Like every living being in the 21st century, I too order items on Amazon. I don't consider it a vice or an addiction; I don't buy things I don't need. It's practical. Whether it's Neironim Shabbos candles that fit a specific glass size, aluminum pans in bulk for Passover, or kosher melatonin, certain items aren't available locally in Bozeman.
Yet these are the excepts, not the rule.
I believe wholeheartedly in supporting our local community. Yes, even if it costs a bit more than getting if from out of town. Big Sky Country is blessed to have to have ethical, loyal, and appreciative business owners who provide impeccable service to their customers, and who, like me, are invested in bettering our local community. They can't always offer the same price as some online outfit, or get the "deals" big city businesses can afford to offer. However, unlike an online retailer with a "chatbot" for customer service or a conglomerate without a single human cashier, these merchants know me, care about my experience in their place of business treat Chavie and me like human beings, and support charities in our community. Their families also enjoy the same schools, trails, parks and rivers as we do.
I look around our beloved country and see how, sadly, many local communities have lost their cohesiveness, warmth, and genuine care for neighbors. If one doesn't shop at the local grocery while chit-chatting with their friend, the store owner, it's going to be hard to keep the community together, as we each fall into our individualistic bubble. So many people work online, shop online, and date online. But there is more to a community than living on the same block and waving when passing a fellow citizen.
"Yes, we have big box stores in Bozeman, but the locals still enjoy heavy doses of local shopping, and we keep it personal."
When cares are from CarMax, groceries from Instacart, tools from Amazon, food from Uber, paper goods from Target and toys from Walmart, it's hard to keep the local fire alive.
Yes, we have big box stores in Bozeman, but the locals still enjoy heavy doses of local shopping, and we keep it personal. Damian is my UPS driver, Patricia our family pharmacists, Mat my Honda car dealer, Dian is the cashier at a local grocery and Mary is at the other, Larry is the landscaper, Karina works at the Delta counter at the airport, Charlie runs the funeral home, Ben deals with marketing and web-design, and Joe is the local police captain. In Bozeman, we still know each other by name which, I believe, is vital for the health of our country.
Growing up, we'd get groceries from Mrs. Farkas at Singers, take-out from Mrs. Berger at Mermelstein's, paper goods from Moshe Andrusier, toys from Zakon's, meds from Linda and Shloime at Apple Drugs, kids clothing from Moshe at Little People's, and Masha at Young Timers. Everything was local and it was special. This was of course before the internet took over, but even then, my mom could have shopped at the bigger box stores and for the most part she didn't. Because there is nothing like the personal touch and friendly human interaction.
Next time you're about to open a shopping app, pause. Ask yourself if you can buy the item from a local store where a hard working entrepreneur is sweating tirelessly to build a business, provide a service, and feed his or her family. The actor, Neil Patrick Harris writes, "When you shop locally, you're not just buying a product, you're investing in your community." I couldn't agree more.
When asked whether the Jewish nature of the school is impacting its reception, he replied, "If anything, we feel the pain of what is happening in Israel more. The world becomes smaller when you have neighbors in harm's way."
Rabbi Bruk is particularly energized by this project. "Seeing the community of Great Falls be part of this project has been incredible. This joint Touro-Vaad Hakashrus-Chabad collaboration is unprecedented. This will not only be a resource for Jewish life in Great Falls but across the Montana High-Line."
