Hate shopping in a mall? Tel Aviv has some wonderful shopping alternatives. Trendy neighborhoods and districts with street shopping and markets are just some of your options.
Shuk HaCarmel – The Carmel Market
The Shuk HaCarmel is located between Allenby Street, Kikar Magen David along Carmel Street and King George. Like all the markets in Israel, it is open every day of the week except Saturdays.
Shuk HaCarmel is also famous for its clothing. People come from all over the country to spend a day shopping here for clothes and bargains. Designer knock-off shirts, shoes, bags, belts, underwear, you’ll find it all. Remember to bargain. Great fresh produce too!
The trendy Shenkin Street is just a few hundred meters walk from Shuk HaCarmel.
Tel Aviv is like no other city in Israel – a mostly secular city, anything goes. Great night-life and shopping and the well known Shenkin Street, has to be Israel’s trendiest shopping district. It’s always buzzing. Designer clothing stores; retro, funky items, record stores, cafes and restaurants, furniture and jewelry. Shenkin is the place to see and be seen – good chance you’ll see your favorite TV actor or other celebrity enjoying a cuppa-joe. Just a few hundred meters from Shuk HaCarmel and not far from Nachlat Binyamin craft market, Shenkin is not to be missed. A “must-do” with your guests from abroad.
Nahalat Binyamin
The Nahalat Binyamin craft market in Tel Aviv is open on Tuesdays from 10:00 – 18:00 and on Fridays from 10:00 – 16:00 during the summer. During the winter months it is open on Tuesdays from 10:00 – 17:00 and Fridays from 10:00 – 16:30. The are around 200 vendors selling top quality hand-made, artistic and craft items. Items for sale are made of wood, glass, fabric, plastic, paper, rocks and almost any anything. Coffee shops, street performers and live music are part of the attraction and put Nachlat Binyamin on the top on your itinerary. It is a great place to buy a special and original gift for someone your love. Some stunning architecture, beautiful buildings built in the 1930’s in the Bauhaus tradition, can be seen along here as well.
International and local dialing access codes & telephone numbers in Israel.
Hebrew: קידומת טלפון בינלאומית
Israel has a very well developed and highly efficient telecommunications network. Competition between the national telephone company – Bezeq, the cable companies and mobile phone carriers is rife. All of them are competing for your business and there are many opportunities for good phone rates and internet, landline, mobile phone and TV packages. It pays to shop around.
Israel Local Calls – Area Codes
For calling between geographical areas, there are 5 local area code prefixes.
02
Jerusalem area
03
Tel Aviv & Central region
04
Haifa & Northern region
08
Beer Sheva & Southern region
09
Sharon region
Calling an Israel local land-line from within Israel
Local land-lines have 7 digits.
If for example, you are in the 04 area, and you need to call another number in the 04 area, just dial the 7 digit number – xxx xxxx
If, you are in the 04 area, and you need to call a number in another area, you need to add the prefix. So for example, if you are dialing from a 04 number to a number in 02 – the Jerusalem area, you need to dial
02 + xxx xxxx
Israel Mobile Phone Prefixes
Local mobile phones are comprised of 10 digits as do new telephone land lines issued by cable companies.
050 xxx xxxx
Pelephone
052 xxx xxxx
Cellcom
053 xxx xxxx
Hot Mobile
054 xxx xxxx
Orange
055 22x xxxx
Home Cellular
055 66x xxxx
Rami Levy
055 88x xxxx
YouPhone
056 xxx xxxx
Wataniya – Palestinian territories
057 xxx xxxx
Hot Mobile
058 xxx xxxx
Golan Telecom
059 xxx xxxx
Jawal – Palestinian territories
072 2xx xxxx
VoB 012 Smile
073 2xx xxxx
Cellcom local calls
073 3xx xxxx
Cellcom local business telephone lines
073 7xx xxxx
VoB 013 Netvision
074 7xx xxxx
Orange local calls
076 5xx xxxx
VoB Bezeq International
076 88x xxxx
Bezeq local
077 xxx xxxx
Hot Cable Phone Service
Calling a landline from a mobile phone, use the area prefix; 03-xxx-xxxx
Calling Abroad from Israel
When calling abroad from an Israel landline, you need to dial the general international dialing code – 00 or if you are a registered client of any of the undermentioned telecommunication companies, you dial their international dialing code, as listed below – 012 or 013 etc.
