How can we actively support Eretz Yisrael from the U.S.? What can we do to help the country when we are not visiting and do not have children attending yeshivot and seminaries? Fifteen years ago, reacting to the first and second Intifadas, a group of five women, four of whom had been high school classmates, came up with the innovative concept of hosting Israeli businessmen whose livelihoods had been woefully impacted by the insecure situation in the country. Thus, ACHI —American Communities Helping Israel—came onto the scene. Spreading its mission of Think Israel, Buy Israeli, ACHI is currently active in communities across the U.S. and Canada.
ACHI’S latest initiative is the KLEE Shabbat. Created to counter the nefarious BDS movement spreading wildly throughout universities and businesses across America, KLEE Shabbat’s mission is Buy-Display-Support Israel. The project’s simplicity in implementation contrasts sharply with the importance of the message it conveys.
Founder of ACHI Suzanne Weilgus of Monsey outlined the project. “KLEE Shabbat enables us to keep our connection to Israel alive on a daily basis. Simply designate a favorite dish, tray or bowl to serve as your KLEE, or vessel, and fill it with Israeli products such as candies, cookies, chips. Display it prominently in your home. Involve your children in the purchase of different Israeli products each week. Place the KLEE on your Shabbat table and include it in your dinner conversation. Your message will be loud and clear. Israel is a priority in our lives and hopefully in the lives of the next generations.”
Rochelle Zupnik of Teaneck and Tova Taragin of Baltimore, together with Gloria Gordon and Lynda Zentman of Monsey, have been partnering on behalf of ACHI for many years despite their geographical distance. They have traveled to communities across the U.S. to spread the word. Their current mission is to “blitz” the Jewish communities within Bergen County with the message of ACHI’s KLEE Shabbat. Their recent conversation with Rabbi Steven Pruzansky of Congregation Bnai Yeshurun resulted in the rabbi’s introduction of the project to his shul members through toting a full shopping bag of Israeli goodies and products.
Zupnik shared, “We want to insert the idea of buying Israeli into the consciousness of our Bergen County families and friends.”
Taragin and Zupnik were delighted with their recent meeting with Rabbi Elie Kurtz, elementary school director of Judaic studies at Yeshivat Noam. Rabbi Kurtz has already designated a display case at the entrance to the elementary school for KLEE Shabbat. A colorful, artistic KLEE designed by noted Israeli artist Emanuel and engraved with the word KLEE in Hebrew will be filled with additional Israeli food products each week.
Rabbi Kurtz offered: “Our Friday onegs throughout September and October will be dedicated to the work of ACHI, and our parents have been invited to participate in the KLEE Shabbat project in their homes. We envision other related projects in the future.”
Shuls, schools, food markets, gift shops and florists in Bergen County communities will be contacted about the project in the coming weeks to raise their awareness of the Israeli products that are already available and to encourage the expansion of these offerings.
Taragin suggested, “Start a new trend by purchasing an Israeli KLEE filled with Israeli goodies as a bar/bat mitzvah or sheva brachot hostess gift. It will convey a meaningful and vital message to our young people.”
The team has already met with some local vendors who were excited to join the campaign. They hope to join the Blue Dot Campaign in Bergen County already in place at Glatt Express, where stickers reading “Product of Israel” identify the many Israeli products on the shelves.
Lynda Zentman of the ACHI team expressed, “Filling a KLEE is a bond to Israel—a passion that team ACHI has in abundance and is so willing to share.”
Team member Gloria Gordon said, “Everyone says that Israel needs us. What they forget is that we need Israel. Our spreading the word through ACHI helps us ensure its existence.”
For more information, please visit www.theklee.org� and www.achi613.org. ACHI can also be reached at [email protected]. Learn about the recently launched GoFundMe link to ACHI.
By Pearl Markovitz
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