ERETZ

A

CHI, American 
Communities Helping 
Israel, was founded 
in 2004 during the Second 
Intifada to boost the econ-
omy and morale in Israel. 
Most recently, it has created 
an online marketplace to help 
Israeli vendors impacted by the 
COVID-19 pandemic.
Five women who went to 
high school together more than 
50 years ago created a virtual 
market for Israeli vendors to 
sell their merchandise from 
afar.
ACHI is an online market-
place where 150+ Israel-based 

vendors can find new custom-
ers worldwide. The nonprofit’s 
slogan is “Think Israel, Buy 
Israeli” and acts as a counter-
punch to the BDS movement. 
It serves as a sort of “Etsy” for 
Israeli vendors so that even if 
people can’t visit Israel, they 
can support it.
The founder, Suzanne 
Weilgus, started the organi-
zation in 2004. She organized 
“Ben Yehuda Fairs” in the 
Northeast to help Israeli mer-
chants whose businesses were 
suffering from a lack of tour-
ism. Vendors who traveled to 
the U.S. to sell their products 

told her they sold more in four 
hours at those fairs than they 
had in two years.
“About 50 stores were kept 
alive, and they were able to feed 
their families because of these 
fairs,” says Weilgus. “People 
want to help Israel; we just have 
to show them how.”
After the fairs, ACHI con-
tinued to promote Israel and 
Israeli products in stores, syn-
agogues and all over the com-
munity. 
 During the height of COVID, 
when Israeli businesses were 
suffering once again, Weilgus 
knew she had to do something.
“Businesses in Israel are in 
trouble. We couldn’t even get 
through to many of the mer-
chants by phone because they 
couldn’t afford their phone 
bills,” Weilgus said. “So we 
worked on creating a virtual 
market.”
With the help of high school 
friends Gloria Gordon, Tova 
Taragin, Dr. Lynda Zentman 
and Rochelle Zupnik, ACHI 

moved online. The group of 
five has now blossomed to eight 
plus three associates who work 
on social media.
“We’ve all become kind of 
like sisters through this. Each 
one brings different talents to 
the table and we feel very ful-
filled,” the ACHI team said.
The main staff are all volun-
teers, so the money earned goes 
toward maintaining the website 
and paying social media associ-
ates, instead of to salaries.

SOMETHING FOR 
EVERYONE
The Market sells Judaica, art, 
cosmetics, fashion, food, gift 
stores, jewelry, photos and 
wines of Israel. One section 
offers customers the option to 
purchase Israeli goods online 
to be delivered to friends and 
family living in Israel.
All vendors need to join the 
online platform is an e-com-
merce website in English and 
the ability to ship goods to cus-
tomers in the U.S and Canada.

Shop Israel

32 | MARCH 10 • 2022 

Online marketplace makes it easy 
to buy Israeli goods during the 
pandemic.

JN STAFF