00
General International Access Code
012
For clients of 012 Smile
013
For clients of Netvision
014
For clients of Bezeq International
015
For clients of Hallo 015
016
For clients of Golan Telecom
017
For clients of Hot Mobile
018
For clients of Xfone
019
For clients of Telzar
Calling from Israel to a land-line abroad
To call a land-line abroad you would dial as follows:
International Dialing code (00) + country code + area code + land-line number
For clients of the above-mentioned telecommunication companies, you would dial
013 + 27 + 11 + XXX XXXX
Calling a toll-free number abroad
Note: if you are calling a toll free number from Israel to another country abroad (1-800 number for example), it is considered a special call and you will be charged according to the tariff of the phone company abroad.
Calling from Israel land-line to a mobile number abroad
You would dial as follows:
00+ 27 (country code) + XX (mobile prefix, and drop the preceding “0”) + XXXXXXXX (mobile number)
For clients of the above-mentioned telecommunication companies, instead you would dial
013 + 27 + XX + XXXXXXX
Calling from an Israel mobile number to a land-line or mobile number abroad
The mobile phone carriers are now offering attractive packages which include calls from mobile phones to land-lines or mobile numbers abroad which include unlimited calls to selected countries. Verify the precise details with your mobile phone carrier.
Our favorite Haifa shopping districts which you should try.
Hebrew: מרכזי קניות בחיפה
Horev Street
Horev Street in Haifa’s Ahuzza neighborhood has numerous fashion boutiques, bridal boutiques, a large selection of pubs and restaurants.
The Horev Shopping Mall is also located here.
Getting there
If you are driving by car to Horev, be warned, the road is very busy and often congested. While there is paid parking on the street, it is very limited. There is a paid parking garage in Horev Shopping Center and an informal open parking area on Hadassa Street.
You can get to Horev on bus nos: 23, 24, 22, 28, 37/37A, 123, 125, 133 or by sherut (shared taxi): From the Hadar take sherut route no 28 to Neve Shaanan or route no. 37 to the university.
You can even order a TikTak shared personal taxi service, which will get you wherever you need to be
Top Tip: There is one main, and very long, road atop of Mt. Carmel where some of Haifa’s more elite suburbs are located. In Hebrew this stretch of road is known as “Tzir Moriah”. It starts in the Central Carmel neighborhood where it is known as Hanassi Blvd., after approximately 1 kilometer, the road changes its name and becomes Moriah Street. Some 2 kilometers later it changes its name yet again and becomes Horev Street. A short distance after the Horev Shopping Center, the road changes its name yet again and becomes Abba Houshy (named after Haifa’s first mayor). Abba Houshy continues all through the suburb of Denya until it passes the Haifa University. At that point the road changes into a national road – route no. 672 which takes you to the Druze Villages of Isifiya, Daliat El’Carmel and beyond.
The Check-Post
The Check-Post, at the Northern entrance to Haifa, gets its name from the days of the British Mandate, when it was a check-point for all traffic coming from the north at that time.
The Check-post, mainly an industrial area, is home to an abundance of stores and showrooms for furniture, tiles, sanitary fittings, home construction and repair. Service garages, car lots and car rental companies can also be found here.
Many companies have offices in the Check-Post area.
The Check-post is close to the Cinemall. Most stores here open at 10.00 and close at 22:00.
Ben Gurion Boulevard
Ben Gurion Blvd is in the heart of the “German Colony”, The suburb is named after the German Templars that settled in Haifa and in Palestine during the 19th century in the belief that occupying the Holy Land would hasten the second coming of Christ.
Ben Gurion boulevard is the center of Haifa nightlife and has many pubs and restaurants offering a wide variety of cuisine; sea food, middle-eastern, light meals and Chinese. The boulevard also offers a stunning view, day and night, of the lower terraces of the Bahai Gardens and Temple. The City Mall is close to the port a few hundred meters up, is Eizen’s Kosher Butchery, a favorite amongst Anglos.
