[img]96|left|||no_popup[/img] Dateline Jerusalem — To be in the presence of greatness is an exciting yet humbling experience. I was going to be late, so instead of walking to meet my friend, I called for a taxi. The driver spoke English. I can only assume he figured out I was an American by my butchering of the Hebrew language. As we drove down the crowded main boulevard of my town, the driver pointed to a very old woman trying to flag down a taxi. He asked if I minded sharing the monit (taxi). I said it would be fine, in spite of the fact that our stopping to let in another passenger might further delay me. It was not the first time I have shared my taxi rides with senior citizens, pregnant women, women with children, and those who look desperate for a ride. The excitement in the taxi driver's voice was contagious when he turned to me and kept saying, “It is Ida Nudel, Ida Nudel.” He moved close to the curb to let a tiny, gray-haired, smiling 80-year-old woman into my taxi. I was in awe of this woman.
A Sterling Story
For those of you who do not know of the famous Ida Nudel, she is a former “refusenik” and “prisoner of Zion” who was sent to Siberia by the Communist regime in the former Soviet Union. She became well known when she went on a hunger strike, and for her support of other political and religious prisoners in the Soviet Union. She was given the name “Angel of Mercy” for her efforts to make better the lives of her fellow Soviet prisoners. A movie was made about her life.
She tried to get a visa to emigrate to Israel because of the bitter treatment Jews received in the Soviet Union. She was denied one. After several years, and because of abundant publicity for her cause, finally she was granted an exit visa from the Soviet Union to go to Israel. Because of her bravery and activism, thousands of Israelis greeted her as a celebrity. Even in Israel to this day, she is an activist for important Israeli causes. In a poll to name the 200 greatest Israelis of all time, she came in No. 120. She also earned the title of “Woman of Valor” and is considered by many to be one of the greatest Jewish women to help shape the 20th century.
I exited the taxi and my friend and did some shopping, something that is unavoidable in Rehovot. Then we walked to the shuk, which is a bazaar-like open air marketplace where hundreds of stalls of fresh fruits and vegetables, straight from Israeli farms, were on display and for sale. The smell of exotic spices, barrels of nuts and grains and seeds, gigantic-sized fruits and vegetables unusual in shape and texture, breads and baked goods, and a variety of fish, meat and cheeses were a treat to my senses. There also were stalls of clothing, shoes, housewares. The aisles were narrow, bustling with people with carts and shopping bags eager buy these bargains. But the shopaholic in me resisted temptation and I made it through the shuk without one purchase. I knew that we had a long walk to our next destination and I was looking forward to that most of all, a new bakery that opened a few days ago.
The other day by chance I happened upon a new kosher bakery that has delicious desserts, cakes, gigantic bourekas (baked phyllo or puff pastry dough filled with potatoes, cheese or vegetables), which could be a meal by themselves, pastries, breads, focaccia, pizza (on a thin cracker-like honey crust with lots of bubbling cheese) and coffee. I had to return to this bakery with another friend just to try out the delicacies again. The owner, eager to please his new customers, offered many taste treats for free, bringing them to our table as we sat outside sipping our coffee, eating focaccia and pizza. I was not one to turn down his wares.
I tried something new to me, but supposedly very popular in the Middle East, especially in Turkey and Israel. “Malabi” is similar to a pudding or custard, but not of those consistencies.
More gelatin-like in texture, it is made from corn starch, sugar, milk, rosewater. I cannot remember the other secret ingredients of this sweet white dessert. Cherry syrup is poured on top of the malabi, with crushed almonds and pistachio nuts, and a slight dusting of coconut powder on top of the syrup. I am now addicted to this unique dessert. Then we were given chewy chocolate balls rolled in coconut powder. Even with my sweet tooth, it was too rich for me. So far everything in the bakery/cafe was outstanding. The best part of was the price.
From sharing a taxi with the famous Ida Nudel, to sharing the sights and aromas of the shuk, to the unique, mouth-watering taste treats of the bakery with a good friend, what a way to spend the day.
L'hitraot. Shachar.