In collaboration with Nefesh B’Nefesh
Shuk Olim
(Arik Marmur)
On most days during the week, Alan Cohl, who made Aliyah around 30 years ago, can be found alongside Noam Cohen, who made Aliyah 11 years ago. The two originally are from New York but connected in Israel over a shared love of Bourbon (a whiskey made from corn). They decided nearly a decade ago that the time had come for them to start producing something of their own – not merely to create something new, but also because they found themselves constantly complaining about the beverages they were drinking. “We started our dream together,” they say proudly and add with a smile “we were the first, and maybe even the best. The beauty is that while we may be here in Israel, we continue to preserve the culture we have brought with us from the United States and England, which is how we succeed.”
Cohl and Cohen are just one example of about forty small to medium-sized businesses, all owned by Olim, who came out last Friday to a unique ‘Shuk Olim’ initiated by Nefesh B’Nefesh, in full cooperation with the Jerusalem Municipality’s Absorption Authority. Hundreds of participants from all over the country flocked to the ‘Shuk,’ which was open to the public, from Olim, to Israelis, to tourists, who came to shop from the wide variety of goods offered and to support local businesses with Israeli products. Watch the video at the top of the page.
The diverse vendors at the ‘Shuk’ included “Holy Butter”, selling natural peanut and almond butter, honey from the Galilean “Neshikha” bee farm, Israeli whiskey from “Legends Distillery,” American-style muffins offered by “Muffin Boutique,” personalized door signs by “Made by Maggi,” ready-made food and snacks from “Kinnamon Catering”, natural plant-based drinks by “Infused JLM,” handmade jewelry and clothing by “Sew Cute Studio,” boutique beers by “Gush Etzion Brewstillery,”and many more.
Jason Cohen made Aliyah from New Jersey in 2011 and decided that he too wanted to establish an Israeli business. “It was important for me to produce something that was both unique and healthy, which is why we founded ‘Holy Butter.’ We prepare our peanut butter and almond butter here in Israel, and are actually the only ones to create such a product from nuts grown locally rather than use imported ones. Our peanuts are grown in sandy soil in the Gaza Strip in the Negev, which is the best of its kind, and our almonds come from the North.”
Jason Cohen, the founder of “Holy Butter,” and his son Eliav, shared how Nefesh B’Nefesh has been instrumental in their journey. “Nefesh B’Nefesh not only helped while embarking on the most important step of our lives – making Aliyah to Israel, but also with helping us bring our product to the ‘Shuk.’ In addition, they helped us promote our business and reach all kinds of Olim who miss their American peanut butter and can’t find anything which comes close to it here in Israel. We solve this problem by making the highest quality peanut butter available locally.”
Contributing to the Israeli economy
We were also introduced at the ‘Shuk Olim’ to Maggi Feldman, founder of “Made by Maggi,” who told us how the initially her small idea of creating door signs grew into an established business. “I started with a door sign which I uploaded to Instagram, and it wasn’t long before a ton of people started contacting me and asking to make signs for them. Thanks to the demand, I bought myself a laser machine and today I bring these designs and graphics to life,” she says before adding that she is “very grateful for the opportunity to be here today at the ‘Shuk Olim’.”
Nefesh B’Nefesh, which works to facilitate Aliyah for North American Jews with the cooperation of Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and JNF-USA, initiated this concept of exposing the Israeli public to Olim communities who not only made the decision to immigrate to Israel, but also to fully integrate themselves into Israeli society by establishing various business ventures across multiple industries. “These entrepreneurial Olim, who decided to open their own businesses are essentially contributing to the Israeli economy,” explains Naama Degani Rabin, Director of the Nefesh B’Nefesh Aliyah Campus. “We are happy to provide a platform for both Olim and Israelis to come and shop from these Olim generated businesses. They are developing the economy, and we fully support them.”
Degani Rabin says that whilst this event may be the first of its kind – it most certainly won’t be the last. “We want to provide a platform and offer exposure for as many businesses as possible. We hope that the next event will see even more Israelis attending, so that they can familiarize themselves with the world of Aliyah, see these businesses and come to support and applaud them. I was very excited to see the number of participants who came out to shop and offer their local support. I hope that this is just the first of many events to come, and that every business-owner who made Aliyah will have the opportunity to partake in it.” Watch the video at the top of the page.
In collaboration with Nefesh B’Nefesh