Parking in the German Colony, like in every part of Haifa, is a challenge to find.
The Haifa Festival of Festivals in December, now takes place along Ben Gurion Blvd., and in the German Colony
The Central Carmel (Merkaz HaCarmel)
Hanassi Boulevard, the main street in the Central Carmel neighborhood, has plenty of pavement cafes which contribute to the European atmosphere. There are a variety of stores along Hanassi including a large supermarket, pharmacies, clothing, sweet shops and florists.
There is a small shopping center at the Haifa Auditorium and another one adjacent to the Dan Panorama Hotel.
The Dan Carmel Hotel is also on Hanassi boulevard. The Crowne Plaza Hotel on Yefe Nof is close by.
Most banks have branches here. Two supermarkets, Mega in the Haifa Auditorium and Cinematheque complex and the other, Shufersal is in the shopping complex between Gan HaEm (Mother’s Park) and Derech HaYam (Sea Road).
The post office which was on Wedgewood has closed down.
Our favorite’s
Steimatzky’s book store – lots of English books, literature and English newspapers
Restro-cafes – meet a friend for a cuppa-joe.
Golda’s ice-cream parlor and Legenda for a legendry lick.
Getting there
If you have access to the Carmelit – Haifa’s underground, it’s the most convenient and fastest way of getting to the Central Carmel. Get off at the last station – Gan Ha’em (Mother’s Park)
By car – paid parking on Yefe Nof, Wedgewood and in the Auditorium complex.
By bus: numerous routes from most suburbs in Haifa – 1, 5, 23, 28, 37, 37A, 132, 133 etc.
By sherut from the Hadar – line no. 28 and 37
Herzl & Hehalutz Streets
Herzl and Hehalutz Streets are in the heart of the Hadar neighborhood. Go by bus or by sherut.
Most of Haifa’s suburbs have buses that go into the Hadar. Parking in the Hadar is almost non-existent.
Hadar is home to a myriad of shops, banks, bakeries and falafel stands. Pick up inexpensive kitchenware and plenty of knick-knacks in the “Dollar Shops”. No need to go Tel Aviv’s Shuk HaCarmel for inexpensive clothing – you’ll find it all on Herzl Street.
You can buy freshly ground and roasted coffee beans, inexpensive cosmetics, bags, Italian shoes and your son’s Bar-mitzvah suit here too.
One of the entrances to the Talpiot fruit and vegetable market in on the corner of Herzl and Chaim street.
Top Tips
Hold on to your money, keep your bags closed. Don’t keep your wallet in your back pocket.
Some stores, but not many, still observe the afternoon siesta between 14:00 – 16:00 for siesta (an old tradition) and finally close at 19;00
Some stores are also closed on Tuesday afternoons which was traditionally a half-day
Shop for new school bags here for the widest selection at the lowest prices.
1. Abidjan – Ivory Coast
2. Abuja – Nigeria
3. Accra – Ghana
4. Addis Ababa – Ethiopia
5. Amman – Jordan
6. Ankara – Turkey
7. Asmara – Eritrea
8. Astana – Kazakhstan
9. Athens – Greece
10. Atlanta – United States
11. Baku – Azerbaijan
12. Bangalor – India
13. Bangkok – Thailand
14. Beijing – China
15. Belgrade – Serbia
16. Berlin – Germany
17. Berne – Switzerland
18. Bogota – Colombia
19. Boston – United States
20. Brasilia – Brazil
21. Bratislava – Slovakia
22. Brussels – Belgium
23. Bucharest – Romania
24. Budapest – Hungary
25. Buenos Aires – Argentina
26. Canberra – Australia
27. Chicago – United States
28. Copenhagen – Denmark
29. Dakar – Senegal
30. Dublin – Ireland
31. Geneva – Switzerland
32. Guangzhou – China
33. Guatemala City – Guatemala
34. Hanoi – Vietnam
35. Helsinki – Finland
36. Hong Kong – China
37. Huston – United States
38. Istanbul – Turkey
39. Kathmandu – Nepal
40. Kiev – Ukraine
41. Lima – Peru
42. Lisbon – Portugal
