Supporting Israel in the grocery aisle

Mark Twain once wrote, “Let the facts not get in the way of a good story.” The post October 7 reality has given life to a narrative that does not reflect factual truth, with the chutzpa on steroids from the Free Palestine movement. The movement has now come to a grocery store near you. Its latest target was the Park Slope Food Co-op in Brooklyn, NY. The community-owned coop voted to ban Israeli-made products from its grocery shelves. The move was allegedly made due to claims of genocide in Gaza, and this was supposedly a way to stop supporting genocide. There are so many lies to unpack that one does not know where to begin. This is an exercise of the truth be damned in this growing obsession with hatred toward the Jewish State. One of the Israeli products that was banned was tahini made by Seed and Mill. Rachel Simons, the founder of Seed and Mill, said the factory in northern Israel that used to make the tahini is owned by a family of Muslim Israeli-Arabs. The company “works extremely harmoniously” and hires Jews, Christians, Druze, and Muslims, Simons said in an interview. That reality is of no consequence to the hate-fuelled agenda that is picking up steam across all corners of society. In this case, the hope of these agitators is to inflict economic pressure on Israel. It is beyond frustrating to witness this, but I believe there is actually something we can do to help with this issue. We can all make a concerted effort to purchase products that are “Made in Israel.” There are more and more products made in Israel available locally here in Jacksonville. There is a great and affordable wine made by Givon that is sold at Trader Joe’s. In fact, Trader Joe’s stocks several popular products imported from Israel, including Bamba peanut snacks, frozen Dorot herbs, and Israeli Feta. Trader Joe’s is one of the prime targets of Free Palestine in an effort to ban Israeli products there. It’s important that all grocery stores hear from us that we appreciate having these products for sale. More importantly, it's imperative that retailers see that sales are robust and that removing these products from the shelves would be a financial loss for them. ​ There is a blessing we say on Shabbos (at the conclusion of the Haftorah), רַחֵם עַל צִיּון כִּי הִיא בֵּית חַיֵּינוּ. Translation: “Have compassion upon Zion, for it is the house of our lives.” Although we may not live in Zion physically, it should be part of our emotional selves. Adopting such a mindset can have several applications, including when you are strolling through the aisles at the grocery store. ​ Have a Peaceful Shabbos, ​ Rabbi Yaakov Fisch