Going to the supermarket in Israel is a bit like Supermarket Sweep – only without the fun trivia and prizes. You have to be in top shape to fend off the line cutters at the poultry section and then the line holders (“I’ll be right back, just save my spot”) at the checkout. You also have to endure waiting on line for at least 20 minutes at the checkout– and that’s only if the person in front of you opts out of buying cigarettes at the last minute. And, if you forgot an item at the last minute, you have to run, literally sprint, to get it so that the person behind you in line doesn’t explode in anger.

Last time I was in the US, I was amazed that a trip to the supermarket could be a quick in and out experience. In Israel, there’s never even a quick “in” – what with the bag checks, rummaging for the 5 shekel coin to unlock the mystery that awaits within your cart, and finally making your way in through all the outside “deals” that try to distract you from sticking to your shopping list. And, there’s certainly no quick “out” with maybe one express lane, if you’re lucky, and my experience has shown that no matter which line I pick, there is always some sort of hold up – a coupon that’s not valid, a price check on an item, a last-minute delivery decision, etc.

Let’s just say that the Israeli supermarket shopping experience is not exactly a calming experience.

The best part of going to the supermarket is the hope that there will be free samples and good deals (since there is no circular to let you know of deals ahead of time). Depending on which supermarket you go to, you may see people sampling the olives, pickles, raisins, walnuts, and anything else that is not safely guarded behind plastic. In this hilarious episode from the Israeli TV show, Ramzor, Eyal tries to eat as many free samples as he can in the supermarket… and gets caught! See what lengths he’ll go to continue enjoying free samples.  Also in this episode, Hefer tries to cancel his TV subscription but gets unbelievable offers, anything to keep him from cancelling.

After having a baby in October, I realized that if I ever want something from the supermarket, the only way I’ll be able to get it is if I order online, even if it means foregoing free samples.  At first, I was really intimidated by having to shop online in Hebrew, but after a little while, I started to get the hang of it. Most of these sites let you keep previous orders so you can just re-order many of the same things, which saves a lot of time.

Here are all the online supermarket sites in Israel, although the only one I’ve tried so far is Shufersal Yashir.

Shortly after writing this, an article came out in Yediot Achronot comparing the different online supermarkets: Shufersal, Mega, Rami Levi and MisterZol. The winner for every grouping of assorted items was Rami Levi.

ShuferSal Yashir

I saw that Shufersal Yashir (I always thought it was SuperSol until I saw their website)  was giving 200 shekels (25 shekels for each purchase x 8 purchases) to new online shoppers, so I decided to give it a try. And I was hooked. I ordered in the morning, and could decide when I wanted to receive the delivery – the same day or the next day. Click click click and a few hours later all the heavy stuff I ordered was magically at my doorstep.

The prices are definitely a bit higher, but if you spend over 750 shekels, delivery is free.  There are deals online as well so if you shop the deals first, you may only pay a bit more than you would at the store.

The other fun thing about Shufersal Yashir is that they give you 2 random items from the store for free. Sometimes we got really great stuff like a loaf of bread or frozen peas, but sometimes they were really crappy – like grape mix for juice and pizza flavored pretzels. I guess this somewhat compensates for giving up free samples at the supermarket.

The only major drawback of shopping online is not being able to choose my own produce, but you can leave notes on the site like “un-ripe only” and they do a pretty good job of bringing you what you request. I found the user interface on the website easy to use and the search functionality really helpful.

Delivery price: 28 NIS. Free for orders over 750 NIS   29 NIS. 10 NIS for orders over 750 NIS.
Delivery area: Most cities in Israel. Enter your zip code to find out if they deliver to your area.
Payment options: local Israeli and international credit cards

Rami Levy

Rami Levy recently rolled out a new website for ordering your groceries online but with one major problem – they’re rolling out their new service painfully slowly, starting with trial runs in the Tel Aviv area only. Who knows when they’ll get to Jerusalem . Rami Levy has the reputation of having the cheapest prices so I am definitely waiting til they come to my area.

Delivery price: 24.95 NIS
Delivery area: Tel Aviv area

Mega

Mega has a very photo-rich site, but is usually more expensive than the other supermarkets. I would be interested in hearing feedback from people who have used Mega online.

Delivery price: 28 NIS. Free for orders over 500 NIS with the Mega You credit card only
Delivery area: Most cities in Israel. Enter your zip code to find out if they deliver to your area.
Payment Options: Israeli credit cards only!

Mister Zol B’click 

Currently the Homepage isn’t showing deals, although there is a link to get to them, but already that gives me a bad feeling about the usability of the site. It looks like this is a relatively new site as the FAQ section still has “Question 1 and Answer 1″. According to an article recently in Yediot Achronot, Mister Zol didn’t have very good customer service – the writer of the article said he had to call 3 times before he got through to someone, and even then the customer service wasn’t very helpful.

Delivery price:  26 NIS for orders up to 250 NIS. 20 NIS for orders over 250 NIS
Delivery area:  Probably most cities in Israel, but I can’t click on the link to check delivery areas.

MyMakolet

I like looking around at the site because it makes me nostalgic for the US…they even have Shoprite brand cereals! Too funny.

What makes this site unique is that everything is in English.

The website says they will call for your credit card number and don’t process the credit card through the internet. I thought the whole point of eCommerce was to put your credit card online but maybe this is comforting to some people (not so comforting to me… where are they storing this sensitive info?).

