Guide to Childcare in Israel and 15 questions every parent should ask
If there is one thing harder than birth, we would say it is trying to register your child for day care. Unlike the birthing process, there’s no Lamaze class to teach you breathing techniques as you try to register your child for day care in Israel.
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:
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
Running in Jerusalem or How to Make Buns of Steel!
As I train for the Jerusalem half-marathon, I have come to realize that the Holiest city in the world was meant to be a land filled with extremely fit people. You cannot run five minutes without finding yourself climbing up another hill or flying down one. And when you’re running in your first half-marathon – that’s 21.1 kilometers or 13 miles – you realize that maybe Jerusalem isn’t the best place to start. Then again when you live here, there isn’t much of a choice!
Thanks to the new Gmaps Pedometer, creating my running routes has been easy— but there’s nothing easy about the actual runs. Every route has hills, it is unavoidable. Not only that, Jerusalem doesn’t have a beach, a lake or a boardwalk (I know there is the Haas Promenade in Talpiot, but really not the same as a boardwalk), that could make the run more visually exciting. Sure there is the Jerusalem Forest, but that is just more of the same, with crazy hills and inclines that my legs, butt and thighs will just not accept. And true, we do have the Old City which is a cool place to run through, if you like thousands of tourists getting in your way, cars trying to squeeze through the narrow streets, and broken roads that make for embarrassing and painful (being embarrassed hurts more than bruises) falls.
But I have challenged myself, body and mind, to run this year’s Jerusalem half-marathon and March 25th I hope to achieve my goal with thousands of others. While I am super excited about the half, the real deal is the first full Jerusalem marathon taking place the same day. With over 10,000 people registered, it looks like this will be the country’s biggest marathon, so take that Tel Aviv (with your beautiful beaches, boardwalks and HaYakron!). Continue reading this entry »
25+ Daily Deal and Group Deal websites in Israel
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!
- GroopBuy in English
Cities: for Jerusalem only (Tel Aviv coming soon)
Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express, both Israeli and international - Grouper in Hebrew
Cities: Tel Aviv, Hod Hasharon, Haifa, Jerusalem, Ranana, Rishon Ltzion
Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express - 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 - Baligam in Hebrew
Cities: Jerusalem, Haifa, Tel Aviv, Hasharon
Payment Options: PayPal or credit card - Kantina in Hebrew
Cities: Jerusalem only (Tel Aviv coming soon)
Payment Options: International credit card only - Buy2 in Hebrew
Cities: Jerusalem, Haifa, Tel Aviv/center, the south
Payment Options: Doesn’t specify - Deal Hayom in Hebrew
Cities: Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, Be’er Sheva, Rishon Letzion
Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express - Coupo in Hebrew
Cities: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Be’er Sheva
Payment Options: International credit card only - Wallashops in Hebrew
Cities: Jerusalem, The north, The center, The south
Payment Options: Doesn’t specify - 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 - 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 - 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 - BesTours in Hebrew
Travel site with vacations, package deals, mostly in Europe
Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express, Diners, Eurocard - Groupli in Hebrew
Cities: Tel Aviv area only
Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express - Gargir in Hebrew
Cities: Mostly Tel Aviv area
Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express - Coupona in Hebrew
Cities: Mostly Tel Aviv area
Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express - Buddies in Hebrew
Cities: Tel Aviv/center area only
Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express - BuyCell in Hebrew
Cities: Mostly Tel Aviv area
Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, American Express - Yemama in Hebrew
Cities: Tel Aviv, Haifa (Jerusalem coming soon)
Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express - DealZone in Hebrew
Cities: Tel Aviv area (Jerusalem and Haifa coming soon)
Payment Options: All credit cards except for Diners - ExpressDeal in Hebrew
Cities: Mostly Tel Aviv area
Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express, Leumi Card - YallaBuy in Hebrew (as in, Az Yalla Bye.. love the name!)
