Often, a major highlight of a visit American olim make to The Old Country is the shopping. While on a recent trip back to the States, just for fun, I took some photos of a handful of shopping opportunities that caught my eye. As a contrast to the
Only in Israel pictures new olim take and post on Facebook, here are some items that are, one hopes,
Only in America.
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| The Freshpet Select brand makes tubes of slice and serve dog and cat food which stores sell to pet owners from a refrigerated case. |
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| Which look suspiciously like slice and bake cookie dough. |
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| As long as we're talking about food, did you know there are now approximately 17 different kinds of Ritz crackers available in your average American grocery store? | | | | |
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| Here's a trend I totally missed. It's a bra that's labeled "Worn to be Seen!" So I guess it wouldn't be appropriate to call these new bras a form of underwear. |
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| If you're looking for clothing decorated with crosses, an average American mall is definitely the place to go. Ha! Another trend I totally missed. | |
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| I have to admit, this one was pretty cool, even though the photo is poor. It's a Travel Baby vending machine that sells things that shopping parents need for their babies - diapers, teething biscuits, baby snacks, wipes and such. |
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| A grocery store in a Jewish community featured some Israeli imports on shelves labeled "A Taste of Israel". Doesn't it make ordinary Israeli groceries seem so exotic? |
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| A different grocery store sells the scarves I can buy for 5 shekels at the shuk, individually wrapped, for $6.99. |
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| Finally, for those who want to build a palace in the midst of a middle-class Jewish neighborhood of modest brick homes, here's a sample of what it might look like when you're done. |
Thanks for that trip down memory lane (and to the future, e.g. the bra made to be seen). Reminds me why I'm so happy I made aliyah, despite the fact that I'd give my eye teeth to have a monthly shopping trip to Target.
ReplyDeleteI'll take the house.
ReplyDeleteIt comes with a cleaning woman, right?
I am a shop-a-holic and even *I* was overwhelmed by the supermarkets on my last trip back.
ReplyDeleteWhoever is importing those mitpachot is making a fortune!
But I will always have a soft spot for Target... :)
That's some house!!
ReplyDeleteClever blog. It is a different way at looking at our stores. have a wonderful sweet new year.
ReplyDeleteBS"D
ReplyDeleteDiscussion with Moishe'la (with his family)
A Handicapped child
Tishrei 28 '5774(Oct 1 '13)
"We Cried and We Cried"
I want to tell you that Zaidy came to me again from Olam Ha’emes. (My Zaidy, a great Tzaddik, was very famous when he was alive.) I want to tell you that he sat down next to me when I was sleeping, and said to me, "Yingel Yingel my Zeesa Yingel (my beloved boy) I am so proud of you. I am so happy that you are in the house that you are, in the home that you are, and I Bentch you that you should continue bringing truth to our family and truth to the Yidden wherever they might be."
And then he said, "I have more to tell you. I am very worried about my adopted homeland the United States of America. I am not worried about the place itself, as we all know its pure Edom. I have always realized how this Golus of Edom has almost destroyed all Yiddishkeit in America.
"But no I am not worried about the Edomite country called the United States. I am worried about the Yidden in United States. First of all they are in very big physical danger and of course we know very well that the Yidden in America, including the Frum, are in great spiritual and physical danger. Of course there are always exceptions to the rule, but the very big majority of the Yidden in America are in very big spiritual danger.
"Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that the Yidden all over the world are in a better condition, but I am worried especially about the Yidden in the United States of America.
"I really want them to do Teshuva, real Teshuva. And I know that I have said this many times, and people don't understand what I am talking about. Even when you explain it so clearly, most people just brush it off because it's much more interesting to be busy with the Gashmius than to be busy with the Ruchnius. It take less spiritual and emotional effort to rise high in the attainment of the Gashmius, than it takes to rise high in the attainment of the Ruchnius.
"Since I was very young I realized that the American Jewish community would eventually disappear. Now however I see clearly that the United States of America is disappearing right in front of our eyes. Soon there will be no United States of America, and the Yidden will have to find themselves a new home. I hope they decide on Eretz Yisroel, and hope they do it quickly, because if not well……. "
Then he asked me to sit down with him and say Tikkun Chatzos. Together we Davened and we cried, and we cried, and we cried. I closed my eyes so I could feel the Tza'ar HaShechina, (the pain of Hashem) and when I opened them my Zaidy was gone.