So what happens with the second purchase? Do you have to call each time? Do they call you?

I also found the user interface on the site not very intuitive.

Delivery price: 20 NIS
Delivery area: Only Jerusalem

Yashir4u

Located in Bnei Brak, Yashir4u doesn’t seem to have lots of brands I’m using to seeing at the local supermarket. Maybe it’s because they only sell Mehadrin products. The prices seem to be much cheaper than Shufersal Yashir.

Delivery price: Free for orders over 500 NIS
Delivery area: Most cities in Israel. Enter your zip code to find out if they deliver to your area.

SuperBaba – for the Tel Aviv area only. Looks like a brand new site. I clicked on “Deliveries” and the text says “text related to deliveries” Ha!

The only question remaining is – will the Shuk Mahane Yehuda follow the trend and go online?! Will the website include screaming vendors and flies buzzing  to replicate the true experience of the shuk?

Where do you like to go shopping? Where do you find the best deals?

To get you in the mood, here’s an awesome Passover video that asks, What if Moses had facebook?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Bezalel Street Arts and Crafts Fair

Opens April 1, 2011

Artists show off their crafts, jewelry, photography and more at this funky street festival.

9am to 3pm
Shatz St., downtown Jerusalem
Free Entrance
More info

AHAVA festival 2011

April 19-23, 2011

at the Dead Sea featuring Yehuda Poliker, Ehud Banai, Eviatar Banai, Mosh Ben Ari, Hadag Nachash, and more
More info

Free museum entrance sponsored by Bank Hapoalim to 46 museums throughout Israel

Some of the museums included:

• Israel Museum, Jerusalem
• Diaspora Museum, Tel Aviv
• Tel Aviv Museum of Art
• Art museums in Ramat Gan, Haifa, Herzliya
• National Parks Authority: Yotvata, Nimrod Fortress, Nahal Taninim, Ovdat
• Air Force Museum, Be’er Sheva
• Merkavot Latrun
• Haifa Zoo

April 22-24, 2011
More info

Stage One- Amateur English Theater Festival

April 20 to April 22 2011

This Passover, Beit Avi Chai in collaboration with Merkaz Hamagshimim Hadassah will spotlight the finest English-language drama, music, comedy, and more that Jerusalem has to offer.

If you can only make it to one event, make sure to come to Hahafuch’s hilarious improv comedy show on April 21, 2011 at 11pm!
More info about the Hahafuch show

More info about the whole festival

Zorba Buddha Festival in the Negev

April 21-25 2011

This is an hippie-esque festival where you camp out and can partake in meditation and spirituality workshops, yoga, dance and theater workshops, and djs who’ll be playing a huge variety of music.

Cost: 317 NIS
More Info

Boombamela Festival in Eilat

April 21-23, 2011

Celebrating its 13th year, Booombamela is another camp-out,  hippie-type festival with big name music performers such as UselessID, Mooke, and Knesiat Hasechel.

The festival offers various workshops and entertainment such as street theater, body painting, interactive art, pottery, holistic and meditation workshops, and more.

Cost: 250 NIS
More info

Eco Social Awareness Festival: The World is in your Hands

April 20-21, 2011

Rishon Letzion

Festival featuring recycled art and workshops to raise awareness and educate about being environmentally friendly.

Free Entrance
More info

Passover at Mini Israel

April 19-25, 2011

The Biggest Matzah in Israel: made with 5.5 kilograms of flour, 2 liters of water, it is 6 meters by 1 meter long, weighs approximately 6 kilograms, 3-4 millimeters thick, and has 119,000 holes.

The Hagada Comes to Life: Actors and singers perform the Hagada. A unique show presents the “Hagada” story in a humorous way with a combination of actors, singers, music instruments, and live music. The audience will meet the characters from the “Hagada” as they “come to life”, and will enjoy live interaction with the characters.

Circus Show: Once a day, there will be a special show with appearances by comedians with amazing acrobatic skills, unicycles, fire juggling, and much more.

More info

Potato Festival

April 21, 2011

Hevel Habasur (south)

Doesn’t sound like a rockin’ good time but apparently there’s contests, food workshops and more.

[Update: My gut feeling on this was right. People mentioned that this "festival" didn't get such great reviews]

More info

For more fun ideas for Passover activities in Israel

• Achbar Ha’ir Guide to Pesach - Huge and complete listing of activities around Israel (in Hebrew)
• Fun in Jerusalem for kids activities in Jerusalem
• Jerusalem Blueprint for a listing of activities around Israel geared toward people in their 20′s -40′s
• GoJerusalem.com for a guide to events in Jerusalem
• Restaurants open on Pesach in Israel with eLuna discounts

But lucky for our readers, you can learn through our mistakes and questions as we  navigate the childcare system in Israel. And let us say right off the bat, that we encourage and beg you to add info in the comments section in order to help the new parent community.

It is barely spring, but according to Israel you need to secure a place for your child for the fall. You must sign up before spaces fill up, and that means that even if you don’t know what part of town, or even what part of the country you are living in, well that’s too bad.

Check out our guide below that explains the different types of daycare options in Israel.

Public/Government Run Childcare:

Maon (Daycare)

Definition: This is large-scale daycare run by various organizations (usually women’s organizations).  The government supervises and dictates policy.  You must register for these and be accepted (registration starts April 27, 2011). Full-time working mothers have top priority.