Cities: Mostly Tel Aviv area
Payment Options: Doesn’t specify - Shave in Hebrew
Cities: not sure, couldn’t see past deals
Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express - Groupunch in Hebrew
Cities: not sure, couldn’t see past deals
Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express - DealOn in Hebrew and English
Cities: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Be’er Sheva - Jewpon in English
Cities: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv
Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, American Express - GroopScoop in English
Hasn’t really launched yet - Group-E in Hebrew for the religious
Cities: All over Israel
Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, Leumi Card - Rak Ayom in Hebrew
Cities: North, Center, Sharon, South
Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Isracard, American Express - Deal4All in Hebrew in Hebrew
Cities: North, Center, Jerusalem area, South - BaBeTov – in Hebrew geared toward the religious
- DealCity – in Hebrew
- Grouping (coming soon) in Hebrew
- Zing – in Hebrew
- Alut – in Hebrew
- Israel Coupon – in Hebrew
- YouToo – in Hebrew
Deal Aggregates
- JangloDeals on facebook, a listing of deals in Israel in English
- Ideals
- DayDeals on facebook or the website
- Everydeal
- Get it All
- DailyD
- Cliqa
- Tavo
- Zap
Hadassah Baby Hotel = heaven
Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital
A while ago I wrote about finding maternity clothes in Israel and as you might have figured out, after buying the maternity clothes and going through pregnancy, it was time to have a baby! You can read Molly’s guide to giving birth in Jerusalem here. I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl at Hadassah Ein Karem in Jerusalem. My experience at the hospital was mixed – I had a great experience in the delivery room (if such a thing is possible) with the amazing midwives but my experience in the maternity ward afterward was disappointing. After going through the craziness that is labor (I’ll leave out the gory gory), my emotions were as stable as the Scream Machine roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure, that is to say, not very. When I arrived in the maternity ward, I hoped for a welcoming party with balloons and cake, a birth-day party, if you will. But no. We were temporarily placed in the hallway and greeted by a handful of unfriendly nurses who could have been a little more helpful and informative about what the heck a new mother is supposed to do – how to breastfeed, how to take care of the umbilical cord, etc. The other non-welcoming party was the cafeteria. It felt like high school all over again with cliques at the different tables – mostly determined by what language you speak. And the food was nothin’ to write home about – large chunks of cucumber for breakfast, smaller cubes of cucumber for lunch, and cucumber pie for dinner. So, as you can imagine, I was more than eager to leave the hospital when the time came and head over to the Hadassah Baby Hotel. (By the way, Molly wanted me to let you know that she was on the rooming-in floor in the hospital and had a great experience.)
Hadassah Baby Hotel
The Hadassah Baby Hotel was just up the elevator, up the stairs, down the hall, down the escalator, and down another elevator away from the hospital, but it was a whole different world. When I arrived to the hotel’s special baby floor, the nurses smiled, sat with me as if they had all the time in the world, and listened to all my questions. To top it off, the hotel rooms were complete with a changing table, diapers, a nursing pillow, and other baby items. They also had a 24 hour nursery so that you can run up to the delicious buffet and eat, or run to the bathroom, or do whatever it is you need to run to do and know that someone is watching the baby and will call you when they are crying and need to eat. The nursery also offers to give your baby formula at night so that you can sleep a few more hours and speed up your recuperation. Also, a doctor comes every day to check on your baby and tells you if there’s anything you should be concerned about. From Sunday to Wednesday, the hotel offers a workshop each day for a few hours on baby development, nutrition, breastfeeding, and baby massage. I thought the workshops were a nice way of meeting the other mamas on the floor, and asking an expert any questions I had.
Since there is a floor of the hotel dedicated to babies and mamas, you can imagine my surprise when I walked back to my room after feeding my daughter, the lights dimmed low at 1am, only to bump into a Greek Orthodox priest in his jammies praying next to my door. I guess they ran out of rooms on the other floors of the hotel. Maybe he was praying to move to a different floor so he wouldn’t have to hear crying babies. In the morning, I awoke to find the same priest and 5 of his priest friends now fully dressed in long black robes, hats, and larger than life jeweled cross necklaces heading to the elevator. We stepped into the elevator together, 6 priests and a nursing mother, trying not to make eye contact, eager to get to the breakfast buffet.
