We all have certain sayings, idioms and visuals that are engrained in our minds, making the reality of our younger years a cohesive history. One of those, for me, is 'Buy Blue and White' or in Hebrew (as I can still hear it in my head): Knu Kachol Lavan. The rationale behind it was connecting the blue and white Israeli flag colors with the pride of buying something that's your own and can support your country. It was a campaign that ran in Israel of the seventies (?), aiming to convince shoppers to buy Israeli grown, Israeli produced, and Israeli made products, so the country's ever so fragile economy can strive, or at list root itself deeper. I recently found that call again: Chief Rabbis Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron and Yisrael Meir Lau ask the public to buy Israeli products. Following a meeting with Industry and Trade Minister Dalia Itzik, who is pushing the campaign to "buy blue-and-white" (Israel's official colors), the rabbis issued a call that was read in synagogues throughout the country on the Shavuot holiday this past Friday. "In light of the economic situation," the rabbis wrote, "when factories are being closed, unemployment is growing, and many families can barely afford to put food on the table, we are commanded to fulfill the verse, 'If your brother falters, strengthen him, that he may live with you.' It is incumbent upon us to help our brothers who face financial difficulties, and enable them to live honorably before they require charity. During these days of trouble both nationally and individually, we must be careful to buy Israeli-made products." - From Arutz 7 It has been quite a few years and some shopping sprees since then, I no longer live my day to day life in Israel, but I still get excited when I see Israeli grown bell peppers at Costco or the 'made in Israel' tag on a hotel towel. I certainly prefer made-in-Israel products and the reason for that is pride. I take pride at what my people have managed to accomplish even though we are a young, small country, a melting pot which dwellers tend to argue everything an about everything, a nation of people uprooted and exiled so many times and for so many generations. Even with all these hurdles, we managed to produce, to build, to recreate and regroup, to create a future for ourselves. So next time, when you see a made-in- Israel product on the shelf at Costco, a made in Israel fruit or lotion at Trader Joe's, a hotel that uses made-in-Israel towels or other products, take a stand and stand with Israel, support the people who are building peace in the middle east, support people who believe in giving and doing, even when routinely attacked and repeatedly assaulted by terror. The fields in the Negev are blooming, the startups in Haifa and Tel Aviv are busily inventing new programs, and the Sderot factories keep yielding quality products and high spirits. So when I need a house warming gift for a Jewish couple, I prefer the beautiful mezuzah covers that are vivid and colorful, made in Israel by Yair Emanuel who designs and crafts these extraordinary mezuzahs in his studio in Jerusalem. At that price, my gift looks sophisticated but does not eat up my budget, even though it's imported and artisan made. For the newlywed I opt for something pricier, a silver Kiddush cup made in... you guessed it: Israel and my girlfriends get an Orna Lallo art or one of Iris Design's marvelous pieces. I can't wait for my son to be Bar Mitzvah, as I already know which Tallit I'm going to surprise him with. May we enjoy our lives, meet only in happy events and have enough to support good causes.
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