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The Bloomingdale’s department store chain dismissed a fulfillment center employee last week after a customer found a handwritten note reading “Free Palestine” inside a package containing Hanukkah-themed pajamas.
The customer, Arielle Harris, shared the discovery in a TikTok video that quickly circulated online. She said the pajamas, decorated with Stars of David and hanukkiahs, were a gift from her boyfriend.
When Harris opened the package, she found the message written on the back of a Bloomingdale’s sales tag. The note had been placed directly on top of the receipt.
“This never should have happened,” Harris said in the video. “Bloomingdale’s needs to answer for their employees.”
@arielleharris_ a gift of hannukah pjs covered in jewish stars from @Bloomingdales and @P.J. Salvage was ruined by an unsolicited note. this is deeply disturbing and needs to be addressed. response to video from my boyfriend @Andrew @Claudia Oshry @Carly Weinstein @Jewish News ♬ original sound – arielle h
Internal Review Leads to Termination
After learning of the incident, Bloomingdale’s temporarily halted operations at one fulfillment center to conduct an internal review, according to a source familiar with the investigation who spoke to Bloomberg on Wednesday. The company identified the employee responsible and terminated their employment, the source said.
A spokesperson for Macy’s, which owns Bloomingdale’s, condemned the incident in a public statement. “Antisemitism and discrimination of any kind have no place in our business,” the spokesperson said. The company added that the conduct was unauthorized and violated internal policies.
Harris did not respond to Bloomberg’s request for comment.
Incidents Involving Jewish Customers
The Bloomingdale’s case follows several reported incidents since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre in Israel and the start of the Gaza war.
In one case last summer, a passenger flying with Iberia Airlines found “Free Palestine” written on kosher meal packaging. Days later, another passenger flying with JetBlue discovered the slur “Zionazi” written on similar packaging.
These incidents show how political hostility toward Israel continues to surface in everyday consumer settings.
Take Action
CAM has launched Report It — a secure app to report antisemitic incidents anonymously and in real time. Don’t stay silent — download it today on the Apple Store or Google Play. See it. Report it. Stop it. Together, we can fight this hate.