Groups:

• 3-15 months: 1 adult for every 6 children, maximum 15 in a group.
• 15 months – 2 years: 1:9 ratio,  maximum 23 in a group
• 2-3 years: 1:11 ratio, maximum 27 in a group

Opening Hours:

• Sunday-Thursday: 7:00am-4:00pm (though some go as late as 5:00pm)
• Friday: 7:00 am-1:00pm
• Holidays:  Government policy: three weeks in August (of which you pay a full month’s worth of tuition), a week before Pesach and the whole holiday, the other major Jewish holidays and the week of Sukkot.

Prices: NIS1550- NIS 2050, scale-based subsides payments based on household salaries and siblings

What is included: Food (and sometimes sheets)

What you need to bring: diapers, baby wipes, clothes, pacifiers, bottles, (sheet for the bed)

Maons in Jerusalem:

• WIZO
• Naamat
• Emunah

Mishpachton (pre-nursery in someone’s home)

Definition: This is daycare that is run out of a private home.  The government supervises and dictates policy.  There can be a maximum of 5 children (without getting special permission for more)  and  no more than 2 children under the age of one.  If there are more children an additional caregiver must be present.

Hours and Holidays:

• 6 Day a week Mishpachton: Sun-Thur 7:00am-4:00pm, Fri: 7:00am-12:00pm
• 5 Day a week Mishpachton: Sun-Thur 7:00am-4:30pm or 7:30am-5:00pm (although some places are only until 4:00pm)
• Holidays: They must abide by the government set holiday schedule.  This includes taking off three weeks in August (of which you pay a full month’s worth of tuition), a week before Pesach and the whole holiday, the other major Jewish holidays and the week of Sukkot.

Prices: More or less the same price as a Maon, approximately NIS 1550, scale-based subsides payments based on household salaries and siblings.

What is included: Food

What you need to bring: diapers, baby wipes, clothes, pacifiers, bottles, sheet for the bed

Private Daycare:

Mishpachton (pre-nursery)

Definition: Private daycare. Generally smaller groups of babies ranging from three-months to one-and-a-half. There are anywhere from three to fourteen kids in these groups.  There is no government supervision and therefore no maximum ratio of children to adults.  Be sure to check what each one’s policy is.

Opening Hours:

• 7:00am, 7:30am or 8am- 3:45pm, 4:00pm or 4:30pm, generally 5-days a week
• Holidays: They work more or less under the same holiday time frame as public daycare, however they are allowed to make their own holiday schedule, so make sure they let you know in advance. This includes taking off three weeks in August (of which you pay a full month’s worth of tuition), a week before Pesach and the whole holiday, the other major Jewish holidays and the week of Sukkot).

Prices: Tend to be more expensive, ranging from NIS 1900 to NIS 2400

What is included: Food

What you need to bring: diapers, baby wipes, clothes, pacifiers, bottles, sheet for the bed

Metapelet  (in-home babysitter):

Definition: This is someone you bring to your house to babysit full time.  You may also split the cost with a friend and then switch off days at each other’s houses.

Hours:  You make your own hours.

Holidays:  This depends on your metapelet, discuss the topic before hiring.

Price: Expensive..??????????NIS

What is included: Nothing.  Your metapelet may agree to prepare food  if you provide her with the ingredients

More Helpful Definitions:

• Peuton (Nursery School) For kids ranging from age one to two-and-a-half.
• Tzaharon (Afternoon Childcare) When a child is older, between the ages of five-12-years-old (separated by age), they will go to free day care called gan chova which is until 1:00pm. For additional payment, you can keep your child in daycare until 4:00pm.
• Gan: 8-4:00; 3-5 years old; 813 shekels a month 2011; You can see the cut off dates on the Jerusalem municipal website. Prices can run anywhere from 70 NIS(Iriyah with all the discounts) to 800 NIS for private..
• Gan Chova (compulsory kindergarten for 5 year olds) You can see the cut off dates on the Jerusalem municipal website.

15 Questions every parent should ask before enrolling their child in childcare:

1. Did you go check out the place in person, at least once?
2. Is there a contract?
3. Does the daycare operate according to governmental law?
4. What if the metapelet/ganenet is sick? Is there a replacement?
5. What if your child is sick? Are you allowed to bring them?
6. Food – breakfast, lunch, and snack, is it included or do you bring your own?
7. Vacations / Holidays / Summer:  Are they around in August? Jewish holidays chol hamoed?
8. What are the hours? If there are only morning hours, is there somewhere close by that they can go for afternoon hours?
9. Price
10. Child to Adult ratio
11. What ages do they accept?
12. What are payment options?
13. What are the areas where babies play, including outdoors and where do they sleep?
14. Ask the metapelet about her background?
15. Ask for other parents’ phone numbers for recommendations

For Jerusalemites:

For questions and for a list of kindergartens, call the below phone numbers according to the area where you live in Jerusalem

Area 1: Neve Yaakov, Pisgat Ze’ev, Givat Shapira, Kiryat Yovel, Yafe Nof, Ramat Beit Hakerem, Ramot Eshkol, Malcha, Bayit Vegan, Ma’alot Dafna, Ramot, Ramat Shlomo
Tel: 02 629 6768
Fax: 026296599

Area 2: Ein Karem, Ir Ganim, Kiryat Menachem, Kiryat Sarah/Derech Hebron, Givat Mesua, Gilo, Homat Shmuel, Talpiot Havitikah, Baka, Talpiot Mizrach, Mekor Chaim
Tel: 026296767
Fax: 026295897

Area 3: Merkaz Ha’ir, Rehavia, Givat Mordechai, Nayot, Givat Havrodim, Katamonim, Pat, Gonen havitikah, Talpiot, Ramat Sharet, Kiryat Moshe,  Kiryat Wolfson, Nachlaot, Moshava Germanit, Harova Hayehudi, Har NOf, Givat Shaul, Arlozorov, Beit Shmuel, Ir David, Arnona
Tel: 026296769
Fax: 026296582

Here’s a list of Metapelets in Jerusalem that I found during my search:

Have a recommendation or advice, please post them here to help others!

