To help the businesses who were affected during the pandemic, an entrepreneur launched a service which brings products and gifts from Israel to the people in United States.
In an interview with The Christian Post, Itai Schimmel said that the Artza Box, a company that offers curated boxes of Israeli products created by local artisans, businesses and charities, aims to help struggling businesses and connect the clients with the Holy Land. The cost of annual subscription is $300 and $380 for its premium edition.
Every three months, a subscriber gets to receive a box of nine items from a specific region in Israel, such as Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Nazareth and Galilee, among others. Their latest box features the Golan Heights, containing herbal tea, candle, chocolate, and replicas of ancient olive oil lamp and jug from the time of Jesus.
One of their partners is Sindyanna of Galilee, which produces extra virgin olive oil from Cana, a Biblical city where Jesus made his first miracle by turning the water into wine during a wedding.
"When you open the box, it kind of really brings that specific city in that specific region to life in an immersive, educational, fun way where you can share with your family and your friends," Schimmel said.
In addition to goods, each box also contains spice and recipe card that showcases Jewish cuisine. Because of its popularity, Artza launched a fundraising campaign for a cookbook titled "Tasting Israel: A cookbook of food, family and faith," showcasing 60 recipes, histories and stories from 30 of the nation's leading chefs with various backgrounds.
"... This is a cookbook with a soul. Israel is a melting pot of many faiths and heritages and cultures and religions, and Israeli cuisine reflects that. Israeli cuisine isn't just one type of thing; it's a bit of Arabic, European, Moroccan and Ethiopian," the businessman unveiled.
Established in March 2020, the organization was already able to sell more than 50,000 boxes and earned over $1.6 million for its partner businesses and charities.
One of the organizations that the service was able to help is the charity in Jerusalem called the Susan's House, which was on the verge of closing down when Artza placed an order for ceramic vases.
"...the woman on the other line began crying. She said that just an hour earlier, the bank had called and said that if they couldn't pay the month's rent, they would be shut down. With that order that we placed, we gave them a lifeline for the next few months," Schimmel revealed.
He also shared that some of the proceeds from each box are given to an Israeli charity that helps abused women and children with special needs.
Schimmel stated that he was amazed with the American Christians' massive support for Israel.
"I always knew Israel had strong support from Christians in America, but I was never fully aware of how strong that support was. It's mind-blowing," he declared.
With the country's reopening, the entrepreneur said that the company will be offering tours.
