Yom Hazikaron: Remember those that have fallen and those that lift us up
As we celebrate our fallen soldiers throughout the many wars and plights for the state of Israel, it’s important to remember, on this day of remembrance, not only our fallen soldiers but our everyday heroes as well.
As a new immigrant, the move to Israel is more turbulent than just the plane ride. In fact, that may be the easiest part. It’s like you are suddenly playing the board game of life, but you keep landing on the squares that screw you. You jump from bureaucratic offices stumbling through conversations in Hebrew and not understanding a word, to trying to open a bank account, contract a cell phone and maybe even get internet. All the while you are crying, pulling out your hair and wondering what the hell you are doing here.
So maybe you didn’t cry as much as me (my tears could fix the water drought!). And maybe you didn’t pull out as much hair (with the right tools I could create my very own shaitel – wig). And just maybe you are more of a Zionist than me, so you didn’t want to pack your bags and take the next plane back. But I know you have fought many a battle with one of the above mentioned. I know you have had small victories and bigger defeats. I know the man has gotten you down.
But do not give up. Do not lose faith. And do not move back. We are here to make a difference. Each one of us will find his or her calling. I now know mine is to fight for consumer rights in Israel. My battle with Pelefone is over and I am the victor. Me! Me! Me!
In a previous post I wrote two months ago I told you about my ensuing battle with Pelephone. My complaints seemed simple enough: stop charging me for internet since I don’t use it or want it. And where is my contract because I never agreed to pay NIS 50 for this phone! My complaints were met with yelling matches between the customer service agents who do not believe the customer is right and managers who would rather belittle you then admit their faults. I was angry and deflated like a shriveled balloon. But somehow rather than exploding I came to my senses and decided to fight for my rights
I searched the web for consumer rights organizations and filed complaints. I demanded Pelefone for my contract and told them I would sue if I was not heard. I wrote my post and through the gift of social media, found support and help from strangers that have also struggled like me. And finally I found my Israel Israeli that could give me the confidence and will to fight until the end.
Everyone needs an Israel Israeli on their side. Israel Israeli is the person that comes into your life just when you are about to throw in the towel. He or she will not only encourage you to fight, but to fight hard. And they will even get on the phone and speak on your behalf, write letters and give you a high five for the small triumphs along the way. They will be there for you and never ask for more than a thank you for their efforts on your behalf. They will never give up. They will restore your faith. And you will not want to move back.
My fight with Pelefone is a not just a victory for me but a victory for all new immigrants who don’t believe the system works. Ok, so most of the time it doesn’t, but if you just commit to the fight and hold on to your Israel Israeli then you have a chance.
At the beginning of my battle with Pelefone, the manager told me I would never be able to cancel my internet charges. Not only have I successfully cancelled them, but Pelefone is refunding the last several months of charges. Also, my fight against paying NIS 50 a month for a phone that I remembered the customer service agent telling me would cost NIS 15—which at the time was a big deal for me since I was paying NIS 5 a month before that—was an accomplishment. Since Pelefone does not keep contracts (a standard practice for all cell phone companies) they had no proof of the original agreement. They told me they had given me a copy, which they did not, and said it was my responsibility to keep it safe. And what about them? Why didn’t they properly file a hard copy of the agreement? Well, after several letters, emails and phone calls (all with the help of my Israel Israeli) I stand before you today the proud owner of a phone that I now pay NIS 15 for!
Get empowered! Get help! And get an Israel Israeli! If you have issues, write them here and you will find that others will come to your aid. And since I believe this is my calling, I too will help you (and hopefully my Israel Israeli will be by my side).
Just like the heroes on the battlefield, there are also our everyday heroes that make a difference when it comes to the field of life. I thank my Israel Israeli for giving me the strength and knowledge to fight and win my rights as a consumer. I thank all those that have let me cut in line at the supermarket, slowed down their car to let me cross the street, gave me directions when I was lost, or just smiled when there was no reason to even make eye contact. Our country has survived because of the fallen soldiers that died for our right to live and because of our everyday heroes that give us the strength to battle on.
New Adrenaline Rush: Rock Climbing in Israel
If the distribution of gas masks or a planned emergency drill doesn’t get your heart pounding, then you’ve probably been living in Israel for quite a while and you might need a new dose of adrenaline to shake you up.
Maybe it’s time for climbing an extremely high wall and praying that your partner down below is paying attention to your every move.
I don’t mean to sound so cynical, but the point here is that despite the constant attempts to destroy Israel, daily life here goes on, and so does finding new exhilarating things to do.
I recently discovered the climbing wall in Jerusalem’s Teddy Stadium and had such an amazing time that I’m looking for the next opportunity to do it again.
According to climbing.org.il, there are climbing walls all over Israel: in Kibbutz HaOgen, Ashdod, Eilat, and Jerusalem.
However, I found another website that has a more complete listing of all the rock climbing walls in Israel.
The hours at the Jerusalem branch are amazing – you can go after work and still have plenty of time to climb.