43. London – United Kingdom
44. Los Angeles – United States
45. Luanda – Angola
46. Madrid – Spain
47. Manila – Philippines
48. Marseille – France
49. Mexico City – Mexico
50. Miami – United States
51. Minsk – Belarus
52. Montevideo – Uruguay
53. Montreal – Canada
54. Moscow – Russia
55. Mumbai – India
56. Munich – Germany
57. Nairobi – Kenya
58. New Delhi – India
59. New York – United States
60. Nicosia – Cyprus
61. Oslo – Norway
62. Ottawa – Canada
63. Panama City – Panama
64. Paris – France
65. Philadelphia – United States
66. Prague – Czech Republic
67. Pretoria – South Africa
68. Quito – Ecuador
69. Riga – Latvia
70. Rome – Italy
71. San Francisco – United States
72. San Jose – Costa Rica
73. San Salvador – El Salvador
74. Santiago – Chile
75. Santo Domingo – Dominican Republic
76. Sao Paulo – Brazil
77. Seoul – Republic of Korea
78. Shanghai – China
79. Singapore – Singapore
80. Sofia – Bulgaria
81. St. Petersburg – Russia
82. Stockholm – Sweden
83. Taipei – Taiwan
84. Tashkent – Uzbekistan
85. Tbilisi – Georgia
86. The Hague – Netherlands
87. Tirana – Albania
88. Tokyo – Japan
89. Toronto – Canada
90. Vienna – Austria
91. Warsaw – Poland
92. Washington D.C. – United States
93. Wellington – New Zealand
94. Yangon – Myanmar
95. Yaoundé – Cameroon
96. Zagreb – Croatia
The Jerusalem or Malcha Mall is Jerusalem’s most popular mall. An average of 35,000 people per day visit the mall daily. In addition to the 250 shops that cater to Jerusalem’s unique requirements, you will also find a synagogue on the premises.
Free parking for 2,000 vehicles and another 1,000 (paid parking) at the adjacent Teddy Stadium.
Address
Derech Agudat Sport Beitar 1, Jerusalem
Opening Hours
Sunday – Thursday
Friday
Shabbat End
09:30 – 22:00
09:00 – 14:30
After Shabbat until 23:00
The Mamilla Mall
Old city walls and Mamilla ave. at night – as seen from “Rooftop” restaurant on the top of Mamilla Hotel – Jerusalem, Israel (WikiMedia Commons – Navot Miller)
Way back before a Mall was defined as a large, often enclosed shopping complex containing various stores, businesses, and restaurants usually accessible by common passageways, it referred to a street lined with shops and closed to vehicles with a shady public walk or promenade. This is the Mamilla Mall.
“Mamilla” in Arabic, means one that comes from God. This mall really is a heavenly gift to serious shoppers
The Mamilla Mall is a very upmarket shopping district and forms part of the redevelopment of the Mamilla neighborhood. Adjacent to the mall and part of the redevelopment plan, is the Mamilla Hotel. The Mamilla complex is close to Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City. Go up above the street level and spend a few quiet minutes gazing at the incredible views of the Old-City of Jerusalem
International brand stores like Rolex‚ MAC‚ H. Stern‚ Nike‚ Polo Ralph Lauren‚ Nautica‚ Bebe‚ and Tommy Hilfiger
Local brand stores like Castro‚ Ronen Chen and Steimatzky Books and Fox.
A comparison of Israel’s mobile phone carriers and call plans.
Hebrew: ספקי שרות סלולרי
Until 2012, there were 3 mobile cellphone carriers in Israel; Pelephone, Orange and Cellcom. Cellcom was the market leader.
New immigrants found it difficult to choose a mobile phone carrier or plan as there was almost no English information available. Often they felt that they had been coerced into signing a Hebrew contract without fully understanding their commitment. People received outrageous bills for thousands of shekels. Customer service representatives, with almost no English, were known to be impatient and impolite, slamming down the phone or walking away from clients. Thankfully, things have improved a little.
