A Gift That Gives Back

Sending a loved one a gift basket, filled with products from Israel, is a fun and creative way to show you’re thinking about them. And thanks to Jewish National Fund-USA’s Online Mitzvah Marketplace, assembling one is now also a great way to support Israeli small business owners.

“Jewish National Fund-USA’s Online Mitzvah Marketplace is a wonderful initiative that seamlessly blends shopping with supporting a meaningful cause,” Rob Ganz, chair of the organization’s Products Committee, told B’Yachad. “This unique platform allows you to explore an array of high-quality products crafted by talented local artisans from northern and southern Israel—those who are hurting most by the war and the lack of tourism.”

Whatever the occasion—a family member or friend’s simcha (special occasion), Passover, or even Mother’s Day—a gift basket is a way of showing you care.

Using the Mitzvah Marketplace, one can create and assemble the perfect Israeli gift basket. The website—shop.jnf.org—features packages with products by local artisans from the North and South of Israel. Goods include coffee brew and tea packages from the Galilee, scented soaps, skincare, ceramics, herb jars, handmade chocolate, cheeses, mezuzahs, candlesticks, wine, books, home décor, and jewelry.

Throw in the iconic Jewish National Fund-USA Blue Box, as well as desert water certificates that show you’ve donated toward Israeli water innovations in a loved one’s name, and you’ve got a perfectly unique gift basket. You can even order a support package to be sent directly to an evacuated family or a soldier in Israel, full of special items that lift spirits and support small businesses.

“When you assemble a support package with items from small businesses from the Galilee and Negev, through the Online Mitzvah Marketplace, you’re creating a heartwarming gift basket while supporting Israeli communities,” Michal Shiloah Galnoor, CEO at Western Galilee Now, said. “Especially after October 7, with thousands of residents evacuated from the country’s north, and with tourism down because of the war, this is an effective way to show your solidarity with the hardworking people of the region.”

Whether a craft microbrewery located in the Galilee, or an art gallery in Akko run by a collective of women artists, Galnoor explained that the businesses in Israel appreciate that Americans are thinking of them.

“It means a lot to them,” Galnoor said. “And, when your support package contains all these locally sourced items from Israel, and unites the Galilee and Negev in one gift package—it stands out from everybody else’s.”

In total, the Mitzvah Marketplace offers more than 50 specialty items for people to choose from when assembling their baskets. These individual items can be shipped to addresses throughout the U.S. or Israel.

“The Jewish National Fund-USA Online Mitzvah Marketplace is more than just a shopping experience—it’s a chance to make a real difference in the lives of these artisans and their families,” Ganz said. “It’s a fantastic way to celebrate the spirit of giving and connection to Israel.”

To learn more, explore the full marketplace at jnf.org/shopping