Lev Haolam

What's in the box: Each box holds 7 to 9 Israeli items, a mix of foods, spices, sweets, tea or coffee, Judaica or jewelry, cosmetics and ceramics, plus a magazine about the makers.

Lev Haolam is a membership program built around buying goods from small Israeli family businesses and artisans. It is as much about supporting those makers as about the products. The company says it orders directly from local families, and every box comes with a magazine telling the makers' stories. There are two plans. The $79 per month membership gives you a private shop with over 1,000 Israeli goods and a private community. It also lets you buy one Surprise Box per month at a member price, but no box is included. The $119 per month plan includes a Surprise Box every month. Each box holds 7 to 9 items, which can include food and spices, sweets like honey and dates, tea and coffee, jewelry and Judaica, cosmetics made with Israeli herbs and minerals, and ceramics or housewares. Because it is a surprise box, you cannot pick the items, so a month heavy on cosmetics may disappoint someone who mainly wants food. US box shipping is listed as free for one box a month, but import fees are calculated at checkout, so check your final total. The plan descriptions are also a bit confusing about what the box costs on each tier. If you want a varied monthly mix of Israeli products and like knowing your money goes to small producers, it is a reasonable choice.