By Howard Goldstein
The jewelry store in the heart of Jerusalem, Israel, is nearly totally dependent on tourists. But the once-strong current of tourists has slowed to barely a trickle.
Rent and debts, however, are not lowered in times of poor tourism.
This is why Ettie and 28 other Israeli vendors came last weekend to the Merrick Jewish Centre to sell their wares.
Randy Schoenfeld, of Merrick, who along with her husband, Stuart, co-chaired the event, said, "We got the idea from a few other Israeli fairs we heard about in the U.S. We decided we had to do the same. We started planning last spring. We brought the idea to Rabbi Klein [of the Merrick Jewish Centre], and he was immediately interested."
Stuart said, "If we cannot come to Israel, we wanted to bring the vendors to us. Israelis need to know that they are not alone and that American Jews care. We will not stand by and do nothing when Israel is in trouble."
In addition to constant terrorist acts and poor international relations with much of the world, Israel is experiencing a severe economic squeeze brought by lack of tourism, a major industry in the Holy Land, in the wake of violence.
"We are thrilled with the turnout. This is really a show of solidarity with Israel. People didn't come here to buy chotchkes...They came to support their brothers and sisters in time of need," Stuart said.
More than 5,000 people attended the Israeli Miracle Mile vendor fair held Saturday night, Oct. 5 and Sunday, Oct. 6 at the Merrick Jewish Centre on Fox Boulevard.
"Almost all the synagogues in Merrick, Bellmore, Wantagh, East Meadow, Massapequa and the surrounding areas were involved in bringing the vendors to Merrick," said Gary Sanders, spokesman for the event.
"It was really a group effort with all the synagogues. People in the community have opened up their homes to the vendors, and so many people came to buy the wonderful Israeli products. This is for them, not us. Every penny of this project either covers the cost of the fair or, with what's left over, goes directly to the vendors to help them defer all their costs. I am delighted to report that most of the revenue has indeed gone directly back to the vendors," he said.
The fair featured diverse items of fine quality, including jewelry, expertly-crafted Jewish ritual objects such as Sabbath candle holders, books, Israeli-made clothing and Naot shoes and sandals, which are highly esteemed for their Mediterranean chic. A myriad of Israeli Jews were on hand to sell their wares, from Jews who escaped Iran during the 1979 Islamic Revolution to Russian immigrants and Israeli-born natives.
In one corner, skin-care products gleaned from the mineral-rich mud of the Dead Sea sold fast, and in another, posters from the 1920's, '30's, and 40's depicted heroes and organizations of the Jewish resistance to the British control of the land, as well as more modern pieces.
Raffles and kosher foods provided additional revenue to the vendors. Dozens of volunteers showed up to assist with the event.
Mary Greenfield lives in Baldwin, but she belongs to the Merrick Jewish Centre and came out to help. "I felt strongly about supporting Israel," she said.
Judy Goldscheider, wife of Rabbi Harvey Goldscheider of Temple Beth-El in North Bellmore, worked side by side with Elazar Refuah, an Iranian-born Jewish immigrant to Israel. Refuah was swamped with customers and happy to be working hard.
Goldscheider said, "The crowd volume means this is a success. This is so important to these people. I am proud of our Jewish communities who cared so much to make this happen.
Solidarity was the motivating factor for many, but the merchandise was well worth buying, according to fair-goers. "Israeli products are so exotic," said Rose Cohen of Bellmore. "There's just something about these products, made so far away in Israel."
At the end of the second day, as the fair concluded, Ettie was filled with a feeling of great warmth.
"The economic situation in Israel is very bad," she said," Thank God, as we say in Israel, all Jews are responsible for each other. Spending a few days here was so worth it."
Another woman named Penninah spoke little English, but the proceeds from her sales will go to her sister, Edna, wounded in a terrorist attack in Jerusalem.
"Thank you," was her response to the event.
Many of the vendors will continue to other fairs all over the United States.
"We are so happy with the results -- 5,000 people!," said Randy Schoenfeld. "There was such warmth here...It really showed that American Jews do support Israel and each other."
