Goodbye, Sunkist Fruit Gems: A Sweet Piece of Our Childhood

by CrownHeights.info

For generations of Jewish children, Sunkist Fruit Gems were more than just candy—they were part of growing up.

There are some things you don’t realize are part of your childhood until they’re gone.

Sunkist Fruit Gems—those colorful, sugar-coated, chewy little candies that seemed to appear at every Jewish simcha—have officially been discontinued.

For many of us, Fruit Gems were practically synonymous with childhood in shul. At weddings, bar mitzvahs and aufrufs, children knew exactly what was coming when the candy bags appeared.

Then the candy would start flying.

Orange. Lemon. Lime. Grapefruit. Cherry.

Children would scramble under benches to collect as many as possible, trade flavors with friends, and occasionally discover one that had traveled a little farther than expected.

The candy dates back to 1955 and became particularly popular in the Orthodox Jewish community thanks in part to its kosher certification and suitability for throwing at celebrations.

And while another kosher fruit jelly may eventually take its place, it won’t quite be the same.

Because we’re not really saying goodbye to a candy.

We’re saying goodbye to a tiny piece of childhood—the sound of candy hitting the floor, the scramble beneath the benches, and the excitement of knowing that for a few minutes, the most important thing happening in shul was finding that next Fruit Gem.

Goodbye, Sunkist. You were a sweet part of our memories.