It is exhausting. By the time I arrive home, everything is closed. Friday and Saturday (my only days off) are not conducive to getting anything done because everything is closed on Saturday, government offices are closed Friday, and most businesses are shut down between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Friday afternoon.
That means hectic Fridays when I must shop at the butcher, the vegetable store and the market, go to doctor appointments, run all my errands, cook, and clean my apartment before I light Shabbat candles about 18 minutes before sundown.
It is not too bad in summer, but an absolute nightmare in winter when everything is dark before 4 p.m.
If I need a blood test or have to go to a government office, I have to take a day off work. True, if I lived closer to work, I might be able to accomplish things in the early evening after work. But I choose to live far from work because my town is such a wonderful place to reside.
Is It Variety That You Want?
Although the population of my town is over 100,000 people and could probably be considered a city instead of a town, it has the feeling of a small town probably because Los Angeles has millions.
In California,100,000 people would be considered a small town.
Although Palestinians and other Arabs claim the land of Israel was theirs prior to the establishment of the State in 1948, my town was officially established in the 1890s, on Jewish-owned land where there has been a Jewish presence for a couple of thousand years.
The town's population is diverse, comprised of religious and non-religious Jews from over 80 countries.
More than130 synagogues accommodate worshipers from one end of the spectrum to the other.
Just about every block has a synagogue (mine is an Anglo Orthodox shul across the street from my apartment).
One of the best aspects of my city is its reputation as a “community where people actually get along with each other” despite their religious, ethnic and political differences. I have had the unique pleasure of dining with Jewish people from England, Scotland, Iraq, Iran, India, Ireland, Holland, France, Rhodes, Canada, Morocco, Yemen, Egypt, Italy, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Poland, Russia, Hungary, Sweden, Finland, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Guatemala and Panama, as well as native-born Israelis, Americans, and a convert to Judaism from Japan.
A Different Way to Gain an Education
The different country customs, history, and politics discussed at these meals have been more interesting and enlightening than any courses I took in college. The experience also has been more fun than any cruise or vacation trip I have ever taken. My apartment building is like a United Nations with people from Ethiopia, Yemen, Mexico, Germany, Poland, the Soviet Union and a myriad of other countries. I am the only one out of 30 apartments in the building to be from the U.S.
The town is known for having the most academic degrees per capita in Israel.
It is a statistic I do not doubt because I can say that all my friends here have at least a bachelor’s degree, and most have doctorate degrees (that includes women as well as men).
Since the State of Israel is on the cutting edge of new energy, agriculture, high tech and medical technologies, it is not unusual to meet people who have attended some of the best universities and research institutions in the world. But even Israel's universities are world-renowned in their particular areas of expertise.
I like my city because it is more of a quaint town than a city. The sidewalks are made of cobblestones or colored bricks, changing color and design at almost every building.
My apartment is next to a little park with palm trees and tropical flowers and children playing on the swings and slides as senior citizens sit on the park benches.
Pigeons roost on the air conditioner units outside my windows. Israeli flags fly proudly from people's windows throughout the city.
Just prior to Shabbat, a car with loudspeakers drives up and down the streets playing Israeli music and wishing everyone “Shabbat shalom” (peaceful Shabbat). In fact, the area is so friendly that complete strangers wish you Shabbat and holiday greetings when you walk down the street. I have even been invited to dinner by people I have met on the bus.
There are supermarkets where I can buy TVs, computers, washing machines and ovens in addition to food, corner grocery stores with essentials, a shuk or bazaar with fresh fruits and vegetables delivered daily as well as unique Israeli items for sale, butcher shops and specialty stores, and a large indoor mall with movie theaters and hundreds of stores and kiosks.
Almost every other little shop on the main boulevard of the town seems to be a shoe store, probably because most people walk from one end of town to the other and often need new shoes as a result.
Also these hole-in-the wall shops sell every conceivable item for the house.
The rest of the stores are boutiques and clothing stores. Interspersed along the main drag are little food stands with bakery goods, pizza, more ice cream flavors than Baskin-Robbins, and Israel's national fast food — falafel — which are deep fried balls of chickpeas, fava beans and spices in a pita pocket sandwich with fried eggplant, hummus, tehina, french fries, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes and a salad bar of other delights to stuff in the pita filled with falafel.
The best part of shopping is that most stores deliver your groceries and small appliances to your home. I do not need a car. Also, you can pay your bill on any date you choose for the money to be withdrawn from your bank account. It is not illegal to post-date checks here.
For those interested in culture, there are art galleries, a music center and a municipal cultural center nearby. The town has everything. Although my work schedule does not permit me to avail myself of all that it has to offer, my experiences so far have been wonderful. It is worth the commute to live here.
L'hitraot, Shachar
Shachar is the Hebrew name of a California-based attorney and former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy who moved to Israel last year.