Bold and Proud: Olam Tova launches with clothing that promotes Israel, Zionism
At a time when many people are reluctant to make a public display about supporting Israel, Jenna Galbut is helping people wear it on their sleeves.
And their chests, their legs, their foreheads…
Galbut, who made a name for herself in the last decade as a personal development guide online, and has more recently done brand development and investment advising, recently opened Olam Tova, an online clothing store with bold, youthful designs that carry a message — that the wearer is a proud supporter of Israel, and isn’t going to hide it.
The clothes also have another purpose — profits are sent to help Israel recover from the Oct. 7 attacks.
Olam Tova, Hebrew for “A Good World,” is part of her response to how October 7 changed her outlook, and enables people to “support Israel, and look good doing it.”
On July 24, there will be a launch party in Miami for Olam Tova, with singer and social media influencer Montana Tucker as keynote speaker. The evening also includes former Israeli spokesman in Britain Eylon Levy, who is the subject of one of the designs. Also scheduled are former IDF paratrooper Sam Fried, UnOrthodox comedian Chani Lisbon, author Dov Forman, activist Adela Cojab, comedian Yechiel Jacobs, life coach Vivace Maxvictor and producer Zack Sage Fox.
“Growing up, I was very Americanized,” Galbut said. “A lot of American Jews took Israel for granted — it would always be around, we didn’t have to worry.”
But growing up with relatives who survived the Holocaust, she was taught to “be careful,” that there is never a period of 100 years without something bad happening to the Jews.
October 7 “shifted and repositioned my identity,” while being very depressing. She had been active with the Me Too movement and marched with Black Lives Matter, but found that when it came to the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, her concern and solidarity for their causes was not reciprocated.
“It was really hard being abandoned by my friends, the people I marched with,” she said. “I’m showing them video of October 7 and they won’t say a thing. That was really heartbreaking.”
She decided to channel her energy into doing something for Israel.
She has a friend who is connected to a family in Kfar Aza that stayed in hiding for 48 hours as Hamas rampaged through the area. “When they came out, everyone was dead.” She really wanted to be able to help families like that, and came upon the idea of designing Israel-themed clothing as a way of raising a lot of money quickly, to help Israelis.
She figured that she taught herself how to design materials when she self-planned her wedding in 2022, so “I could probably figure this out.”
In November, she started organizing Olam Tova and coming up with “trendy and cool” Israel-related designs.
It turns out that the clothing has a dual purpose. In addition to raising money for causes in Israel, it is a physical demonstration of support.
“It is time to start being loud and proud, because we won’t survive otherwise,” she said. “We don’t have time any more to be hiding.”
Fashion “is inherently activism,” she said. “Any time you are wearing an article of clothing… you are sending a subliminal message to the one who is seeing it.”
Wearing Israel
In May, she did photo shoots in Mississippi and Georgia, spotting the occasional Israel flag on the back roads or outside a church.
Some Olam Tova designs are more subtle, like a turquoise, blue and green pattern with the Hebrew word Shalom in black, or the word ‘Freedom” with a subtle American and Israeli flag pattern.
Others are much more pointed — shirts that say “Hamas was not expecting October 8 Jews” and an even more direct play on the Hebrew phrase for “The nation of Israel lives” — “Am Yisrael F—ing Chai,” only the actual shirt eschews the hyphens.
Bad words are a motif for other shirts, such as one stating “’Israel’ and ‘Jewish’ are not bad words,” and “If Zionism is a dirty word, then talk dirty to me.”
Other phrases include “Spread hummus not hate,” “Only losers are antisemites,” “Dear Antisemite, your hate only makes us stronger,” “Zionism is sexy” and “Jews bite back.”
The abandonment she felt from previous allies after October 7 is manifested in a shirt with the quote “I was a bleeding heart liberal but they left me with a bleeding heart.”
There are dresses with Israeli flag, Chai or Israeli national seal patterns, Israeli flag leggings, and a July 4 pattern in reds and blues incorporating five- and six-pointed stars.
There are sneakers with Israeli flag designs, and for beach activism certain to draw attention, an Israeli flag bikini. For those at the other end of the clothing spectrum, there is a Tznius collection for dressing modestly.
In June, a few of the Israeli flag items, including yoga leggings, the bikini and a pencil skirt added a rainbow motif for Pride Month. A ‘Pride” tank top includes the Israeli, U.S. and Pride flags.
Not everything has to do with Israel. Some patterns incorporate bagels, nosh or hamsas, or a “Schvitz” shirt perfect for this summer’s heat.
In addition to clothing, Olam Tova offers many of the patterns on suitcases, travel bags, hats, pet clothing, slide sandals, weekend bags, socks and yoga mats.
Galbut sees Olam Tova creating “a community of like-minded individuals who share a passion for Israel and Jewish causes,” confronting and changing the narrative set by anti-Israel groups.
If one feels too self-conscious, Galbut said to go out with friends who are wearing similar messaging, as there is strength in numbers. Not everyone is bold enough to be the “the first wave of pioneers to take it on and have courage” to wear these messages. “We’re doing it. The first wave is already here,” which will prompt others to join the second wave.
“Join the first wave, or join the second wave,” she urged.
Orders can be placed at olamtova.com.
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