Last year, our local Target had an entire aisle dedicated to Hanukkah merchandise; this year it has been downsized to only two meager endcaps.

America has the second largest Jewish population after Israel. Although Jewish people only take up about 2.4 percent of the U.S. population, there is a strong Jewish presence in certain areas around the country. Following New York, the Bay Area has one of highest Jewish populations of 228,000. Because of this, I think it is only fair for our local businesses to carry a decent amount of merchandise for holidays like Hanukkah.

Many argue that because the Jewish population is so small, it is not economical to sell goods that pertain to Hanukkah. However, in areas such as the Bay Area, stores should have more Hanukkah product options to accommodate the larger Jewish population.

I am Jewish, and personally I find this issue extremely frustrating. I had the intention of shopping at Target to pick up Hanukkah decorations for school. When I got there, I searched for Hanukkah goods near the Christmas aisles. When I couldn’t find them, I asked an employee. The response I received was, “What is the Hanukkah?” Irritated, I walked around the store trying to find what I was looking for. Finally, I found the two endcaps near the electronic equipment. My options were severely limited; I ended up only buying a simple banner and a few stickers. I do not understand how last year yielded an entire aisle full of options, and this year there are barely any at all.

Other stores have more of a selection, and some have none at all. For instance, our local Richards doesn’t even have any cards for Hanukkah, yet the entire store is stocked with Xmas goods. This year, Hanukkah shopping will have to be done mostly online. Hopefully this coming Hanukkah there will be more of a selection.