When Shayna Chalom launched Mazal Market in July 2024, she knew there was a need for giving Jewish small businesses a leg up, but she had no idea how big it would get. In the months following the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, Jewish businesses in Los Angeles (and world-wide) faced vandalism, got abandoned by customers, and struggled to contend with online trolls.
So Chalom, a Toronto-native based in Los Angeles for nearly five years, was inspired by the show “Trigger Warning with Killer Mike,” where the rapper attempted to buy exclusively from Black-owned businesses and struggled to find a fully self-sustaining supply chain. Watching it, she thought, ‘Every struggle he faced in this series, I knew a Jewish person in LA with that business.’ Chalom realized there was no marketplace dedicated to supporting Jewish entrepreneurs in the same way — so she created one.
The summer market in 2024 was a massive success, and so was the Hanukkah Mazal Market in December.
“The whole purpose of it is so much bigger than me, and I know that,” Chalom told The Journal. “It’s not to elevate myself in any way, but to elevate the various Jewish communities and make sure that these people are safe.” For Chalom, Mazal Market is more than a shopping event — it’s an urgent response to the current climate.
And now, Chalom is setting her sights on healing another facet of the Jewish community: mental health. On Sunday, March 9, Chalom will host Simcha of Serenity, a wellness event in partnership with Shalom SoCal, a local organization focused on Jewish communal engagement. Taking place in Hollywood from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, it will offer wellness services, guided movement workshops, and other self-care activities. The event will also feature curated vendors selling wellness products and artisanal goods, along with a welcoming space designed to foster new friendships and community. Tickets are $10 for general admission, with a $36 Mitzvah Maven ticket that includes a $10 donation to American Friends of NATAL, an organization supporting trauma recovery in Israel. All proceeds from ticket sales will fund trauma counseling and mental health services for Israelis affected by war and terror.
“There are so many great businesses that could use a platform, and right now, so many organizations and charities that need a place to share their message in person,” Chalom said.
“There are so many great businesses that could use a platform, and right now, so many organizations and charities that need a place to share their message in person” – Shayna Chalom
For Chalom, expanding into wellness and mental health is a natural extension of what Mazal Market represents.
“I didn’t know where my place was in all of this until I had this idea,” she said. “I didn’t know how to help my people or help Israel or help the community or put myself on the line more — because that’s my place. My place is on the line.”
Mazal Market wasn’t just a pop-up — it was a statement. Vendors saw impressive sales, many with almost entirely new customers. Attendees described it as stepping into a little piece of Israel. Even when other events were happening the same night, people made sure to stop at Mazal Market first.
Los Angeles resident Alex Altberg, who attended the inaugural Mazal Market with his children, described the experience as the next best thing to visiting and shopping in Israel.
“Supporting Jews, Israelis, Israel in that way — it’s the next best thing to getting on a plane and flying 16 hours,” Altberg told The Journal. His kids especially loved browsing for jewelry and trinkets. He was excited to tell friends about Mazal Market and encourage them to attend future events to support Israeli vendors.
Madelyn Fischer left the market with a tote bag that read No Time for Schmucks, handmade by Chalom herself.
“I love seeing my friends promote their businesses,” Fischer told The Journal.
For Rami Kedar, owner of Ella Judaica in Beverly Hills, the event was about more than selling.
“Every way to support Israel is important, in any form or shape,” Kedar told The Journal. “If it’s being a vendor, if it’s spreading your Judaism, if it’s spreading your support for Israel — everything is super important now.”
Kedar’s business has thrived for years with a storefront on Wilshire Boulevard. For him, buying a booth at Mazal Market wasn’t about exposure — it was about standing side by side with other Jewish businesses in town.
Samantha Michelle, a DJ from Toronto who has performed at many fundraisers for victims of Oct. 7, said that showing up at Mazal Market was part of standing firm in her Jewish identity.
“The world is trying to make us feel alone, isolated, and ashamed,” Michelle told The Journal. “We gotta be like, ‘Oh no, I’m going to go and be loud and proud.’”
Chalom’s second Mazal Market in December 2024 was even bigger than the original. The weather was colder, and there was much less sunlight than the first, but the Hanukkah event was packed. Many of the vendors were first-timers, selling everything from Jewish-themed greeting cards to sufganiyot. There was even a Bashert Room — a premium-priced space with complimentary treats and an oneg-style setup designed for mingling.
“I could have never pictured this being where it’s at,” Chalom told The Journal.
As Chalom’s work in the Jewish community deepens, she’s become more vocal about reinforcing Jewish identity — both her own and that of others.
“Pre-Oct. 7, I feel like I almost had this privilege that I didn’t even realize I had — by passing as almost non-Jewish,” she said. “I never tried to pass as non-Jewish, I’m proud as hell of being Jewish, but I feel like so many people don’t associate my look with being Jewish. So post-Oct. 7, all I do is wear symbolism — every shirt, every sweater, I hand-paint leather jackets covered in Jewish symbols.”
That sense of identity is woven into all of her events.
“I feel like for so long, I didn’t really have a place in my community because of how I look and because of my queerness,” she said. “But as I grew up, I realized that’s not true and that Judaism can look a thousand different ways.”
People keep asking Chalom when the next Mazal Market is. But her vision extends beyond Los Angeles.
“That was the original plan. That’s why when I bought the website, I bought ‘Mazal Market’ — nothing to do with LA,” she said. “The only thing that has ‘LA’ in it is the logo. Because my goal is to contact different Jewish communities in different cities and find capable coordinators there to put on the event in their own communities.”
For her, every project comes down to one thing: making a difference.
“The only thing that matters to me is giving the community a better platform, and if I can make the slightest difference, or if I could help — if I could keep everyone safe and keep everyone protected, that’s all I care about.”
For those who missed Mazal Market, Simcha of Serenity is another opportunity to be part of the energy. And for those who attended, it’s a continuation of something they already know: when Chalom builds something, people show up.
Visit the PoshMark ticket page to purchase tickets to Simcha of Serenity. Follow Mazal Market on Instagram for updates on future events: @MazalMarket.
