12 fabulous holiday gifts from Israel, for all budgets

By ISRAEL21c Staff

Add a special touch to your Chanukah presents by sourcing them from Israel at a range of prices from under $12 to under $600. No matter where you live, you can buy Israeli gifts from the comfort of home. Here are 14 items for every person on your gift list and for every budget.

Sock Monsters Laundry Sock Locks, by Ototo Studio, $11.20 
The perfect gift for anyone who has ever lost a sock in the laundry. That would be all of us. Ototo’s silicone sock monsters are designed to help keep socks together when you wash and dry them, whether it’s in the tumble dryer or on the line. Eight different sock monsters to each box. 

Arthur Egg Cup Holder, by Peleg Design, $13.84 
Peleg Designs have turned the humble egg into an egg in shining armor, with their King Arthur egg cup holder, which includes a spoon “sword” and protective helmet that keeps your egg warm until you’re ready to eat. Peleg also does a pair of sumo egg holders for $15.99, which are definitely worth a mention, and a yogi sponge holder for $12.99. 

Shani’s Shoebox by Rinat Hoffer, $15.99 
This delightful book for ages 4-8 is one of the only titles by award-winning Israeli children’s author Rinat Hoffer that’s translated into English. (Hoffer’s Hebrew bestsellers include Ayelet Metayelet and Hanan Haganan.)

Chutzpah: Why Israel Is a Hub of Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Inbal Arieli, $18.99
Inbal Arieli says chutzpah is an essential spice in the secret sauce of Israel’s innovation culture because it fosters entrepreneurial skills from a young age. Her book proposes structures, concepts and principles that can be used by parents, executives, innovators and policymakers anywhere to follow Israel’s example.

Sindyanna Trio Gift Set, $21.99 
Produced by a fair-trade nonprofit in the Upper Galilee employing Jewish and Arab women, Sindyanna extra-virgin olive oil has won many awards. This gift package contains three 3.38-ounce bottles for every need, from cooking to skincare.

Shoresh Body & Soul Organic Cocoa Body Butter (220ml), $23
Nicole Cohen makes this moisturizing body butter from organic cocoa butter, organic shea butter, cold-pressed almond oil, organic vanilla CO2 essential oil and orange essential oil. Cocoa butter helps heal dry, cracked skin and is a great source of natural antioxidants.

Papier Mache Pomegranate Mobile from Yad LaKashish, $25.80
When you buy this colorful mobile made of recycled paper, you help support the elderly people who handmade it at Jerusalem’s Yad LaKashish workshop in exchange for a living wage and a supportive community. Each pomegranate is approximately 2 by 3.3 inches; the mobile is about 41 inches long.

Falafel Wall Clock from Barbara Shaw Gifts, $33 
This lighthearted wall clock will remind you that it’s always time for lunch, Israeli-style. (Incude a AA battery to complete the gift!) If falafel is a little too quirky, you can also buy a more classic version of this clock with the word Ahava (love), written on it in Hebrew for $35.

TLV: Recipes and Stories from Israel by Jigal Krant, $35.80 
This cookbook/narrative/photo essay combines the essence and flavors of Tel Aviv. You’ll find recipes for street food (hummus, falafel, shakshuka and sabich) and see dishes common to the city’s infinite restaurants, where chefs make poetic use of the eating traditions of their immigrant population and Arab neighbors.

Tealight Candle Holders by Orly Rabinowitz, $46 
Colors such as bright pink, orange, light blue, and vivid green in these handmade polymer clay and glass tealight candle holders really pop in the glow of lit candles. They can also be admired on their own for their beautiful use of the Millefiori technique that requires no paint.

TytoHome Medical exam kit from TytoCare, $299.99 
TytoHome is a home medical kit and telehealth platform so you don’t have to drag the kids to the doctor. The modular unit examines body temperature, heart, lungs, skin, ears, throat and abdomen, and sends results to a healthcare provider. Invented in Israel, TytoHome is available at Best Buy stores across the United States and at BestBuy.com. The cost of each exam, not exceeding $59.99, depends on the nature of the exam and/or the user’s health insurance plan.

Raptor AR Smartglasses by Everysight, $599 
For the serious cyclist, this ride computer could be the best present ever. Equipped with voice control and heads up display, Raptor AR Smartglasses project an unobtrusive augmented reality layer of information in front of the biker’s eyes. Raptor’s HD front-facing camera allows the user to relive moments with real-time metrics embedded on the videos. 

Reprinted with permission from www.Israel21c.org.