Best Products; Courtesy Maisonette, Michael Kors, Bloomingdales
Antisemitism isn't new, but it sure is prevalent right now. It's more important than ever to support the Jewish community in the wake of recent events — and one way to do that is to shop at Jewish-owned businesses. Whether they're large like Ben & Jerry's or smaller like Domani Home, there are great companies whose business is often hurt during unfortunate times like these.
Although, chances are, you already own something a Jewish person invented. If you're wearing jeans right now — guess what? — they were invented by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss, who were both Jewish. Did you have a teddy bear growing up? You can thank Morris and Rose Michtum, the Jewish candy store owners who invented them as means of paying homage to Teddy Roosevelt. Do you prefer writing with ballpoint pens? They were invented by Hungarian Jewish man Laszlo Biro.
And the list doesn't end there. Traffic lights, instant coffee, cell phones, microphones, lasers, stainless steel, kidney dialysis, color television, Prozac, the polio vaccine, Google, chemotherapy, cheesecake, and, of course, bagels — were all invented by Jewish people, and that's nowhere near an exhaustive list. We are an industrious lot — after all, we have a whole day each week where we just rest and think, and clearly, it can lead to awesome things.
Check out the best Jewish-owned brands to support below!
Owned by Leah Prag of Lakewood, New Jersey, Domani Home is a small textile and home accessory business that makes stunning items like this blanket with a heart motif. Soft and luxurious, this is a great blanket to throw over a chair or decorate a nursery.
It's made of 100% cotton, so you don't need to worry about anything artificial beside your baby.
Did you know that Michael Kors is Jewish? Yup. This bona fide fashion mogul started out as a Jewish kid from Long Island. (Trust me, just go out there in any Jewish community, and they will explain to you exactly how many degrees of separation they are from him. Apparently, my rabbi’s cousin’s wife’s mom was friends with his mother.)
And let's not kid ourselves — these furry sandals are a ton of fun to wear out or just around the house.
Sierra Nevada is one of the few large-scale breweries that haven't been purchased by a large beer conglomerate. The Jewish owner, Ken Grossman, is from just outside Los Angeles.
This 12-pack of beer features some of their hoppiest brews like Dankful and Atomic Torpedo — and if I'm being honest with you, I just bought a 12-pack myself last night!
The Lauder family was one of the first Jewish families to build a huge cosmetic empire. They still own 38% of the Estée Lauder brand, and they're known for being awesome with time off and their benefits.
Aerin Tangier Vanille is one of my favorite perfumes. It's a woodsy gourmand fragrance that smells a bit like vanilla tea and incense. It's light enough for the day, but mysterious enough for evening wear.
Just Born, the candy makers behind classics like Mike and Ikes and Peeps, was founded by Jewish American Sam Born — and it's still a Jewish-owned, family-run company.
Pro tip for Peeps consumption: Microwave those bad boys for 10 seconds and then smear them on a graham cracker for some real chewy, marshmallowy goodness.
One of the owners of Moose Toys — and its CEO — Manny Stul, was born in a Jewish refugee camp near Munich, Germany. He runs Moose with his wife, Jacqui Tobias, and stepson, Paul Solomon.
The Magical Mixies Misting Crystal Ball is actually Best Products' Toy of the Year. It's so freaking cool. It's a crystal ball and wand that mist and when you tap the wand on the ball, a plush appears. That plush tells your fortune! You can do this over and over again, and if you want, the crystal ball can serve as a night light.
Emily Kesselman is a Jewish artist with an adorable Etsy shop that features both radical Jewish art prints like this one — which I need immediately. It’s a black and white print with a cute illustration of a Pallas cat that reads, “I’m a Pallas cat, and I believe in you.”
Deborah Elfassy, the Jewish owner of 2Jewesses and Hamsa Alek, really is a queen just like the necklace proclaims. Her jewelry was seen on Broad City, which actually made me look them up and buy their “Jewess” earrings. This necklace, like the earrings, is gold-plated, heavy, and super fun and stylish.
The Zabar family opened their store on the Upper West Side of Manhattan 80 years ago. Catering to Jewish families in the area, they made everything in-house, from scratch.
This “New York Deli Experience” treats you to their famous pastrami, onion pockets, babka, and bread. Plus, you get Fox’s U-bet syrup to make the perfect egg cream, spicy mustard for your sandwiches, and a MetroCard cookie.
These are the only latkes I’ll eat that I don’t make myself. Russ & Daughters is a Jewish institution on the Lower East Side, making “appetizing,” which includes items like lox and bagels, whitefish, smoked herring, caviar, and of course, latkes.
These are melt-in-your-mouth good. Smear them with some cream cheese and a dollop of applesauce and you’ll be transported to Hanukkah.
Cat Bowen has been writing about all things parenting for well over a decade. She spends her days researching, reviewing, and testing everything from strollers to breast pumps to changing tables. Her work has been featured in Romper, Bustle, and franchised across dozens of media outlets. In her spare time she loves volunteering at her kids' schools, reading everything she can get her hands on, running, and cooking for her family.