Understanding the need for English resources, we took up the challenge and published Hebrew English translations of some of the mobile phone bills
The summer of 2012 brought about a revolution in the mobile phone market and 5 new carriers came onto the scene. Among them, HOT Mobile and Golan Telecom who began discounting mobile phone plans. Both started by offering unlimited plans for only 99 Shekels per month. This prompted the other mobile phone carriers to re-evaluate their packages and pricing. Competition between mobile phone carriers is fierce and they all offer discounted packages
These are the cellphone carriers in Israel today:
Cellcom
Pelephone
Orange
HOT Mobile
Golan Telecom
Rami Levy
012 Mobile
019 Mobile
As of November 2016, the carrier, YouPhone is no longer operational
Fun Phone Fact Did you know that Motorola was the first company to produce a handheld mobile phone? On 3 April 1973, Martin Cooper, a Motorola researcher and executive, made the first mobile telephone call from handheld subscriber equipment, placing a call to Dr. Joel S. Engel of Bell Labs.
Private Cellphone Companies
Smaller, private companies offer mobile phone packages, internet and landline options. Some offer American or Canadian virtual numbers with caller ID which may be an important aspect of setting up your business in Israel.
Best Cellphone Deals & Prices
Mobile phone packages start from 9 Shekels per month for a limited and metered plan. For around 39 shekels per month, you can get packages with unlimited texting and calls to local numbers, free or discounted calls to landlines and mobile numbers abroad. Internet access is also included in some of these packages. This is a far cry from the pre-revolution costs which ran into hundreds of shekels per month.
It is important to note that not all packages include international calls. Some packages include calls to specific countries only. Calls to international land-lines and international mobile numbers may be charged at different rates. Read the small print.
You may still be able to find a suitable for older phones (and Kosher phones) It is important to sign up with a carrier that can support your phone. It’s unlikely that you will find a carrier that supports Blackberry, at this stage – a phone which many South Africans and immigrants from the U.S.A. were bringing on Aliyah with them.
Top Tip Before Changing Carriers & Providers
Before you take the final step and change over from your existing carrier to another one, we suggest that you contact your existing carrier, tell them with a firm voice, that you are planning to leave and ask if they can offer you a plan comparable to the one you are considering from the new carrier.
Buying a Cell Phone
Purchasing a mobile phone from a cellphone carrier in Israel, is expensive and you can get cellphones cheaper from electronic stores around the country or online. The lesser-known Chinese brands you can purchase online basically all do the same thing and these are good options for young school children who are likely to lose or damage a phone. In order not to arouse the suspicions of the tax authority, don’t place an online order more than phone at a time.
Do your homework before you commit to a buying a phone. Cellphone carriers are happy to sell you a phone and they will rope you into 36 month contract that you will not be able to get out of. Find out exactly what you are getting (or not getting) before you buy a phone from a retail electronic store. It may be worth buying from a Samsung or iPhone store, for example and paying an extra few hundred shekels for a full guarantee and original spare parts.
Comparing Cell Phone Prices
Use a website like zap.co.il to compare the prices of latest mobile phones and accessories. ZAP is a Hebrew website and while most of the information is in Hebrew, the model and pricing information is clearly understandable.
You get a call, as soon as you answer the phone, the other party hangs up. Out of curiosity you call back and find yourself listening to a recording – some special offer or incentive. In reality, there is no special offer and these calls are billed at top-dollar rates. Reports of billing at 160 shekels per minute and even as high as 5,132 shekels (!!!!!!!!!) per minute
Even though it is illegal to send out unsolicited messaging expect to get SMS text messages offering you loans at competitive rates and other deals you can hardly refuse. Unsubscribing from these lists is complicated and almost impossible if you do not have Hebrew skills. Ignore them and just click on DELETE.
True-Caller is a useful app that identifies the caller. You can eliminate a lot of phone-spam that way.
Orderly lines, patient and polite cashiers, relaxed shoppers and obliging store managers! Are we in Israel?
You’ve made your shopping list, cleared your schedule and set out to your local supermarket. You maneuver your way around the narrow aisles with a heavy shopping cart. You’ve been pushed around a bit (and done a bit of pushing yourself) and now finally you reach the the check-out. It all sounds perfectly simple and predictable but there are some things you need to know beforehand.
Supermarket trolley-carts
You have two trolley-cart options; a large metal trolley-cart that can hold a month’s supply of goods or a small, plastic, portable cart that can hold fewer items.
