Fleisher's moment of conquest.
Fleisher's moment of conquest.Malkah Fleisher

The community of Olim (Jewish immigrants) from the United States is finding it hard to contain its excitement in recent days, after discovering that an Israeli supermarket chain is selling Ziploc self-sealing bags.

It appears that even the best adjusted US-raised Olim have been nursing a secret longing for the bags, and relying on family members abroad to supply them with the precious commodity.

Malkah Fleisher, an Aliyah activist, broadcaster and east Jerusalem pioneer, posted an exuberant selfie at week's end beside the stock of Ziplocs at the local Osher Ad supermarket branch, and triumphantly declared, in a ringing phrase worthy of a Churchill or Lincoln: "What they have, we will get. What we have they can never achieve".

Until a few years ago, she told Arutz Sheva, self-sealing bags were impossible to find in Israel, and up until a few days ago, they were still "hard to find and expensive and not good quality". Which is why the new arrivals "aren't just bags, they symbolize the progress Israel is making."

"Many Israelis remember when Heinz ketchup arrived in Israel", she recalled. "It was nothing – so unimportant – but it felt like something good, memorable, and high quality was making its way to Israel.  That one more awesome thing was now here, and no longer a barrier to fully loving and enjoying our country".

"It's just a plastic bag – honest to goodness it really is, and we do not need it to be happy – if we never see it again, it won't make a difference. But that it's here means that the gap has closed ever so slightly. You could say it was zipper-sealed".

Fleisher's selfie was quickly shared on Facebook by many members of the US-Olim community, and was featured on the Janglo list for Jerusalem based "Anglos", and on some websites.

"I just got some yesterday. It's awesome!", rejoiced journalist Samuel Sokol.

Another friend of Fleisher's, Dahlia Cantor, reported that "A few years ago, Yaakov and I were seriously thinking of importing them, but we both work full time and it was just too much to deal with. I'm so glad someone else did it!!!"

Blogger Judy Lash Balint exclaimed "Yesh!", which is the Israeli version of "Yippee!" or "Excellent!"

Journalist Yehezkel Laing asked: "Can Mashiach be far away?" and security consultant Joshua Wander replied with confidence: "He's here".

Another comment read: "That's exactly what I meant when I said we should be sealed well this year! Hashem answers!"

A laid back Michael Berezin wrote: "I'm so happy for you, for us, for the Jewish people and ultimately the whole world".

Fagie Samet Reves claimed that it was her brother, Jordan M. Samet, and his We Love Osher Ad Beit Shemesh Facebook group that made this happen – a claim that will doubtless be contested by many and probably left for historians to decide.