With just a few days before Passover begins at sundown Saturday, many Reno stores are out of matzo.

"None of the markets are carrying it, and I'm getting so many phone calls," Rabbi Mendel Cunin said.

Cunin said he has received close to 50 phone calls from people looking for the unleavened bread traditionally eaten at the Jewish holiday. Passover marks the exodus from Egypt after 400 years of slavery. The unleavened bread is symbolic of the Jews leaving in a hurry, without time to let their bread rise.

Cunin said he checked several stores including Raley's, Safeway and Trader Joe's and found none.

"Sometimes, they run out right before the holiday, but never so many days before," he said. "We bring in our own matzo, but simple machine matzo is not available for purchase in Reno."

Employees at Trader Joe's and Safeway on Mae Anne Avenue confirmed they were out of matzo but did not know whether they would get any more before Saturday.

Cunin said anyone who needs matzo should call Chabad House of Northern Nevada at 825-8928 by the end of the day today, and they will have it brought in from Los Angeles.

"We used to ship matzo to Moscow for distribution there "» at least I can make sure there's matzo for the Jews of Reno," Cunin said.

Scolari's at 8165 S. Virginia St. also had a good supply.

"We have matzo crackers, matzo balls, just about matzo everything," head clerk Jason Austin said.

Austin said each Scolari's should have the same selection.

Cunin thought the shortage might have been because of some stores not ordering enough or ordering too early.

"Wal-Mart brought it in for Easter, not Passover," he said. "They put it up for clearance after Easter."

Easter fell on March 23 this year.