After Brooklyn Boycott Vote, IMPACT Launches ‘Snack Crew’ To Flood New York With Israeli Treats

In a direct response to the Park Slope Food Coop’s vote to remove Israeli products from its shelves, the grassroots organization IMPACT is mobilizing volunteers to distribute Bamba, Bissli, and other Israeli snacks across the New York region — turning an act of exclusion into a statement of pride.

When members of the Park Slope Food Coop voted last month to boycott nine Israeli products — including the beloved Bamba peanut snack — the move sent shockwaves through the New York Jewish community. But for the grassroots organization IMPACT, the vote was not a moment for despair. It was a spark.

IMPACT, which describes itself as a movement dedicated to organizing, empowering, and mobilizing people to stand against antisemitism while promoting Jewish pride and support for Israel, has announced the launch of “Snack Crews” that will fan out across the New York area in the coming weeks. Armed with thousands of Israeli snacks donated by Osem — the Israeli food company that manufactures Bamba and Bissli — volunteers will distribute free treats at schools, synagogues, community centers, public parks, and local events throughout the region.

The concept is deliberately simple — and deliberately joyful. “The Snack Crew is not about politics,” IMPACT stated in its announcement. “It’s about people.” The organization says the goal is to create positive interactions, celebrate Israeli culture, and remind communities that unity and pride are more powerful than division.

Daniel Rosen, President and Co-Founder of IMPACT, left no ambiguity about his organization’s view of the boycott movement.

“We believe that BDS is bigotry — and those people who want to single out Israel should be addressed properly. It should be told that BDS is in fact bigotry and that those who participate in it are bigots. The co-op represents something much bigger than themselves. Their actions were a spark for us to proclaim: This shall not stand.”

— Daniel Rosen, President & Co-Founder, IMPACT

 

A Vote Years in the Making

The Park Slope Food Coop, a worker-owned grocery store in Brooklyn that counts approximately 16,000 members, has debated BDS for more than a decade. The issue became a flashpoint following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel and the ensuing conflict in Gaza. Citing security concerns, coop coordinators moved the vote entirely online.

Of the 6,772 votes cast, 67 percent were in favor of the boycott, 31 percent against, and 2 percent abstained. Members first voted to lower the threshold needed to pass a boycott from a 75 percent supermajority to a simple majority of 51 percent — that measure passed 68 to 31. The boycott resolution itself, which declared that the coop would not sell goods produced in Israel until it “complies with international law,” then passed with 67 percent support. Nine products, including Bamba, bell peppers, olive oil, sesame products, and Dorot frozen herb cubes, will be removed from shelves.

Congressman Dan Goldman, whose congressional district includes the coop, condemned the vote sharply. Joining a movement founded on the principle of Israel’s elimination, he said, “only succeeds at shifting the responsibility for the Israeli government’s actions to American Jews, which is quintessential antisemitism.”

 

The Food Community Responds

Beyond IMPACT’s Snack Crew initiative, others in the food community have also spoken out. Elan Kornblum, founder of the Great Kosher Restaurants Group, said the ban — far from achieving its aim — would only galvanize supporters of Israel.

“Banning Bamba is just an excuse for the haters to hurt us. But the food community will use this as an opportunity to show our unity and love for a delicious product.”

— Elan Kornblum, Founder, Great Kosher Restaurants Group

The sentiment was echoed by educators across the region. Deganit Ronen, Head of School at WTA and a native Israeli, framed the moment as a call to action in Jewish education.

“As an educator and a native Israeli, my love for Israel is deeply personal. Today, more than ever, we must teach our children to stand proudly with Israel, celebrate our heritage, and respond to hatred not with fear, but with strength, unity, and unwavering pride.”

— Deganit Ronen, Head of School, WTA

 

Beyond Politics —
A Community Movement

IMPACT says the Snack Crew initiative is deliberately designed to be inclusive. The organization, which works across religious communities and counts Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, and other allies among its partners, frames the effort as a bridge-building exercise rather than a political protest. “When others try to isolate or boycott, IMPACT chooses to engage and educate,” the organization said.

Snack distribution is expected to take place at sites throughout New York and New Jersey in the coming weeks, with expansion planned as more volunteers sign up. Volunteers from all backgrounds are welcome.

For Rosen and IMPACT, the message to the broader community is straightforward: the best answer to a boycott is not silence, and it is not anger. It is community — and right now, it comes with a bag of Bamba.

Interested in joining an IMPACT Snack Crew? Sign up at: www.forms.gle/rrEiqafpQzzXJhmy5

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Aaron Herman is a nonprofit fundraiser, video journalist, and growth strategist specializing in Jewish storytelling and advocacy. He is Co-Founder and CEO of IMPACT, a movement to organize, empower, and mobilize communities against hate while celebrating Jewish joy ( join the movement and follow on socials at @joinimpactnow ). His reporting has appeared in national and Jewish media outlets. Aaron holds a BA from Binghamton University and an MPA from NYU's Wagner School. Aaron can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..