"She leaves there crying": The videos that brought life back to forgotten stores

Rufina, 80, takes six buses every morning to her ceramics store in Ramat Gan, even when there are no customers. A TikTok video by Maayan Oron, part of a volunteer project, brought a flood of young visitors to the store. Now Oron is expanding the project: young people manage social media for veteran business owners for a year.

At age 80, Rufina still takes six buses every morning to reach her housewares and ceramics store on Rehov HaRav in Ramat Gan, even on days when no customer enters. One TikTok video posted by Maayan Oron changed reality: the store filled with visitors, including many young people. Oron's volunteer project, which began with a chance encounter on the street, has already helped dozens of veteran business owners across the country. Now she is expanding it: young people who want to gain experience in social media management accompany veteran business owners and manage their social media activity for a year. Dozens of young people have already applied to join, some as young as 14–15 who locate businesses in their neighborhoods. Oron explains that the meeting benefits both sides: the young people gain experience, and the veteran owners gain exposure and a connection with a new generation. Rufina, who used to be alone in the store, describes the recent period as "a dream."