Special Thanks to Elkie for all her help!!!

[photo credit: Anthony J on Flickr]

Update: Groopbuy is no longer around. But most of the other ones on this list are live and rockin’!

While there are plenty of daily deal sites to choose from, and it seems like every day a new site pops up, we here at The Big Felafel are big fans of GroopBuy.

And not just because of the Holy Bagel NIS 20 dozen that I purchased last month.

David Shadpour, the founder of GroopBuy and an American living in Jerusalem, has tailored the site to Jerusalem’s English-speaking community. We are the ones that often miss out on deals because we just don’t read Hebrew all that well (yet), know how to bargain or we are friars (suckers). David is my friend and if you didn’t know it he is your friend too, by giving us the opportunity to enjoy stores, restaurants and even gyms for more than half price (and often even upwards of 70% off the price).

Obsessed with GroopBuy as I am, I got a chance to sit down with David and hear what he had to say. “GroopBuy is the only daily deal website that gives deals everyday,” David explains to me. And it is true. A lot of these sites have deals for three days running which misses the point of buyer power and obviously the daily deal part. Not only that but David tells me, “Our discounts are 15 to 20 percent larger than other sites.” Another fact I love. GroopBuy also makes sure to have a variety of deals so you can enjoy paintball one day and a stylish hair cut another.

GroopBuy does its homework. The company has a very high standard of requirements in order to accept a deal. “We have over 60 deals that have not happened because they did not meet our requirements,” he says, adding that “of course there is always trial and error, but most importantly we want to hear from our customers about what they think about the places. If we hear something negative then chances are we aren’t going to re-sign them for another deal.” I love hearing that since I know that the person behind the site really believes in the places he promotes.

In addition to promoting quality places, GroopBuy also tries to spotlight new immigrant vendors, helping them get on their feet. David is committed to giving “protectsia” to the Anglo community.  David says, “We’re in this together.” And he’s right. If I could buy that statement on GroopBuy, I would even pay full price.

Here are some quick tips for using Daily Deal websites:

• Check to see if the site accepts Israeli or international credit cards. If your order doesn’t go through, it’s probably because of the credit card you’re using.
• Make sure you carefully read the fine print before buying a deal.
• Always print your coupon and bring it with you.
• Always make reservations for restaurants, hotels, etc.
• If you see a deal that you think your friends would like, make sure to send it to them or even buy it for them!

1. GroopBuy in English
   Cities: for Jerusalem only (Tel Aviv coming soon)
   Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express, both Israeli and international
2. Grouper in Hebrew
   Cities: Tel Aviv, Hod Hasharon, Haifa, Jerusalem, Ranana, Rishon Ltzion
   Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express
3. Groupon in Hebrew (English coming soon)
   Read about the recent announcement that Groupon is worth a measly $15 billion, and that they’ve acquired Grouper.co.il for $8million in order to enter the Israeli market.
   Cities: All of Israel
   Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express
4. Baligam in Hebrew
   Cities: Jerusalem, Haifa, Tel Aviv, Hasharon
   Payment Options: PayPal or credit card
5. Kantina in Hebrew
   Cities: Jerusalem only (Tel Aviv coming soon)
   Payment Options: International credit card only
6. Buy2 in Hebrew
   Cities: Jerusalem, Haifa, Tel Aviv/center, the south
   Payment Options: Doesn’t specify
7. Deal Hayom in Hebrew
   Cities: Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, Be’er Sheva, Rishon Letzion
   Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express
8. Coupo in Hebrew
   Cities: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Be’er Sheva
   Payment Options: International credit card only
9. Wallashops in Hebrew
   Cities: Jerusalem, The north, The center, The south
   Payment Options: Doesn’t specify
10. Gozrim in Hebrew
    Focus on pregnancy, birth, and parenthood
    Cities: Jerusalem, The north, The center, The south
    Payment Options: All credit cards except for Diners
11. Ima Like - in Hebrew
    Focus on pregnancy, birth, and parenthood
    Cities: All of Israel, with a focus on the Tel Aviv area
    Payment Options: All credit cards except for Diners
12. Big Deal by Ynet in Hebrew
    Cities: All of Israel, focus on the Tel Aviv area
    Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express, Leumi Card
13. BesTours in Hebrew
    Travel site with vacations, package deals, mostly in Europe
    Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express, Diners, Eurocard
14. Groupli in Hebrew
    Cities: Tel Aviv area only
    Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express
15. Gargir in Hebrew
    Cities: Mostly Tel Aviv area
    Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express
16. Coupona in Hebrew
    Cities: Mostly Tel Aviv area
    Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express
17. Buddies in Hebrew
    Cities: Tel Aviv/center area only
    Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express
18. BuyCell in Hebrew
    Cities: Mostly Tel Aviv area
    Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, American Express
19. Yemama in Hebrew
    Cities: Tel Aviv, Haifa (Jerusalem coming soon)
    Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express
20. DealZone in Hebrew
    Cities: Tel Aviv area (Jerusalem and Haifa coming soon)
    Payment Options: All credit cards except for Diners
21. ExpressDeal in Hebrew
    Cities: Mostly Tel Aviv area
    Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express, Leumi Card
22. YallaBuy in Hebrew (as in, Az Yalla Bye.. love the name!)
    Cities: Mostly Tel Aviv area
    Payment Options: Doesn’t specify
23. Shave in Hebrew
    Cities: not sure, couldn’t see past deals
    Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express
24. Groupunch in Hebrew
    Cities: not sure, couldn’t see past deals
    Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express
25. DealOn in Hebrew and English
    Cities: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Be’er Sheva
26. Jewpon in English
    Cities: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv
    Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, American Express
27. GroopScoop in English
    Hasn’t really launched yet
28. Group-E in Hebrew for the religious
    Cities: All over Israel
    Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, Leumi Card
29. Rak Ayom in Hebrew
    Cities: North, Center, Sharon, South
    Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express
30. Deal4All in Hebrew in Hebrew
    Cities: North, Center, Jerusalem area, South
31. BaBeTov – in Hebrew geared toward the religious
32. DealCity – in Hebrew
33. Grouping (coming soon) in Hebrew
34. Zing – in Hebrew
35. Alut – in Hebrew
36. Israel Coupon – in Hebrew
37. YouToo – in Hebrew

