[img]96|left|Shachar||no_popup[/img]Dateline Jerusalem — Three pounds of seedless green grapes, what will I do with them all?

Add to them a bag of fluffy pink and white marshmallows, a chocolate candy bar, and a jar of hazelnut spread. These were my “gifts” from the market today. I just love shopping in Israel. I never know what surprises await me from the markets where I buy my groceries.

The goodies used to be better, like wine and wine glasses, a case of 1 1/2 liter soft drink bottles, pastries, a basket of cheese and crackers with wine and chocolates. Sometimes they are junk, like a package of clothespins or a jar of pickles. But the idea of getting a present whenever I shop makes it exciting no matter what the gift.

Most markets deliver groceries to your home. But, a person is responsible for packing his own items in plastic bags and loading them into large plastic crates. I am lucky. The rabbi who supervises the market and is in charge of making sure everything is “kosher,” often helps me load my groceries. He speaks only Hebrew and Yiddish. I speak only English and a “bisseleh” Yiddish. But we never seem to have a problem communicating. He knows the level of kosher that I keep and always helps me determine the correct kosher hechsher for the food I buy.

When I order pizza, I usually ask if someone speaks English. Now when I call on the phone for a pizza delivery, all I do is say “shalom” and before I even ask for someone speaking English, I usually get “Hello, Shachar (my Hebrew name)!” I guess my “shalom” accent gives me away. Either that or I order more pizza than anyone else in my town and they recognize my voice already.

Yesterday on the train ride home from work, I sat with an Ethiopian family. The husband was a very religious Jew who “learns” all day. The wife was a nurse whose command of English was excellent. They had two children under the age of three.

Yes, but How Did She Know?

She struck up a conversation with me in English, not Hebrew. I wonder how she knew that I spoke no Hebrew. Is it written on my face? We discussed Ethiopian food, which is spicy and hot, being Jewish in Ethiopia, the trip her parents made through Africa and the airlift in order to come to Israel, and their different customs. Although she was born in Israel, her parents came under the “law of return” where all Jews automatically can become Israeli citizens. The Ethiopian Jews never observed Chanukah because they were only aware of what was in the Torah. Chanukah did not come about until after the destruction of the first Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

Although Purim also was not in the Torah, they at least heard of it there, although they did not celebrate it. In their native land, they lived in villages, cut off from the rest of the Ethiopian population. They kept their observance of Torah for centuries although they had no contact with other Jews in the world. We exchanged phone numbers and hope to speak again. I cannot wait to cook Ethiopian food.

I am always fascinated by the people I meet in Israel. They come from all over the world, each contributing to the greatness of this country. Israelis are the friendliest people, striking up conversations with strangers. Whether they work at the market, the pizza parlor, or commute by bus or train, Israelis are a welcoming group of people. They have made my immersion into Israeli society an easy task.

A recent survey said that people living in Israel are among the happiest in the world. I know that I am abundantly happy since moving here.

L'hitraot. Shachar (Dawn)

Shachar is the Hebrew name of a California-based attorney and former Los Angeles County deputy sheriff who moved to Israel three years ago.