A Jewish woman was shocked to find a “Free Palestine” note tucked inside a Hanukkah-themed gift her boyfriend bought at Bloomingdale’s, prompting the department store to launch an investigation.
New Yorker Arielle Harris shared the incident on TikTok, showing the holiday pajamas she received on the first night of Hanukkah, decorated with Stars of David and menorahs. Inside the package, placed atop the receipt on a store-branded card, was a handwritten note reading: “Free Palestine.”
“At first I was like, ‘What?’” Harris said. Her boyfriend, Andrew Jones, said his “heart dropped” when he saw the message. The couple, already shaken in the wake of the antisemitic Bondi Beach massacre in Australia, contacted family members before deciding to speak out.
“This never should have happened, and Bloomingdale’s needs to answer for their employees,” Harris said in the video, which drew nearly 110,000 views. Jones later pushed back against commenters who accused them of faking the incident.
The couple said they spoke with a senior Bloomingdale’s executive, who apologized and issued a full refund. Harris said the executive told them the fulfillment center is checking packages to ensure no other notes were included. Still, the couple said the message felt “violating” and ruined what should have been a private holiday moment.
A Bloomingdale’s spokesperson confirmed the matter is under investigation, calling the note an “unauthorized and unacceptable act,” and stressing that antisemitism or discrimination “has absolutely no place in our business.”
Former US antisemitism envoy Deborah Lipstadt condemned the incident online, calling it shameless. The couple said they are unsure whether they will shop at Bloomingdale’s again.