A Guide to Birth in Jerusalem: The deals, The clothes, The bureaucracy
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
The New Hannuka Miracle: American Doughnuts in Israel
Normally this time of year, starting about a month before Hannuka, the bakeries place their finest, sweetest and most oily sufganiyot in the window display so that passers-by have no choice but to indulge in the million calorie treat…several times. However, this Hannuka there is a new market on the oily goodness, in the form of real American doughnuts.
It seems that the already successful Jerusalem based Aldo ice cream shop on Emek Refaim is now cornering in on the doughnut world. With a huge sign at the front door, the store invites people to their new display of doughnuts, which happens to look exactly like Dunkin Donuts. In fact the company behind this year’s Hannuka miracle is Mr. Donuts, which have already been selling doughnuts in their Alonit stores.
The doughnuts come in all different flavors, sugar coated, chocolate with sprinkles, strawberry, and banana (really not a fan). A single doughnut is NIS 6, but Aldo is currently running a deal, six doughnuts for NIS 30 (that’s almost a doughnut for each day of Hannuka, if you can really pace yourself). I’ve already bought a box full and I won’t tell you how many are left as I write this post! 
The man behind the doughnut vision is Zohar Norman, owner and CEO of Cocoa Mr. Donuts. The business guru has been back in Israel for 3 years after conquering the hummus market in America with Sabra Salads. His bakery in Yavne is behind the real doughnuts, using an American style recipe which fries the doughnuts at much higher speeds and best of all are only 180-240 calories a doughnut (another Hannuka miracle). If all goes well, Norman plans to also import American style pizza and muffins, OMG!
And in an exclusive report to The Big Felafel, a source at Holy Bagel has revealed that they are also going to begin selling doughnuts in their Jerusalem stores. I can already smell the doughnut sale wars! Now, we just have to get Norman to buy into Mexican food. How about some burritos and tacos in time for Purim?
GroopBuy, Get Your Deal On.
Like any good Jew, especially one living in Israel, I love deals. Deals complete me. A dress that was on sale seems more valuable somehow. Going to the shuk and bargaining over fruit leaves it tasting better than ever. And discovering a new website that brings the promise of amazing deals day after day, well friends, that is priceless.
May I introduce you to GroopBuy where deals are daily and that makes mamma happy. The concept is simple: everyday there is a new deal and if you like it you sign up and then you make sure your friends do too. If enough people sign up for the deal then we all get to enjoy the benefits. And again mamma is happy.
The deals can be for restaurants to dance classes and today it was for a dentist (not a bad idea since my teeth have been feeling sore lately, and I was just ignoring it but now I don’t have to). The deals come to your inbox so I imagine that this is what it feels like when the Christians say, “Everyday feels like Christmas.” 
The website is super user-friendly and in English, in fact they even had Anglos in mind when creating the site according to the ‘about us’ section: GroopBuy is a response to the frustrations Anglos may experience when integrating into a new country. This cuts the Israeli learning curve right in half—now we just have to figure out a website that makes the banks and bureaucracies open for more than two hours a day and we might just see a spike in Aliyah.
Who is excited to get her deal on? It’s me and I hope it’s you because it only works if we all join in. And remember mamma wants to be happy.
Check out the deals at www.groopbuy.co.il
Join the Facebook GroopBuy Group
Consumer Rights Revolution? Return goods for cash in Israel starts December 2010
Israel is slowly but surely starting to come ’round and realize the importance of the (gasp) consumer! The Knesset finally thinks it’s about time to get rid of receipts that say “2 weeks to return for store-credit only”. If you’ve ever bought anything in Israel, you’ll know that you better be 100% sure that you like it or that you can rush back to the store and hopefully find something else instead. New regulation has been passed that you now have those same 2 weeks, but this time you can get your money back.
Still lightyears behind the US’s return policy, it’s a step in the right direction.
Some notes:
- To qualify for a cash-back return, the item must be over 50 shekels
- Consumers will receive funds via the same method they paid
- Shoppers who purchase products from retail chains will be able to receive a refund at any of the chain’s stores.
- Full refunds will be given for all items returned within 14 days, with several exceptions and provisos for specific items. Shoes and clothing, for example may only be returned within 3 days of the purchase and on condition that they weren’t worn.
