-tasting pseudo-ice cream without milk would do nicely. Besides, a great many people (30 to 60 million Americans, according to various estimates) are allergic to milk products. Their stomachs cannot break down the lactose in milk, so they get bellyaches and other abdominal problems. Indeed, many people, as they grow older, become somewhat lactose intolerant — including Mintz himself.(skip) ” “He gave me a roadmap for what to do,” Mintz remembers. “Everything bad, he told me, is a blessing in disguise. Think positive.” Should he give up seeking a milk-free dessert? “Absolutely not!” the person counseled. “This is going to be huge. Don’t open a new restaurant. Don’t get discouraged. The good lord will help you.” The person giving that advice was the late Menachem Schneerson, the Lubavitcher rebbe.” more@JStandard.com