Deal Aggregates

1. JangloDeals on facebook, a listing of deals in Israel in English
2. Ideals
3. DayDeals on facebook or the website
4. Everydeal
5. Get it All
6. DailyD
7. Cliqa
8. Tavo
9. Zap

Baby Pasta for diaper rash! Welcome to Israel where new flavors of pasta are invented every day!

I was always so terrified to give birth. But had someone told me about all the free crap you get, I might not have been so scared. I’m just saying that there is light at the end of the tunnel (which tunnel…), and freebies are an awesome way to make the pain feel a little less painful in the days after birth.

The Big Felafel ladies gave birth just two weeks apart and through our experiences we would now like to share our knowledge of free stuff, cheap baby stores and paperwork with you. Save this list and save your time and money.

1. Money from the great State of Israel

When you give birth in any hospital in the state of Israel you are supposed to register your child and receive an Identification Number (Teduat Zehuot) as well as a little monetary gift of about NIS 1600 (if you have twins it is way more so keep that in mind), known as a birth grant. You should also receive a small monthly supplement thereafter, so make sure to fill out the paper work and give them your bank info.

2. Treats in the Hospital

As well as the free oh-so delicious meals you will have during your recuperation period in the hospital, you will also find that there are random women distributing gifts for your newborn. While in the hospital you may receive diapers, fresh wipes, breast pads and even a pacifier. Just realize that these gifts may come to haunt you as they will most likely get your home address and start sending you all kinds of stuff. I receive some kind of coupon or baby magazine every week (a nice change from the bills, but annoying just the same).

3. Betuach Leumi, National Health Insurance Pays Too!

That’s right, if you are a working expecting mother then make sure to collect your $200 after passing go. That is to say, that after you give birth you are entitled to 14-weeks paid maternity leave. My advice is to make sure you collect the past 10-months of pay-statements before leaving your job because you may need them when filling out paper work. The paper work will either be sent to you by your employer or you can get it at Betuach Leumi. It is pretty simple to fill out and your employer will also need to file. You can submit your paperwork at any time but it takes about a month for the money to be posted to your account so keep that in mind. The payment is supposed to be based on an average of the last three months you worked, so make sure to do your overtime if you can. Also, another tip here is to go to Betuach Leumi during afternoon hours when they are empty and more friendly since they are about to go home. One woman even let me breastfeed in their private kitchenette. I even started a trend when another nursing lady followed me in to the room. For more info from Betuach Leumi, check out their website.

4. Misrad Hapnim, Ministry of Interior, Make it Official

As I stated above, when you are in the hospital you should get an ID number for your child which will help when you need to get their passport. If you don’t fill out the paperwork there, don’t worry, you can always go to the Ministry of Interior to do the paperwork. If you go, again I recommend going during afternoon hours when it is less crowded. You will need to bring your baby’s paperwork from the hospital and the correct size passport photos (you can get them done anywhere) as well as the baby to prove that it is the same kid in the pictures. My advice here is to register the child’s birth and get their Israeli Passport at the same time, why go back twice? For more info.

5. SuperPharm cares

It was all worth it – the contractions, the pushing, and the no-sleeping! Your reward, besides your beautiful little one, is a sweet gift from SuperPharm. The only requirement is that you gave birth at Hadassah Ein Karem in Jerusalem, and you have 3 months from the birth to claim the gift. You need to bring the baby’s birth certificate or the pre-birth certificate document from the hospital.

We’re announcing it here on The Big Felafel so everyone will know about this well-kept secret.

For 10 shekels, you can get a package that includes:

• Huggies diapers – size 2
• snacks – granola bar and fitness cereal
• Similac Advanced
• activity book for you baby to look at
• Johnson&Johnson shampoo
• bottle
• bottle of water
• nursing pads

6. Clothing Your Tiny Baby

I’m sure you will get a lot of adorable clothes as presents for the celebration of your child, but your kid is bound to poop through most of them and leave you wandering the streets for just one more onesie. Or, they may just grow right out of them and you will continually need to buy the next size up. In any case there are plenty of cheap stores where you can find the right size at a decent price.

