I work as a tour guide in Israel and I’m ready to tell you everything about life in this country

Dear friends, my name is Dmitry Shapiro. 25 years ago I traveled abroad and my first destination was Israel, which I fell in love with almost immediately. After 5 years I decided to move with my whole family to this amazing country.

What surprises me most (and makes me proud) is that Israel managed to go from a dry desert to a flowering field in a very short time, just 71 years. Plus, every square inch of this place is bathed in history, from the Old Testament to modern times. I will try my best to convey to the readers of the awesome.club the same emotions I feel every day living here. In the bonus I will also talk about a secret place where you can take the best selfies.

Those who have been to Israel know that the locals’ favorite sport is “filling your belly”. And they only eat normally once a day: they start in the morning and end at night. There are many different markets here, both those that sell only products kosher as well as those that sell absolutely everything, including pork and various animal delicacies.

Usually after work people go shopping on Thursday night because Friday is a short day and on Saturday everything is closed. For those who are always very busy and don’t have time for anything, it is quite common to buy online with home delivery.

Elevators can be found even in buildings with only 4 or 5 floors. Of course there are some without elevators, but these are older buildings. At the entrance, there is a glass door with an electronic padlock and a lobby quite spacious with a mirror. Buildings are often surrounded by beautiful gardens, and someone is usually hired to look after the plants. The richer the residents, the more beautiful the garden.

It is not common to have apartments on the first floor, which is normally used as a garage for the residents’ vehicles. There is also no central heating. There is a special room under the building with cylinders that are managed by the gas company, as well as a space for garbage, where there are containers for different types of solid waste: plastic, old clothes, newspapers and magazines, as well as electronic objects.

There are no playgrounds or courtyards near residential buildings where children can play, as is common today in many cities. Therefore, parents take their children to the most diverse parks. Trees grow everywhere, so there are always shady places, and there are often awnings for people to protect themselves from the sun. There are many drinking fountains in these areas and, in addition, the floor has a soft coating to prevent accidents in the event of a fall.

At the entrance there is always a sign with the rules that are not always followed, but the local administration does not fail to put it up. For example, you cannot walk with dogs, nor let children under 4 years old play on the slides and swings. The rules prohibit making fire (for barbecues, for example). Also, soccer is not allowed—apparently, so as not to hit a child with the ball.

It’s like a boiled chickpea paste mixed with sesame sauce and spices. Here, they teach to love and respect humus since childhood. It’s a part of Israeli culture, the most important component in any kitchen and an indispensable product in every refrigerator.

It can replace oil and mayonnaise, and is also used as a base for sandwiches. At lunch, humus is the base for the meat or even serves as a main course. It is not only tasty, but also very nutritious and healthy, rich in protein, fiber, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.

If in other countries the preference is for shawarma (or kebab), hot dogs and hamburgers, in Israel the choice is definitely the meorav yerushalmi (“jerusalem mixture”). This dish consists of well-fried chicken giblets with onions, spices and sauce, which are served in pita bread.

This dish is an original Israeli invention. Even the place and time of its creation are known: 1967, in anticipation of the Six-Day War. The story goes that a group of soldiers were looking for a place to eat, but everything was closed. The owner of one of the restaurants on the street took pity on them, found pieces of chicken in the fridge and fried them with onions and plenty of seasoning on the hot plate. And that’s where the delicacy came from.

They will even be offended if they are deprived of this obligatory and so “pleasant” moment of eastern marketing culture. Follow the instructions below, step by step, and you’ll be able to pay half price on any item you’re interested in: take the piece in your hand and twist it around to show you really like it; ask the price and the seller will say something surreal; make a very upset face by saying “too expensive”, put the product back and show you’re going away; the seller will make a “take it easy, take your time” gesture and ask how much you want to pay;⠀ now you give your price, also unrealistic, the seller will put his hands on his head, complaining that he can’t do it so cheaply , but as a “favor” it will only sell you for 1 or 2 dollars more than the amount you chose.

