If you love Trader Joe’s, you are likely part of the Kosher Trader Joe’s group on Facebook or follow @koshertraderjoes on Instagram. The accounts, run by Shelley Atlas-Serber, highlight all things kosher at the beloved grocery store chain.
Hadassa Goldberg, who was born in London and moved to Israel when she was about 8 years old, runs the popular Instagram account @therealhadassa. As Goldberg explained to The Link, her account has become one which connects her followers to the land of Israel.
The combined number of social media followers for these women’s accounts is well over 100,000, and they each use their influence for the good.
Both Atlas-Serber and Goldberg have been extremely committed to helping chayalim. Atlas-Serber and her family, who live in Long Island, jumped into action immediately following Simchat Torah and ultimately facilitated and coordinated the delivery of hundreds of duffle bags filled with much-needed supplies to chayalim.
Goldberg has long been known for taking care of soldiers by, for example, making barbecues for chayalim with donations sent to her by followers. After Oct. 7, Goldberg stated that “everybody kind of turned to me because they knew I took care of soldiers.” As the donations she received grew, Goldberg explained that “literally every day we’ve been showing up and trying to make the soldiers and their wives, I call them the ‘Sheroes,’ feel as supported and loved as possible.”
When Atlas-Serber, who was aware of Goldberg’s love of Trader Joe’s products, saw that Goldberg was coming to visit New York, she suggested that the two unite to help chayalim. Of course, Goldberg, who does a weekly “shop” for chayalim when she is in Israel, immediately agreed and from there the plan was born.
Atlas-Serber and Goldberg would meet in a Manhattan Trader Joe’s on Sunday, Nov. 17, along with any followers who wanted to join them, and together the group would shop for products which Goldberg would take back to Israel for chayalim. The event details were circulated on social media with an option for those who couldn’t attend to donate funds.
The donations immediately started rolling in from Atlas-Serber’s Kosher Trader Joe’s community. On game day, about 15 people showed up at the store and the shopping began.
Telling The Link that “There is a whole science to shopping for soldiers,” Goldberg recalled how she explained to those gathered which products are better for the soldiers. For example, “We don’t like chocolate, but we do like nuts. And we do like things individually packaged.”
The group also cleared the shelves of Trader Joe’s favorites such as “Takis” (the Chili and Lime flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips), and bought plenty of Scandinavian swimmers as well as special lip balms for the Sheroes.
After paying for their purchases with the funds raised, the evening seemed to be over. But the group was in store for a surprise.
Goldberg explained that one of her followers who saw what the group was doing approached her, asked how much money they gathered, and offered to double that sum.
So the group went shopping again and went from filling just three carts to 10. “It was absolutely amazing that we were able to take care of this many soldiers and please God, I’m going to schlep all this stuff back with me” to distribute to the chayalim and the Sheroes,” stated Goldberg.
As to the man’s donation, Altas-Sperber stated, “It stopped me in my tracks. I had tears in my eyes.”
Goldberg discussed with The Link the need to help soldiers now, more than one year after the start of the war, as opposed to the need which existed immediately following Oct. 7. “There isn’t that same panic as there was [initially] and it’s true that a lot of the soldiers do have what they need now, but things like the tourniquets, deodorants, toothbrushes and the snacks, those things need to be replenished all the time.
“Our soldiers have been fighting for a year plus and they are even more tired and even less exhilarated and excited than we are, and the need to show up now is to me even greater and more dire of a necessity than it was even on Oct. 8. And so I’m really trying as much as I can to keep on reminding the Jewish communities that they are loved and needed and that what they do really, really helps so much.”
Sometimes, it is difficult for Diaspora Jews to figure out how they can be most effective in helping those Israeli brothers and sisters in this fight. Atlas-Serber seems to have found her own unique way to contribute.
Judith Falk is the creator of the Upper West Side Shtetl Facebook group. You can follow her on instagram @nyc.shtetl. She is a lawyer by day and a former legal reporter.