Bazaar Strauss, with branches at Yad Harutzim 22, Beit Hadfus in Givat Shaul, and Pisgat Ze’ev, has a wide selection of cheap outfits from winter gear to summer swimsuits, as well as a variety of baby stuff like bottles to cribs. Located on street level this is an easy place to shop and spend a little money that goes a long way. For me this store is as close as I feel I can get to Target, so I try to enjoy my time as well as my purchases.

Here are some of our favorite deals:

6 shekel onesies
3 for 50 Pampers diapers
40 shekel snowsuits
10 shekel tablecloths and pillowcases
5 shekel hand sanitizers

In the adjacent area to the Bazaar Strauss in Talpiot, you will also find Doctor Baby and Shilav, both located in Ahim Israel mall. Of course the prices won’t compare to Strauss but it is always good to know they are there (Baby Michelle is also near by, across from the Hadar Mall on Pierre Koening).

Another great find is Kish Kush, a new store located in Lev Talpiot mall near the Rav Chen Movie Theater in the heart of Talpiot. This store has only been open for four months, but with their dirt cheap prices for American brand clothing (Carter’s etc.) they’ll probably be around for a while. From preemie baby clothes, the prices start at NIS 15! So let that baby ruin an outfit or two because it barely cost you anything! Located in the same mini-mall on the floor above is Motzetzim which also has fairly priced clothes and toys and is a huge store. And there is always Rami Levy conveniently located in the same mini-mall, which is one of the cheapest supermarkets in the country and naturally sells a small selection of baby clothes.

Got another great tip? Share it with us in the comments section!

What I learned along the way

My first piece of advice would be to ask all your friends for maternity clothes.

My second piece of advice is to invest in long tank tops or the belly band to keep your  belly covered, especially for tall ladies like me.

If you have the opportunity to go to the United States or can have someone bring you clothes, I recommend ordering from Motherhood Maternity, Target, and Old Navy (sign up for the email and get discounts).

Note about sizes: I thought that as my belly grew I’d start wearing bigger and bigger sizes. But apparently that’s not true and you’re supposed to get your regular size when ordering from a maternity selection. I ordered a pair of pants from Old Navy that I thought would be my size but they were huge! Try ordering one size lower than you normally are if you’re ordering from Old Navy, their stuff runs big!

Warning about stretchy pants: I think it may be hard to go back to regular pants. I don’t know yet, but I am lovin’ me the stretchy pants, stretchy skirts, stretchy everything and will be very tempted to continue wearing my maternity jeans after giving birth.

Here’s my review of maternity clothes in Israel:

Ramilee: Probably the  most well-known maternity shop in Israel, they have ok clothes, nothing special or trendy, and the prices are moderate to high. I did splurge on a really awesome pair of jeans from Ramilee. List of Ramilee stores in Israel

Fox – Mom-to-be line Often compared to the Gap, Fox conveniently started carrying a small maternity line, just as I became pregnant! What are the chances?! i found a cute shirt and some long tank tops, but the selection is pretty small. List of Fox stores in Israel. Call first to see if they carry the mom-to-be line.

H&M Mama line. The excitement has finally calmed down, and you no longer have to wait in line to get into the store or a dressing room at H&M in Israel. I wasn’t so impressed with their maternity clothes, but did notice that they had some good basics like nursing t-shirts and nursing tank tops. All 3 branches (Malcha Mall Jerusalem, Azrieli Mall Tel Aviv, and Grand Canyon Mall, Haifa) carry the Mama line. List of H&M stores in Israel

Tamnoon Although they don’t officially have maternity clothes, I have found regular clothes that are very flattering on a pregnant belly, at really good prices. Almost all the clothing in the store is under 100 shekels and the quality is pretty decent. They have good deals on long tanks tops. Here are pictures of 2 things I  got from there: stretchy skirt and flowy top – each under 70 shekels. The Tamnoon stores tend to be tiny with all the shirts stacked to the ceilings so you can’t actually see anything and feel bad asking somebody to get on a ladder for you. However, a new branch opened in Jerusalem’s Hadar Mall in Talpiot which is the biggest and roomiest branch I’ve seen yet. Tamnoon is in just about every mall, but you can check out their website to see the full listing of stores.

Avishag is a high end, designer maternity store. The truth is that I haven’t been inside because I’m afraid I’ll like something and it’ll cost me a month’s rent. store listing

Matimli features larger sizes and a maternity line, for2. Their clothes are very Israeli style. i took a peek but couldn’t find anything I liked.

Jerusalem
If you live in Jerusalem, there are  a few cheap clothing stores in Talpiot that have some pants with stretchy waistbands – Big Shop (on HaOman) and World of Fashion (on Hatnufa across from Kanyon Ahim Yisrael in Talpiot).

You can also try the hippie-type stores like Autenti on Yaffo St in downtown Jerusalem for stretchy skirts and dresses.

Also, there are some stores in the religious neighborhood of Mea Shearim area but I didn’t exactly think they’d have my style so I didn’t venture over there. Here’s the listing in the yellow pages.

Leave comments about where you’ve been successful in finding maternity clothes in Israel. Thanks!