I hope the principle is clear: he goes up a little, and you go down. You can play this game until you reach a consensus. In the end, they’ll become best friends: the seller likes the bargaining game, and you’ll pay cheaply for whatever you want to buy.

Letters destined to the Creator are sent from all over the world, but sometimes people want a faster result, so they donate money. It is possible to find hundreds of checks stuck in the Wall with surreal amounts (even if they are never signed). Messages and checks are even sent to the post office in Jerusalem, where hundreds of letters arrive with just the address “Jerusalem” or “Wailing Wall” or even “God”. The letters are given to the main rabbi in charge of the Wall, who then places them in the gaps in the wall.

My colleague, who is also a tour guide, told a sad and funny story at the same time. One day, a tourist in his group took a thick block of letters from his bag and said he was looking for a deeper crack in the Wall.

“These are letters to the Almighty from my neighbors and relatives,” he explained. “It is very important that they get there as soon as possible. By the way, who sends the letters?”

“Special postage angels”, said my friend smiling.

On the way to the bus, the tourist asked the guide how many times the angels went to get the letters, and if he should have put a stamp on each envelope.

“For our Israeli happiness we have 2 Mondays” — this is how Russians living in Israel joke. This is clearly a joke, but it arises from the fact that the beginning of the week in the country is on Sunday. Therefore, for many people it is difficult to get used to this cultural particularity.
🇧🇷
Also, in Hebrew, from biblical times until today, there are no names for the days of the week. The rule is very simple: days 1, 2, 3… And so on until the seventh day, Saturday (or Shabbat). Therefore, if in the Gospel they write “on the third day was the wedding in Galilee”, knowing this historical rule of the Jewish calendar, we can easily find out the day of the week, which in this case would be Tuesday.

The country’s culture brings together the historical traditions of Jews who came to Israel from all over the world. Therefore, local dances are diverse in rhythm, music, costumes and mood.

On Saturday night, when it’s not too hot, people go to the beach to dance. There are special dance floors and a DJ on the pier, where the fun goes on until dawn. The most regulars dance during the day too.

Believe it or not, after Israeli singer Neta Barzilay won the “Eurovision” competition in 2018 with the song “Toy”, the Ministry of Agriculture discovered that the number of dogs with that name in Israel has increased exponentially.

Yes, you got it right, the Ministry of Agriculture keeps the register of dogs. They have all the statistics: breeds, names and owner data. My beautiful little boy’s name (pictured) is Sean. I live in the city Rishon LeZion, which ranks second in Israel in terms of the number of dogs. Each animal has a chip on the collar. And the most “dog” city is Tel Aviv. There, it is allowed to enter with pets in restaurants and shopping centers without problems.

There are 9 universities in our little Israel. One of them is located in Tel Aviv and occupies a huge area, where the accommodation and classroom buildings are located. On the other side of the university, on the banks of the Yarkon River, there is a beautiful park called “Ganei Yehoshua”, where students love to walk and relax after classes.

Yehoshua was the name of one of the mayors of Tel Aviv. Because of him, the park was built, with the aim of becoming the “lung of the city”. This place has everything: hiking and biking trails, pedal boats and it is even possible to take a hot air balloon ride.

Otherwise, you may simply be deafened by the noise of horns and sirens. And you will also hear the word “mabrouk” everywhere. It’s a way of congratulating in Arabic.

The studies are over, the diploma has been received, and young people are more than happy: they go out with their family around the city to enjoy the day, they shout from the windows and make endless noise. Honestly, I still haven’t gotten used to it. In my day, we used to celebrate finishing exams or graduation by dancing at some night club, or singing songs on the guitar.

These are delicious triangular wafers stuffed with poppy seeds, chocolate and date paste. Its name comes from the ancient villain Haman, who betrayed the Jews of Persia, trying to destroy them. But thanks to Queen Esther and her uncle Mordechai, everything ended well. The Jews survived, and Haman was executed by King Ahashverosh. This is a brief summary of the story…