There are a few things a girl like me expects from IKEA. I expect that IKEA will be affordable. I expect that my partner and I will be able to assemble IKEA furniture without the dissolution of our relationship. And I expect that the names of said IKEA furniture will have many, many vowels. What I do not expect is that IKEA will wish a girl like me (read: a Jew) a happy Passover.
And yet, that is what IKEA did earlier this week. Or, at least, they tried.
On Sunday, the IKEA USA Instagram account shared a photo with the caption: “Wishing everyone a joyous Passover filled with love, family, and delicious memories.” The picture in question features a tablescape with *checks notes* what appears to be a blueberry cobbler, cream, glasses of water and a mug of coffee. So is that a matzah meal crust or…?
The post didn’t get quite as much traction as a certain Hallmark Instagram post, but quite a few Jewish Instagram users (including actor Jonah Platt) critiqued IKEA in the comments section. “Nothing says ‘we know Jewish holidays’ like using the exact kind of food we don’t eat on this specific holiday in your post!,” one wrote. Another joke, “Ah yes, the traditional Passover blueberry pie, just as they had in the desert.”
If I may be bold enough to add a fifth question: What are we doing here, IKEA?
Here’s the thing. Jew to Scandinavian multinational conglomerate, allow me to say: You don’t actually have to wish Jews a Happy Passover. It’s OK. I am happy to receive Passover wishes from my family and friends, and endure Jewish Star Capitalism when it actually makes sense for that to be happening. I anticipate I will see a social media post about Passover from companies like Manischewitz and Kedem, because, duh. I won’t even bat an eyelash at Hallmark attempting a Passover post because sharing holiday wishes is their whole thing.
But my Passover will not be made or broken by the acknowledgment from a Swedish chair company, because my assumption is that most Nordic peoples don’t really know what it is. And clearly, the good (non-Jewish) people of IKEA don’t! And now because of this weird Passover post, I’ve done enough Googling about IKEA to know that its founder Ingvar Kamprad low-key had Nazi ties. So like, once again, what are we doing here, IKEA?
Shows of solidarity are important, but in the future, maybe just stick with Hanukkah, IKEA. In exchange, I promise I will not try to wish you a merry Gustavus Adolphus Day.