If you get addicted or simply can’t afford the amounts of delicious goodness you are consuming then let me help you out. If you’re an avid reader of the blog (which clearly every person that reads our blog is) then you’ve heard this spiel before, but now there’s more!

Marzipan, a bakery known for its gooey rugelach has been selling ice coffee for NIS 5 for the past three years. Every summer I worry that they will raise their prices, but I am happy to say that’s never the case. In fact these are some of the smartest Israeli business people I have ever known. Without any advertising and just word of mouth, they have managed to expand their shuk operation to a bigger store and open up a shop just off of Emek Refaim. And now the smartness (is that a word, ironic) continues with the expansion of their ice coffee treat.

Instead of just one ice coffee machine, they’ve now taken over the adjacent stall and opened up a row of machines featuring different flavors from banana (not a fan) to lemon-nana to sweet vanilla. You can even combine the flavors and each cup is filled to the very top. This is about as close to a slurpee that we will ever get to! I’ll have to stop writing this now since the mere thought demands that I go out and purchase yet another treaty-treat of ice coffee!

Marzipan I thank you for your continued support in my ice coffee addiction. You’ve allowed me to continue purchasing my favorite drink at a consistent low price and, forced other vendors to lower their ice coffee prices as well. But have no fear my loyalty is to you. I promise I will always drink your ice coffee and sometimes vanilla and a few times lemon-nana and continue to spread the word about your smart business ethics and amazing deal. I only ask that you have the same low price at your Emek Refaim shop where you would no doubt win over the hearts of people forced to pay NIS 18 at the coffee shops throughout the area.

The next sip is on me!

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   Books 4 Now- Israel-based online booksstore that sells used books in Israel. Order 4 books, get free delivery anywhere in Israel
4. 
   AngloBooks – website to trade English books with others in Israel
5. 
   Hook A Book – focused on Israel although prices are in dollars. Free international standard shipping. The site is a little hard on the eyes and there is no search function which makes it a bit difficult to browse but maybe they’re still developing the site as it’s pretty new.  PayPal accepted.
6. 
   Project Gutenberg Over 30,000 works of literature, cookbooks, reference works, periodicals, etc.  in the form of e-books and audio mp3s that you can download for free.
7. 
   42Scifi New and used English sci-fi books in Israel.
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   Bookmooch – bookswap based on points sysem. For each book you want, you have to send 2 books to others
9. 
   HebrewBooks Over 40,000 classical Hebrew books for free download. Mostly Jewish books and texts. Books in Hebrew and English.
10. Abebooks.com English books. Check the Shipping Destination and Rates for each book to see the rate to ship books to Israel
11. Bookme.co.il – Mostly Hebrew books. Seems like only new books
12. Obook.co.il – Used and New Hebrew and English books
13. Findabook.co.il – Used Hebrew and English books
14. BookTrade.co.il – Used Hebrew and English books
15. gilboabooks.co.il – Used Hebrew books and small selection of English books
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18. Steimatsky – New Hebrew and English books
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When rain streams over my window and it gets dark early, I cook soup. The family shleps in towards evening, dripping and complaining. As they pull off coats and put umbrellas away, they sniff the aromatic odor wafting from the big pot on the stove, and know that in a few minutes they’ll be sitting down to their favorite winter food – home-made soup.

I started my soup in the supermarket, slowly cruising the vegetable aisles. All kinds of mushrooms were on sale. Then there was firm, golden corn on the cob, which made me think of cornbread baked with corn kernels in it. Slender, pale-green leeks and crisp celery lay in orderly rows. Piles of potatoes, both white and red varieties…hmm. A delicate leek and potato soup, aromatic with celery, possibly?

Or how about a robust white bean soup with tomatoes and diced carrots, flavored with thyme and plenty of onions? There were so many vegetables! But I was enjoying this cook’s dilemma.

I pushed the shopping cart on. Knobby celeriac and pale parsley roots were fat and tender. When the weather gets hot again, they’ll go thin, not as good. I like to include one or two of those roots in my chicken or beef soups for the rich, sweetish flavor they give out. All those vegetables are in season and reasonably priced. What soup, what soup would I feed my family tonight?

The mushrooms won. I could have bought a few vibrantly green stalks of broccoli, also in season, for a broccoli/mushroom soup, but I love the pure taste of mushrooms alone. I chose a little basket of firm, brown Portobelos and served my soup with warm slices of that chunky cornbread.

We ate and thawed out. The soup performed its reliable magic, filling stomachs and souls with comfort. By the time we sigh and push our bowls away, life had started looking good again.

A colorful salad of sliced tomatoes and avocados followed. It needed only a little lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, and a dusting of salt for dressing. All Israeli winter produce for dinner last night.

Recipes:

Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

450 grams – 1 lb. fresh mushrooms, clean and sliced thinly. Put 4 aside for later.

1 medium onion, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 small potato, peeled and diced

1 bay leaf

1 cup water

3 cups of milk

2 Tablespoons white wine

1 Tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, or a sprig of fresh

salt and white pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped chives or chopped parsley

Method:

1. In your soup pot, sauté the onions till they’re wilted.

2. Add the sliced mushrooms and the diced potatoes. Stir and cook till the mushrooms have released their juice and the potatoes are starting to get soft.

3. Add the garlic and the bay leaf.

4. Add the water. Cover the pot and cook the vegetables over low heat till they are all soft.

5. Take the pot off the heat. Either transfer the soup base to a blender or food processor, or use a stick blender, but process it till the vegetables are blended.