Usually, you are required to insert a 5 shekel coin to release the large trolley-cart. Make sure you have a 5 shekel coin on hand. If you don’t it becomes a real hassle getting one. Some supermarkets make use of a digital system; at the trolley shed you enter your teudat zehut number and the cart is then released. When you return the cart, you enter your teudat zehut number again, a lock is released and you can return the cart to its original place.
Product Labeling
Most, but not all items have English labeling these days. If the product is manufactured in Israel, the English labeling is likely to be very basic. Bad label translations, from Hebrew to English, are quite funny and make for delightful shopping moments.
We now have to pay for grocery bags and if you are not willing to do so, you must bring your own. Most supermarkets sell tote bags for your grocery items which usually costs 3-5 NIS each. When choosing a tote, make sure the shoulder straps are long enough that there is still a comfortable space under your arm so that the straps do not pull you down. Personally, I like fabric totes and not the bulky plastic ones. Although small, the Ikea tote is comfortable and folds up into itself – it’s cheap too.
At the check-out
Most supermarket chains have a self-checkout section or digital options where you can pay with the store app. This is really convenient if you have a few items or are in a hurry. If you get frustrated by the shopper ahead of you interacting with the cashier and describing the deal she got at the manicurist last week, unperturbed by the line of agitated shoppers, then the self-checkout is for you.
A typical neighborhood supermarket will have 6 or 10 cashiers and if you are lucky only 3 or 4 will be working at any given time. Usually one checkout is an express till. Recently I’ve noticed that if you can present a disabled certificate (issued by Bituach Leumi), you are exempt from standing in line.
Hyper stores have more cashiers.
Standing in line
What about orderly lines? Mostly we are used to 3 or 4 well mannered people standing, one behind the other, waiting their turn. An orderly line in Israel is couple of well mannered people patiently waiting their turn while half-a-dozen others are trying to jump the queue.
A shopper may come up to you with one or two items and with sad, tearful eyes she’ll tell you that she’s in a hurry. She may tell you that she is late in fetching her child from school or has to get back to the office. She may not even have an excuse – she just has 2 items whereas you have 106 and she wants to go first. The reason she cannot use the express line is not clear.
Whatever you decide, have your response ready and practiced. If you are adamant and don’t want to lose your place or enter into a discussion, turn your head away, pretend the person does not exist and swear in a foreign language!
The express checkout counter
When we use the word ‘express’ what does that actually mean? We expect that an 8 item express check-out means exactly that – 8 items: a bottle of milk, a loaf of bread, a packet of cheese, a bottle of fruit juice, a packet of frozen spinach, a lettuce, a chocolate and a bottle of oil.
Years of shopping in Israel, has proven that this is not the case. Israel has many brilliant mathematicians, but for some reason 8 does not equal 8 any more. In the Israeli supermarket 8 items equals: two loaves of bread, a packet of cheese, a bottle of fruit juice, 4 packets of frozen spinach, a lettuce, 6 chocolates and 3 bottles of oil. So in Israel, it appears that 8 items actually means 8 categories.
The cashiers
The cashiers are mostly very pleasant. They have a hard job – they have to discipline the shoppers and keep the peace but mainly it is their job to up-sell and get you to buy a whole lot of unplanned, extra and unnecessary items at the check-out.
If the cashier has befriended the clientele of a small neighborhood store, be patient, it’s good customer relations to know how the client’s children are doing at school, grandma’s wellbeing, who’s coming over on Friday night and what’s on the menu.
Packing groceries
In some countries, where labour is very cheap, there are grocery packers who relieve you of this tricky task. In Israel there is no-one to pack your groceries or push your shopping cart to your car in exchange for a small tip – you have to do this all yourself.
Payment Options
You’ve bought more than you planned, and this trolley load is going to cost a lot more than you anticipated.
At the check-out till, you will be offered an immediate cash or credit card payment option. You also have the option to pay on installments (Heb: tashloomim). It does not make sense to eat it today and pay for it in 6 months time. If you get into a habit of shopping this way, you’ll make impulse buys thinking that you’ll have the money sometime down the line.
