*The incident took place in a supermarket in New Jersey. The tweet is by Michael Perino
@ProfessorPerino*
At the supermarket today, I found a small, elderly woman standing in front of a high shelf holding @BonneMamanUS preserves. She was having trouble finding the flavor she wanted because the jars were set back on the shelf.
She couldnt read the labels. She could barely reach them. I offered to help.
After I handed her the raspberry preserves, she thanked me, paused, and then asked, Do you know why I buy this brand?
I laughed and replied, Because it tastes good?
Yes, it tastes good. She paused again. I am a Holocaust survivor.
This was not the conversation I expected on a Sunday grocery run. During the war, the family that owns the company hid my family in Paris. So now I always buy it. And whenever I go to the store, my grandkids remind me, Bubbe, dont forget to buy the jelly.
I told her that that was the best reason I ever heard to buy any companys product. And then we both smiled behind our masks and went our separate ways.
*****************************
Someone else on Twitter looked into the story and indeed, the town that Andros Company, the makers of Bonne Maman, comes from, hid and saved Jewish families in WW2. It was called Biars sur Cere, which then had about 800 villagers.
From an article, You have to understand what it was like then. There were posters on the walls, from the Nazis and from the collaborators, and they said that if you are found to help a Jew, a freemason, a communist, a socialist, or a pervert, you will be shot on sight. Despite the great danger in which helping them put the villagers in, still they kept the children safe.
A good reason to buy Bonne Maman products. And a poignant reminder that when we look out for each other it can change lives, and that there are good and selfless people in the world.
Vive Bonne Maman! 🇫🇷
❤️DB
Blue Owl
(50,494 posts)AZ8theist
(5,493 posts)Margorie Taylor Greene KNOWS the holocaust is a myth....
Scrivener7
(51,004 posts)rambler_american
(789 posts)because I think it's the best. Now I'll buy it because of this story. Happy coincidence.
Karadeniz
(22,572 posts)cloudbase
(5,525 posts)yellowdogintexas
(22,270 posts)It is really good too
FalloutShelter
(11,878 posts)Great story. Thanks for sharing.
elleng
(131,105 posts)will pick some up next time.
spooky3
(34,476 posts)Dave in VA
(2,039 posts)but if you can't find it, here is a link:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=bonne+maman&crid=3C8USEXNG1W59&sprefix=bonne+ma%2Caps%2C170&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_8
Great tasting product!
elleng
(131,105 posts)Dave in VA
(2,039 posts)Harris Teeter, too.
Also, if you have a Christmas Tree Shop/This and That store, they usually have it in stock.
Lochloosa
(16,068 posts)Jerryatric
(2,472 posts)here, but now that I see a picture, I know we do. I just didn't know that's what those jars were. Now I will be sure to buy them every time instead of once in a while.
Lars39
(26,116 posts)dawg day
(7,947 posts)And that's a nice reward for you helping the lady.
MLAA
(17,327 posts)After I tell him the story, its Bonnie Maman forever!
MLAA
(17,327 posts)After I tell him the story, its Bonnie Maman forever! Before I hit post, I just read your post to my husband and hes all in on Bonne Maman from here on out!
Ligyron
(7,639 posts)It will taste even better now.
Solly Mack
(90,785 posts)Nice story.
dhol82
(9,353 posts)elleng
(131,105 posts)*Could the self-identified bubbe in the grocery store be confused about where and by whom she was sheltered as a child more than 75 years ago? Could the Gervoson or Chapoulart families have hidden Jews from Nazis and never gotten credit for it? Could Perino have asked a few more questions before posting his story to Twitter?
Yes, yes and, well, yes. But for some who appreciated the story, the facts may not matter.
Please dont make me fact check the Bonne Maman story, Jennifer Mendelsohn, a journalist who is widely known for her genealogy sleuthing online, tweeted on Wednesday morning. Cant it be like Santa Claus?'
Phoenix61
(17,019 posts)electric_blue68
(14,933 posts)PurgedVoter
(2,220 posts)The black cherry on Vegemite on buttered raisin bread is amazing. I get it at HEB
BobTheSubgenius
(11,564 posts)I won't ever get my wife to stop making jams and jellies with the fruit we grow, but I'll still buy Good Mother.
lame54
(35,321 posts)Mr.Bill
(24,319 posts)Rasberry preserves, and they are excellent. I usually buy Smuckers, but per ounce these were less.