6. Return the blended vegetables to the pot (I just take my stick blender to the whole thing – off the heat, of course).

7. Add the milk, bring it up to a simmer, and cook for another 15 minutes. Don’t let the milk boil over.

8. Swirl the butter in. Add the wine and the thyme and the 4 sliced mushrooms you put aside, and simmer the soup another minute or so.

Spoon out some of the mushroom slices into each bowl and sprinkle chopped chives or parsley over them. Serve.

Cornbread with Fresh Corn Kernels

Ingredients:

1/1/4 cups white flour

3/4 cup corn meal

4 Tblsp. sugar

3 tsp. baking powder (Israelis can just empty out a little package of baking powder into the bowl)

3/4 tsp. salt

1 egg

1 cup milk

2 Tblsp. melted butter. You can use oil or marg, but it will never be as good.

2 corn cobs, broken in halves and steamed till the kernels are tender.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375 F – 190 C.

Have ready a medium-sized bowl and two smaller bowls.

1. Scrape the kernels off the corn cobs; put into one of the smaller bowls and set aside.

2. Sift the dry ingredients into the larger bowl.

3. In the smaller bowl, beat the egg. Add the milk and melted butter and mix well.

4. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing well again.

5. Add the corn kernels to the batter and mix.

6. Spread the batter in a butter 9-inch pie dish; or line your pan with baking paper.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cornbread is golden brown all over.

Here’s a quick list of especially delicious and available  fruits and vegetables during the winter months.

Please feel free to comment with your favorite winter eats in Israel.

1. mushrooms, many varieties
2. all the citrus: oranges, pomelos, grapefruits, tangerines
3. apples
4. avocados
5. lettuce: cos or Arab lettuce, oak-leaf, iceberg

Here’s a translation of an apartment notice from one of the best flat hunting sites  Yad2:

1. Price: Price range is usually the first thing that narrows down my apartment search. If the price is in dollars, make sure you feel comfortable with the conversion solution which typically is either a)whatever the rate is on the first of each month or b)setting a rate at the beginning of the contract. I prefer the second option so I’m not nervous about what the rate will be each month.
2. Entrance Date: One of the first questions to ask each apartment is if it’s relevant anymore (actuali in Hebrew). And if so, when is the move in date?
3. Location: Will you feel safe walking around at night? Are there lots of busses nearby? Is it near things that are important to you (friends, supermakets, kindergarten, etc.). To help find the street before you head over, you can use Google Maps which takes english or hebrew street names.
4. Number of Rooms: Be wary of the 2.5 rooms – what exactly will that .5 be and will it actually make a difference in adding space to the apartment.
5. Size: How many square meters is it? Sometimes an apartment will sound big in square meters but it may not be set up in a very user-friendly way
6. Arnona: Depending on the size of the apartment, you’ll have to pay a certain amount of municipal property tax.
7. Floor Number / Elevator: Find out what floor number it’s on – and whether the building is on a raised platform or not. If it’s a high floor, is there an elevator? Shabbat elevator?
8. Vad Bayit: The maintenance fee for each building differs slightly and can range anywhere from 40-300+ shekels per month. The lower range usually covers someone who cleans the building once a week. The higher range usually means that there is heating (hasaka) for the building during certain times of the day.
9. Dud Shemesh(solar panel for hot water): For me, this is really a dealbreaker and I try to only look at apartments that have a dud shemesh. Mainly so I can just say dude a lot, but also because there is so much unbearably hot sun during the summer that it would be such a shame to let it go to waste, and a dud saves electricity costs.
10. Daytime/Nightime: Is there plenty of warm sunshine during the day? Is it scary at night. I recommend checking out an apartment both during the day and at night so you get the full picture.
11. Balcony (mirpeset) / Closed balcony (mirpeset sherut) If an apartment has a balcony,  find out if it’s open or closed. Also nice to know if it is sukkah-friendly.
12. Furniture: Does the place come with a stove, fridge, built-in closets, washing machine, couches, etc? Sometimes landlords just happen to have an extra closet laying around. On the other hand, we went to see an apartment that didn’t allow gas stoves so be sure to ask, ask, ask about any details you can think of.
13. Landlords: Does the landlord pace the apartment every 2 seconds? Are they nice on the phone but then shady in person? Pay attention to the landlord’s behavior – you don’t want to be handing your hard earned money over to a scumbag each month. Make sure to ask about repairs, and the landlord’s responsibilities to you.
14. Pets: What I’ve found with pets is that there’s usually a don’t ask, don’t tell policy. The landlords usually don’t care as long as you keep the place clean and it doesn’t cause trouble with the neighbors.
15. Parking: If you have a car, make sure there is either a designated parking area, or at least lots of little side streets nearby with ample parking
16. Heating/air conditioning: Find out what kind of heating system there is. Also, you can ask the current tenants how the apartment fares during the summer and winter.
17. Roommates: If you’re looking to live with others, you’ll have a whole new list of questions – do you want to live with religious people, people that you know, Israelis, etc. Make sure you get a good, friendly vibe when you’re choosing roommates because you’re gonna see these people plenty.
18. Agent: Check to see if there is an agent. If the apartment is going through an agent, the fee is typically one month’s rent. You can find plenty of apartments without an agent so only use one as the very last resort.
19. Storage: Does the place come with a separate storage space?

Good luck with your apartment hunt!

If you have anything to add, please feel free to add your thoughts in the comments.