By Zoe Weil
I recently got into the holiday spirit and had the urge to decorate my house with some Hanukkah decor. I had a few pieces that I’ve collected over the years: a porcelain dreidel music box, several wax-stained menorahs, and some nondescript holiday snowflake items.
I wanted my almost 3-year-old daughter to get excited about celebrating Hanukkah, so in early December I stopped at Target (where I’d had previous success) to see what was in stock. I did not find one Hanukkah-related item. Not even Hanukkah candles, which I would consider to be the bare bones of Hanukkah retail items.
So I turned to the “What’s Happening in Mountain Brook” Facebook group to ask my neighborhood if they had any suggestions about where I could shop. I was encouraged by the responses and visited several spots to see if I could find something.
Sure enough, Hoover’s Home Goods provided me with a new (very cute) Hanukkah table runner, Publix furnished my daughter with some Hanukkah stickers, and Paper Source equipped me with a great selection of Hanukkah wrapping paper and gift bags.
Though ultimately successful, my hunt spurred several conversations about the lack of Hanukkah items (and, by extension, Judaica) offered in retail stores.
I chatted with many other Jews who had seen my initial ask on Facebook. We commiserated over the struggle to find Hanukkah decor. We also shared the sentiment of how we are so overjoyed to find Jewish retail items that we feel compelled to buy them. Would the store ever sell them again if we didn’t?
Feeling seen
I was also reminded of the so-not Jewish world we live in when my Gentile friends were a bit confused by my pursuit and suggested I just order from Amazon. If you’re a Jew in the South, you know the pure joy of feeling seen thanks to a Star of David necklace on display at Belk or a hamsa coin purse at World Market. It’s hard to describe to someone who regularly sees their holiday’s decor overflowing on the shelves, but seeing Hanukkah items for sale is a reassurance that the community knows we’re here and that they want to include us.
I took a few photos of some Hanukkah displays I ran across for anyone who may also be on the hunt. Note: Target did eventually provide some retail items, though it was hidden near the arts and crafts on an endcap. Take that for what you will.
Happy Hanukkah to all, and happy Hanukkah hunting to those of you who do!
Zoe is director of special projects within the Office of Jewish Life at The J.
Zoe investigates: A few photos of local Hanukkah displays
