Although she’s 71 and semi-retired, Barbara Greenwald enjoys being the new kid on the block among the far-flung “sisterhood” that oversees the nonprofit American Communities Helping Israel (ACHI).
“I just joined ACHI,” says Greenwald, a Cleveland native who moved to Pikesville from New York five years ago. “These women are grandmothers and great-grandmothers, and they’re all so energetic and dedicated to Israel. They’re just wonderful!”
ACHI was founded in 2003 during the Second Intifada as a way to help Israeli merchants whose businesses were suffering.
“There wasn’t any tourism over there, so ACHI’s founder, Suzanne Weilgus, organized fairs that brought over Israeli merchants,” says Marcia Wagner, a Park Heights resident who became involved in ACHI about three years ago. “That’s how it all got started.”
With the onset of COVID and Israeli merchants struggling once again, Weilgus recruited three former classmates from Yeshiva University High School in Manhattan — including longtime Baltimore resident Tova Taragin– to create ACHI’s website, which features a marketplace of close to 300 Israeli vendors.
The mission of the marketplace is “Support Israel – Buy Israeli,” especially now with the Jewish state’s economy in a precarious position since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack and subsequent war in Gaza.
Since then, ACHI has grown and expanded, even though its founders are spread out now and live in Florida, New Jersey and Maryland, communicating primarily via Zoom. Its latest — and youngest — member, Liz Rothstein of Baltimore, has a son training as a combat medic in the Israel Defense Forces.
“We respond to crises,” says Wagner, who belongs to Pikesville’s Netivot Shalom Synagogue. “With this new war, we’re again responding. There are other websites out there [that benefit Israeli merchants], but we are completely not-for-profit. It’s all done for Israel, with the ultimate goal to keep Israel in the hearts and minds of all Jews and to encourage people to buy Israeli products. People want to help right now.”
The marketplace features home décor, arts and crafts, holiday gifts, cosmetics, jewelry, wine, fashion, books, virtual tours, toys and games, and other items.
Through fundraising events such as concerts, art sales and magic shows, ACHI also makes donations to “Lone Soldiers,” evacuees, widows, and other Israelis in need of financial support.
This year, ACHI so far has donated more than $25,000 to various charities in Israel. ACHI’s latest endeavor is selling “Shabbat Shalom Cards,” greeting cards featuring art by select online merchants.
The price of each card represents the cost of a Shabbat meal provided by Lema’an Achai in Israel for families of active soldiers and evacuees, and bereaved families of those who lost their lives on Oct. 7. The direct link is achi613.org/shop.
“We want to help support them and be there for morale as well,” says Wagner, a retired teacher and grandmother. “We all have connections in the Jewish community and in Israel. When you can do something to help, it’s very therapeutic and fulfilling.
“I didn’t know any of [the ACHI founders] until I joined. But it’s quite amazing,” she says. “I joined because these ladies amazed me, and they always inspire me to do more. It’s a very heimishe [comfortable] group. … Doing something for Israel fulfills me. I really love Israel, and this is an outlet for us. We’re not Friends of the IDF or a federation, but this is our way of helping.”
A writer and editor, Greenwald says she heard about ACHI through her sister who knows Wagner from their shul. Greenwald wanted to tangibly help Israel after Oct. 7.
“I felt like I had to do something,” she says. “I’ve been to Israel about five times and I have a lot of family over there. Getting involved with this is helping me. I’m doing something. This group gets a lot of thank-yous. It’s just the little bit that we can do.”
For information, visit achi613.org or email team@achi613.org
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