- All canceled deals will cost the buyer a 5% cancellation fee.
- Returning an electronic product will entail a 10% or NIS 100 cancellation fee – the lower of the two – if the original packaging was opened.
- Retailers are not required to provide refunds for purchases of lingerie, custom built furniture, food, medicine or foreign vacation package cancellations.
- The regulations also cover service plans, such as mobile phone contracts, hotel reservations and gym memberships.
- Companies will be forced to return the worth of the unused portion of the plan, but will be allowed to retain up to NIS 100 of the amount for services rendered or cancellation fees.
- Keep your receipt, but you can also show the label or tag on the item.
- The law goes into effect December 14, 2010, delayed from the intended October 2010.
From Rockets to Knowledge: The Difference We Can Make for Sderot Youth
Summer camp was the best place on earth for me as a kid (probably still would be as an adult). Being a camper and escaping from real life for a week or two at a time was just so needed from ages 7 to 15. I mean school was hard, what with all those math problems, and recess was already filled with drama, whether it was a fight about who would play mom in “house,” or boys with cooties; camp was always the much needed break and promise land away from my problems.
Every kid needs camp. But some kids need it more than others. While back in the sixth grade I stressed out about my boy problems, today the children of the city of Sderot are more worried about rocket fire and staying alive. For over eight years the threat of rockets and war has plagued the city of Sderot. That means that the children of Sderot have grown up with this continued danger, and some of them were literally born into it, making this the only life they know.
Sderot Knowledge Campers
This summer, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has opened up its doors and teamed up with The Canadian Friends of Hebrew University and Committee for a Secure Sderot to provide 200 youth with the opportunity to escape Sderot and the rockets and have a week of fun and learning in the Israel’s capital.
For one-week these kids can enjoy regular kid activities like swimming, bowling and going on hikes without worrying about where the nearest bomb shelter is or make sure their ears are alert for the warning of rockets. On top of the usual fun stuff they will also participate in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder workshops (PTSD) with trained professionals to help them with the trauma they have experienced and most likely will experience again. And to add to the experience the kids will also have the privilege of learning science in labs at the Hebrew University. This is a great treat for them, because coming from a periphery town these kids are barely getting a decent education let alone the opportunity to study at the top university in the country.
I met some of the Sderot kids that are at the camp and was taken away with their candid stories about living in a warzone. Even though most of them are 13 to 16-years-old, they talk like grown ups, speaking about the fear of death and life under fire. Each one of them has a story or stories about kassams (rockets) falling outside their homes, inside their living rooms and for one boy, on the pillow he had just been resting his head on before getting up to go the bathroom. They speak about these incidents void of emotion (due to the trauma); yet listening to them you feel their pain and understand the necessity of bringing them out of the city even if it is for one week.
While each youth is special, there was one that really stood out to me. His name is Daniel and he will be 16-years-old in a month. But unlike teenagers in America, he is not worrying about passing his driving test; instead he worries about surviving rockets. Daniel was a camper in this Knowledge camp but back in Sderot he volunteers helping younger children deal with PTSD as well as to cope with the stress and anxiety of everyday life. Daniel thinks he is just living life, but to me he is defining it. Everyday he survives his fear, he lives his life, and he supports others and wakes up to do it again, day after day.
If you want to help sponsor a camper like Daniel please check out my Give2gether page. It doesn’t take much for you to make a difference for kids like Daniel, and yet it’s all the difference in the world. I’m sponsoring Daniel or at least I am doing what I can, I hope you can do the same.
Where to shop for Maternity Clothes in Israel
You’d think that with Israel’s relatively high birthrate, and every woman you pass on the street being pregnant (doesn’t it seem that way?) there would be far more choices of maternity clothes in Israel than there are. As my belly, and most noticeably, my belly button, start to protrude, the hunt is on for nice maternity clothes in Israel that aren’t too expensive. Ha! As it turns out, this is a contradictory request, right up there with other things in Israel that are totally overpriced like cottage cheese, organic milk (only in health food stores), decent sheets, and deodorant. Here is a review of the maternity wear that I’ve come across.
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!
The Big Felafel 