Club & Loyalty Cards
Most supermarket chains these days have club-membership loyalty cards which entitle you to a few points or a small discount. You need thousands of points to get a 20 shekel store discount. Some of these club-cards are combined with credit cards as well and where standard credit card fees apply.
Supermarket & Store Shopping Hours
In the days of street shopping, before shopping malls sprung up, stores were open 6 days a week – Sunday thru Friday. Most stores were closed between 2pm and 4pm – siesta time – and reopened at 4pm – 7pm. Stores were closed on Tuesday afternoons and also closed on Fridays at around 2pm.
These days, Tuesdays are just regular shopping days and the afternoon siesta mostly doesn’t exist. Most shopping malls are open between 9am and 10am and are open up till 10 or 11pm at night. Banks and post-offices have their own hours. Friday is a busy shopping day, so be prepared for long queues and agitated shoppers.
Home Delivery Services
A large percentage of the Israeli population do not have motor cars or convenient transport, so for around 30 shekels, supermarkets will deliver your groceries right to your front door. This is a great service. Tipping the delivery person is optional but recommended – 5 shekels for a small delivery or 10 for a large one is my common practice.
Online supermarket shopping, offered by the large supermarket chains, is very convenient as well. Once you’ve placed your order you can choose one of two options – 1) in store pickup or 2) home delivery.
Product Labeling
Most, but not all items have English labeling these days. If the product is manufactured in Israel, the English labeling is likely to be very basic – it is getting better though. Bad label translations, from Hebrew to English, are quite funny and make for delightful shopping moments.
Leading supermarket brands
Telma and Osem for dried foods. Some of the Knorr products, we know from back home, are kosher and available here.
Tnuva, Yotvata, Strauss and Tara for cheese, milk and dairy products.
Zoglovek, Tirat Zvi and Yehiam for processed meats
Maadanot, Shloshet HaOfim and also Zoglovek for frozen, ready to bake, sweet and savory, pastry items
Elite for chocolates and sweets.
Sano and Nikol for paper products and cleaning materials.
Of course there are many other local brands offering top quality food and household items.
Imported brands
You’ll find Heinz, Hellman’s, Nestle, Lipton’s, Barilla, Skippy, Oreos, Tim-Tams and a large selection of other imported items.
Hard to find items
Just some; Marmite, fish paste, Colemans mustard in a jar, Hershey’s and golden syrup. There are a host of websites where you can order specialized items. Shopping online has become the solution to our comfort-food cravings from back home.
Local House Brands
The leading supermarket chains have their own house-brands which are mostly a little cheaper. Try them out. Not all of them are fabulous but you might be able to save a bundle if you are prepared to compromise.
Typical Israeli/Middle-eastern supermarket items
Favorite Israeli foods include falafel, hummus, tahina, boerekas, malt beer (non alcoholic), Crembo chocolate (similar to a “Beehive” – whipped marshmallow on a biscuit base, covered in chocolate), herbs and spices like cumin, sumac, zaatar and hawaij. Flavored fruit syrup concentrates for beverages (petel or- blackberry is best loved by Israeli children), Silan – date syrup (can be used instead of honey or golden syrup), Bisli – a local crunchy snack tolerated before the invention of Lays and Doritos. Shkadei Marak – soup almonds, eaten in soup or by the handful. Watch out for tartrazine or E102 . Let’s not forget Beigela – they have nothing to do with a bread beigel from the old-country. Actually beigela are salty pretzels in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. By far the most popular snack, and now also on supermarket shelves in many countries abroad, has to be Bamba. Bamba is a puffed wheat snack flavored with peanut butter. Israeli children learn to eat it in infant-hood almost as soon as they can grip anything. Your doctor might encourage you to give your ailing child some Bamba – he’ll eat that if nothing else. No birthday party is complete without Bamba and adults love it too. There are a few competing peanut butter flavored snacks but for the connoisseur, Bamba reigns supreme.
Israeli dairy products are known to be among the best in the world. ‘ Leben’ and ‘Gil’ (a cross between buttermilk or paneer, yogurt and soured creamed cheese). Dani and Milky compete for first place, they are a chocolate flavored treats in the refrigerator section of the supermarket, next to the yogurts. Quite delicious!
