Buying blue-and-white at Trader Joe’s
A crate of Jaffa oranges.
That is what I received after winning a raffle at Steffl, one of the newest department stores in Vienna.
The year was 1967. The month, September.
Israel stood at the height of admiration after winning the Six Day War.
Steffl decided to import Israeli goods and offer them to their customers.
My entire family filled out forms, each one of us writing our names, dreaming of winning the grand prize, a trip to Israel.
Instead, I received a crate of oranges. The stamp “Jaffa” was visible on every beautiful orange. I remember holding one, the scent lingering longer than expected.
Fast forward to today.
Messages began pouring in from friends: “Go to Trader Joe’s on Monday. Buy Israeli products. Show support.”
From Bamba puffed peanut snacks to Givon wine, crushed garlic, and feta cheese, we were told to fill our carts and then thank the manager for carrying Israeli goods.
Why do all this?
Because a group called Code Pink was promoting a boycott. And we, with determination, would answer otherwise.
I forwarded the message to many friends.
Every response came back the same: “We will do just that.”
The day moved on with appointments and errands. Then I glanced at my watch. Five o’clock. A promise is a promise.
I drove to the nearest Trader Joe’s on Burton Way. A line of cars curved in front of the store, and I waited patiently. At the entrance, the attendant smiled. “No tickets necessary today.” Someone passed me with a full cart. I followed her, almost instinctively, and slipped into her parking space.
In the elevator, I met the husband of a friend. We exchanged a knowing glance. No words were needed. We carried the same quiet purpose.
“I am heading to the feta cheese,” he said.
“In the meantime, I will look for the crushed garlic,” I answered.
An employee walked by, and I asked him for the product.
“Sorry, we are all out of crushed garlic,” he said. “But you can take the last crushed ginger, if you want.”
I took it and placed it in my cart.
A few moments later, my friend returned.
“No feta,” he said.
And so it went. I encountered many acquaintances who were all hunting for the same products. I felt we were united, and the store was overwhelmed by the increase in customers who showed support not just for Trader Joe’s, but for the State of Israel.
Empty shelf after empty shelf.
Our final stop was the wine.
The cashier kindly walked me to the kosher section, but there too, the Israeli bottles were gone.
“Tomorrow we will receive more,” she said.
And that was the moment it happened.
I stood there for a brief second, my hand resting on the cart, my eyes welling up, and without warning, the past slipped into the present.
A crate of oranges. A young girl receiving them proudly.
“We did it,” I said, quite loudly, with my fist raised high in the air, not caring if the shoppers around me noticed. I felt the urge to call out into the world that if we are attacked, we respond.
I left the store slowly, thanking the manager for carrying Israeli products.
In my hand was a bag with crushed ginger and lovely strawberries, which I planned to serve with whipped cream in celebration of this shopping experience.
I do hope that one day all stores will carry Israeli products proudly, so that what began for me with a box of Jaffa oranges in a department store long ago can continue on shelves around the world.
