Bloomingdale’s: 'free Palestine’ note found in Hanukkah PJs

Bloomingdale’s has terminated an employee after a political message reading “Free Palestine” was discovered inside a package containing Hanukkah-themed pajamas, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The incident surfaced after a customer shared the discovery on social media earlier this week. 

The handwritten note was found tucked inside a Bloomingdale’s package alongside a receipt for the pajamas, which featured Jewish symbols and holiday-themed wording. 

The post quickly gained attention online, prompting the retailer to launch an internal investigation.

Bloomingdale’s temporarily halted operations at part of one of its fulfillment centers while reviewing the incident. The company has since resumed normal activity after identifying the individual responsible, the source said.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Macy’s Inc., which owns Bloomingdale’s, said the company has a zero-tolerance policy toward discrimination or hate of any kind. The spokesperson described the employee’s actions as unauthorized and in violation of company standards.

The episode highlights how the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict continues to spill into workplaces and consumer spaces well beyond the Middle East. More than two years after Hamas’s attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza, companies across industries have found themselves navigating heightened sensitivities around political expression, free speech, and employee conduct.

The customer involved, Arielle Harris, explained in a video posted to TikTok that the pajamas, branded with Jewish imagery and marketed as a Hanukkah gift, were given to her by her boyfriend, who had not opened the package beforehand. She said the note was written on the back of a Bloomingdale’s sales tag and placed directly on top of the receipt.

“This never should have happened,” Harris said in the video, calling on the retailer to take responsibility for what she described as an inappropriate and upsetting incident.