Martin68
(22,877 posts)mbusby
(823 posts)...for quite a while. Did not know about the rescue during the war.
sarchasm
(1,012 posts)... and a staple in my pantry going on 40 years.
onetexan
(13,058 posts)Its widely available here &delicious in every flavor. Whether story is true or not, it has roots in the town that saved holocaust Jews. That is enough motivation for me to keep buying the brand.👍
Grins
(7,228 posts)onenote
(42,759 posts)Where does it say it's a hoax?
https://www.jpost.com/omg/is-bonne-maman-an-anti-nazi-jam-the-internet-wants-to-think-so-659344
Marcuse
(7,506 posts)NullTuples
(6,017 posts)live love laugh
(13,129 posts)Bristlecone
(10,133 posts)Which is perfect for baby Dutch pancakes.
Now I will surely not buy anything else.
JudyM
(29,274 posts)My mom bakes fine pastries and once she tasted it she ordered 3 cases when it went on sale! I like it with plain Greek yogurt. Its more fruit and less sugar, so semi-healthy sweet treat.
Gotta love it when quality products and ethics align. Interesting, thanks for posting this, elleng!
I_UndergroundPanther
(12,480 posts)And the giant near me.
I will always from now on have a jar in my fridge.
And I will repeat this story to people too.
Best reason to buy this preserves. And yeah thier jelly is really good too. My fave is blackberry .
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)So I added a couple jars to my list.
I will also share that story with friends and family and suggest they buy it.
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,036 posts)And yes it is good jam. If my primary brand of a particular flavour (one brand for each or couple of flavours) is not available, I always check the Bonne Maman jams. They are not my first choice due to cost. I remember particularly liking cherry but didn't treat myself to theirs often.
I will keep this story in mind and increase my purchases of Bonne Maman.
elleng
(131,105 posts)Peace
Ferrets are Cool
(21,110 posts)llashram
(6,265 posts)I will buy it...my co-op should be able to order a jar.
Jilly_in_VA
(9,995 posts)All the flavors. They have cool jars too, that are pretty and good for saving leftovers.
Unwind Your Mind
(2,042 posts)Also nice for rooting plants on windowsills
Vive BONNE MAMAN
lucca18
(1,244 posts)What a beautiful and profound story.💕
Response to elleng (Original post)
Mersky This message was self-deleted by its author.
Joinfortmill
(14,456 posts)lark
(23,155 posts)We need to hear more about human goodness these days when we see so many mean spirited people around.
I will indeed look for Bonne Maman jellies. I've never seen this at either of the 2 stores we shop at, but then again I never looked for it either. Will do that with my next trip.
Thank you!
demigoddess
(6,644 posts)Hekate
(90,793 posts)thucythucy
(8,086 posts)or ask for it the next time I go shopping.
malaise
(269,157 posts)Thanks
Larissa
(790 posts)I've put it on my shopping list.
Tikki
(14,559 posts)We have a big jar of a blended flavor in the frig as I type.
Tikki
dlk
(11,576 posts)Their preserves are wonderful! And with this story, even more reason to buy their products.
OverBurn
(958 posts)MontanaMama
(23,337 posts)is carried at Target and our local Albertson's. Bonne Maman = Good Mom.
11 Bravo
(23,926 posts)I will look for their product next time I go grocery shopping.
K&R
KY_EnviroGuy
(14,494 posts)See: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/bonne-maman-holocaust-shelter/
snips.....
While its true that Bonne Maman did not exist in any official capacity until after World War II, the founders of Andros, Jean Gervoson and Pierre Chapoulart, can trace the history of their business back to the French village of Biars-sur-Cère during the second World War.
and....
A spokesperson said: Bonne Maman is privately owned by Andros, a family-owned French company located in Biars-sur-Cere, France. The family prefers to maintain privacy and does not comment on inquiries about personal matters.
The founders of Bonne Maman can trace the roots of their business back to this small village in France. As Biars-sur-Cère had a population of less than 800 people during World War II, and as this family owned and operated its business during this time, the claim seems at least possible.
Dan Evon
Published 17 February 2021
Link to Andros North America: https://androsna.com/
Andros is a family owned and privately run company, headquartered in the southwest countryside of France, known as a global leader in fruit processing, frozen desserts, dairy and confectionery. Andros currently owns and operates more than 30 factories worldwide including a US fruit processing factory in Mt. Jackson, Virginia.
KY
Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)when I saw it on Facebook a week or so ago. It just got a hide then and I moved on.
Mersky
(4,986 posts)madaboutharry
(40,220 posts)They have strawberry in the Costco near me.