This is the updated Vaad List for 2026
Vaad HaRabbonim of Raritan Valley
Purchasing Chometz After Pesach 2026
It is forbidden to eat or derive benefit from overt chometz that was owned by a Jew during Pesach. Overt chometz includes items such as cereal, cookies, crackers, pretzels, grains, some alcoholic beverages, and flour. Products that contain vinegar, such as mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard, may be purchased in America, since it is likely that the vinegar is not chometz.
The following is a partial list of local stores and their status regarding the purchase of chometz after Pesach:
All Vaad supervised stores are acceptable for the purchase of chometz. The Vaad encourages the community to patronize local kosher establishments whenever possible.
Dunkin’ Donuts on Raritan Avenue, under Vaad supervision, is acceptable for purchasing chometz. However, baked items should not be purchased before 9:35 PM on Thursday, April 9, to avoid benefiting from melacha performed on Yom Tov. In general, one should wait one hour after Shabbos or Yom Tov, year-round, before purchasing baked goods from Dunkin’ Donuts.
The following supermarkets and their suppliers are non-Jewish-owned, and chometz may be purchased immediately after Pesach:
Acme Markets: (note: All the local Acme Markets have closed)
Aldi
BJ’s
Costco
CVS
Duane Reade (Walgreens)
H Mart
Sam’s Club
SuperFresh
Target (non‑frozen chometz items only; frozen items are supplied by C&S, a Jewish‑owned distributor)
Trader Joe’s
Walgreens
Walmart (in‑store purchases; online purchases are discussed below),
Wegmans
Whole Foods
SuperFresh in Highland Park is non‑Jewish‑owned; however, its current supplier is C&S, a Jewish‑owned distributor. A reputable Beis Din arranged the sale of C&S to a non‑Jew for the duration of Pesach. Accordingly, it is justifiable to purchase chometz from SuperFresh immediately after Pesach.
ShopRite operates as a franchise, with each store individually owned. While most locations are owned by non‑Jews, some have Jewish ownership. Purchasing chometz from a Jewish‑owned ShopRite is clearly prohibited after Pesach. ShopRite stores in the following locations are owned by non‑Jews: Aberdeen, Bound Brook, Chatham, East Brunswick, East Windsor, Edison, Elizabeth, Lawrenceville, Livingston, Marlboro, Millburn, Morristown, Neptune, Somerset, Springfield, Union, and West Orange (partial list). ShopRite is supplied by a cooperative known as Wakefern, which has some Jewish ownership. Nonetheless, it is justifiable to purchase chometz immediately after Pesach from the non-Jewish stores because the majority of Wakefern shareholders are non‑Jewish, and according to some poskim, Jewish ownership is batel b’rov (see Shut Zecher Yitzchok 8, and Mishna Berura, Shaarei Tzion 448:4, quoting Chemed Moshe).
Purchasing chometz from the establishments listed above in Parts 4 and 5 relies on various halachic leniencies. Those who prefer to avoid those halachic leniencies should wait until Tuesday, May 5, to purchase chometz from these establishments
Online retailers such as Amazon.com and Walmart.com may sell products either from their own inventory or from third‑party suppliers. Chometz from their own inventory is acceptable. However, products supplied by third‑party sellers may originate from Jewish‑owned companies. Customers should therefore make a reasonable effort to determine whether the supplier is Jewish‑owned.
Non‑chometz items (e.g., fruits, vegetables, eggs, cooking oil, etc.) may be purchased from any store, whether Jewish‑ or non‑Jewish‑owned.
Alcoholic beverages (excluding wine) may not be purchased from a Jewish‑owned store until after Shavuos unless the chometz was properly sold, since inventory turnover in liquor stores is slower than in supermarkets.