Important Information Regarding Shipping for Sukkot 5774

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ REGARDING SHIPPING – 2013 SEASON

Orders placed from Wednesday September 10th 2013 CDT onwards will not be accepted unless confirmed beforehand by direct phone contact – 469 939 5596

Due to the narrow window of time we operate in, we have little margin for error and so in order to ensure you get your lulav and esrog in the best condition and at the best time, we ask that you partner with us by reading and understanding what follows:

  1. Succos starts the evening of Wednesday 18th September 2013. Lulav bundles must be assembled prior to the onset of Yom Tov, although they will not be used until Monday morning. Please see HERE for assembly instructions.
  2. Orders placed through THIS web site will be sent out on Monday September 16th 2013 using the overnight service. Aravos should arrive in reasonable condition but we encourage everyone to grow their own locally – click here to see how easy it is.  Because of this year’s calendar we will not be offering two day service this year through this web site since the package could arrive after Yom Kippur or Shabbat starts.
  3. When placing your order, please be sure to supply a valid email address so that we can send you a tracking number. Please also be sure to include your contact phone numbers, including cell phone number.
  4. Make sure the physical delivery address is a place where someone is available to receive the package at the time it is expected to arrive. ALL PACKAGES will be sent without signature confirmation.
  5. TRACK your package on the morning of September 17th by going online to www.ups.com or calling UPS at 1-800-PICK-UPS (1-800-742-5877). If your package is not in the system, or if you have not received a tracking number by then, please call us immediately. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL Wednesday 18th September to call us as we may not be able to correct any issues.
  6. When you receive your package please open it immediately and check it is in good order. If not please call us immediately so that we can take steps to remedy the situation. Please store the willow and myrtle, and the lulav (if possible) in the refrigerator.
  7. If your package has not arrived by 5pm on Tuesday September 17th, please call UPS. You are responsible for tracking the package again (see step 6) and then calling UPS at 1-800-PICK-UPS (1-800-742-5877). We will not be able to take calls later than noon Central Time on Wednesday 18th September to track packages. If something is missing or damaged we will try to remedy it if you call us before noon Central Time, but we will not guarantee that we can.

Orders placed through our partner The Esrog Grove were sent September 11th by 2 day service. If you ordered through them you must address any problems about delays or other mishaps through them.

As of Friday 13th September, all orders must be placed through THIS web site. Please call us first to make sure we have sufficient quantity – 469 939 5596.

Esrog (Etrog) Varieties

Braverman
These Esrogim were attested to by Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin, who upon seeing a certain Esrog tree remarked “This is my tree”. From this tree the Braverman family established their stock in Petach Tikva. A sub-strain of Braverman is the Kivilivetz variety.

Chazon Ish (Halpern)
The Chazon Ish saw another Esrog and told its owner to plant its seeds. This gave rise to the Halpern strain. It is unclear as to what difference was implied betweeen the Chazon Ish’s remark “This is an Esrog” for the Lefkowitz Esrog (see below) and his instruction to plant what became the Halpern Esrog.

Chazon Ish (Lefkowitz)
The Chazon Ish once saw a certain Esrog and pronounced “This is an Esrog”. The seeds from that Esrog were planted by the RAMI (Rabbi Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz) and have given rise to the Lefkowitz type.

Temani (Yemenite)
Grown from Esrogim or trees imported by Yemenite Jews.

Yanaver
Yanaver Esrogim derive their name from Genoa, the port in northern Italy through which most Italian esrogim were once shipped. The esrogim actually grow in the southern part of Italy in Calabria. There are only a few kosher Esrog orchards left in S. Italy, the other orchards are devoted to production of citrons for culinary use. This variety is favored by many Chasidim, especially Chabad (Lubavitch), based on a Midrash, that Moses was transported from Sinai to Italy to see exactly what a “fruit of the goodly tree” was. Chabad have cultivated a variety of this Esrog in Israel – called “Kfar Chabad”.

Moroccan
Moroccan esrogim grow wild in the mountains of western Morocco. They have a characteristic shape shown above against the backdrop of a book by one of the foremost experts on the Moroccan Esrog – Rabbi Yasher Levy, whose beautifully illustrated book (Hebrew and French) can be ordered from our site. Moroccan esrogim are favored by many Sephardim.

How an Esrog (Etrog) Tree Grows

If you leave the esrog long enough, the seeds will start to germinate while still inside the fruit. This particular esrog was a Greek esrog from the Skverer Rebbe. 

Zaide Reuven’s Esrog

How to Grow an Esrog (Etrog) Tree

If you leave the esrog long enough, the seeds will start to germinate while still inside the fruit. This particular esrog was a Greek esrog from the Skverer Rebbe. 

Zaide Reuven’s Esrog Trees

How to Grow an Esrog (Etrog) Tree

If you leave the esrog long enough, the seeds will start to germinate while still inside the fruit. This particular esrog was a Greek esrog from the Skverer Rebbe.