It’s not just Jews who will avoid discussing business next month on Rosh Hashanah – this year, the country’s biggest pork producer will be doing the same.

Smithfield Foods Inc., the Virginia-based makers of more than 50 pork and turkey products, announced last week that it has rescheduled its quarterly conference call partly because of the holiday, moving the telephone earnings report forward by a day so as not to conflict with the Jewish New Year. The Virginian-Pilot newspaper reported August 16 that the company will conduct the quarterly conference call – usually held on Thursdays – on Wednesday, September 8, hours before the start of the holiday.

“With Labor Day on Monday and Rosh Hashanah on Thursday and Friday of that week, Wednesday worked best for this release from a scheduling standpoint,” a Smithfield spokeswoman wrote in an e-mail to the Norfolk-based newspaper.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The e-mail didn’t expand on the Jewish holiday’s role in the rescheduling of the call, but noted, “We always try to schedule the earnings releases when we think we will get the highest level of participation.”

A message from our editor-in-chief Jodi Rudoren

We're building on 127 years of independent journalism to help you develop deeper connections to what it means to be Jewish today.

With so much at stake for the Jewish people right now — war, rising antisemitism, a high-stakes U.S. presidential election — American Jews depend on the Forward's perspective, integrity and courage.

Become a member today and you'll directly support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly. 

—  Jodi Rudoren, Editor-in-Chief 

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount