How much would you pay for a 16-ounce pouch of dirt from Israel? Five hundred dollars? Fifty? No, no, silly. Try 20 bucks. That’s right. For only about twice the price of a one-pound bag of Starbucks’ Sumatran extra bold, you can now own a bag of “100% genuine Israeli Soil,” thanks to a company called Holy Land Earth.
The first shipment arrived in New York earlier this week amid, well, some fanfare: A guy in a tuxedo and white gloves carried the first packages off the ship on a silver tray. In the company’s mind, the soil’s arrival is history-making. “For the first time in recorded history, Holy Land Earth brings a small piece of Israel directly to you,” their website solemnly declares.
I checked up on the company, and here’s the dirt. Holy Land Earth is the brainchild of businessman Steven Friedman, and what separates his product from any other sacred soil you might find on the Internet is that his dirt, the company says, is USDA approved–meeting all U.S. import regulations. It also comes with the blessing of “recognized Jewish religious authorities.”
“Similar in spirit to the Kosher certification process,” the site says, “Holy Land Earth is certified genuine by Rabbi Velvel Brevda–the director of the Council of Geula, Jerusalem.” The rabbi “travels between Israel and America and oversees the entire collecting, importing, and packaging processes.”
But what might you do with your bag once it arrives? The company offers several suggestions.
Ultimately your imagination is the only limit to what you can do with the dirt. “Get creative,” the company urges. “This is genuine soil from the Holy Land. Use it any way you wish.”
Of course, those who really want to touch Israeli soil, and are able, could always hop a plane. As the Israel National News notes, “For the price of 25 pounds of the earth, a customer could buy a one-way ticket and have the whole country at his feet.”
–John D. Spalding, editor of SoMAreview.com
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