Sunday-Thursday: 4pm-10:45pm
Friday: 10am-hour and a half before Shabbat starts
Saturday night: hour and a half after Shabbat ends – 10:45pm (winter)/11:45pm(summer)
It costs 45 shekels last time I was there, but if you want to double check, call 02-6482264. For first-timers, a staff member will teach you and your partner how to climb.
The hours of each branch in Israel vary slightly so make sure to call or check here
Three Weeks of NIS 3 Coffee!
While it may seem like the holiday season is over, there is still much to celebrate. How about NIS 3 coffee? I don’t know about you, but I’m jumping up and down (and not just because I had three cups of pure caffeine joy!). What café finally got the memo that coffee doesn’t have to be expensive? Café Hillel on Emek Refaim right here in Jerusalem, that’s who!
Although I previously reported that Café Hillel would be opening at a new location on Emek, it turns out that they have changed their minds and decided to stay at their original location and renovate. The café itself is closed but for the next three weeks you 
can get NIS 3 coffee at the little side barista they opened up during the renovation process. The cheap coffee isn’t just hot; you can also get ice café for NIS 9. It isn’t as cheap as my all-time love of NIS 5 ice café at Marzipan in the shuk, but it’s a bigger cup and low fat (supposedly). In any case these are just some of the amazing deals worth pooping your pants over.
Good bargains don’t just happen. Either you or someone you know has hunted them down, passed them along or created them on their own. We cheap buggers have to stick together and look after each other to ensure the deals keep coming. That’s why I implore you to not only take advantage of the next three weeks while the coffee is NIS 3, but to tell the cashier, manager or owner to permanently keep the NIS 3 coffee as a part of the menu. I think in the long run they will end up making more money off the NIS 3 coffee than any of their ridiculously over-priced salads. Also, if the coffee is NIS 3 now, but after the renovations the price goes back up to NIS 15, we will all feel scammed — and nobody goes to a restaurant that rips them off.
Friends, drink and be merry, but don’t forget to be cheap and persuasive too!
Don’t Get Angry – Get Empowered about Consumer Rights in Israel!
As new immigrants, part of our induction into Israeli society is new rights, discounts, a bit of money and lots of customer service fights – whether it be at the bank, over the phone or just waiting in line. Most of us know about the money and rights part, but the fighting for basic consumer rights is something that even after you do it, even after several times of doing it, even after learning your lesson and never doing it again- you still feel surprised, annoyed and stressed out from each experience.
Most immigrants will tell you that after a while you just get used to the new way of customer service and accept it. You try not to let things get under your skin because you’ll go nuts. And besides, the bureaucratic system is the way it is and no one is going to change that.
Friends and fellow immigrants, change is not only for Obama, the time for consumer rights to exist in Israel has come. Or at least for me it has, and I’m on your team, so whether you like it or not, we are about to fight the battle of consumer rights culture in Israel.
Two weeks ago, I went to Pelephone headquarters in Jerusalem to fight a NIS 17 monthly internet charge that they added to my phone bill. After waiting almost a half hour for a customer service representative, I was told that I had to pay the fee according to their new rule which they state is: Any phone that can access internet will pay an access charge for internet. So what does this mean? Well, even though I feel that having internet at work and at home is enough for me and I would rather spend the NIS 17 a month on chocolate bars, that’s just too bad because I am forced to pay the fee.
This ridiculous charge is added on to another outrageous charge that I only found out about while fighting the internet issue; which is, that I am still paying for a phone that broke months ago. Yes, it turns out that if your phone breaks and you get a new phone, you still have to pay for the old, broken phone as well as your new phone. And, even if I went to another cell phone company, since clearly I hate Pelefone at this point, it wouldn’t matter because I would have to continue to pay for the two phones, so they still get my money.
After arguing and even using tears as a weapon (didn’t work), I left angrier then I have ever been, and that is hard to do. I wanted to leave Israel and never come back. Yes, I am used to fighting with customer service. And yes, I am aware that there is no customer service in Israel. But that does not explain or justify charges for a product I don’t want.
Once the anger subsided and I thought about the situation it occurred to me that this was actually happening for a great reason. I am not going to get pooped on any longer. I am going to fight for consumer rights because they can and do exist…somewhere. If I allow the internet fee to continue today, then tomorrow it’s a TV fee on my phone for NIS 100 (and that obviously includes the TV tax, another point of anger). And that trend does exist, how else could you explain the internet tax in the first place?
I have already informed Pelephone that I plan to sue them or start a class action suit. While they believe that I am angry, I’m not sure how much they believe in my fight. I am writing this post to ensure that I plan to fight this until the end. And I don’t know exactly what the end is. It could be reversing the forced internet fee for all Pelephone customers or all cell phone holders in general (since this fee exists with several companies). The end may be a fight for consumer rights against big companies, monopolies and the general bureaucratic system. But no matter what I am fighting it.
And I already have support. Through my research, Janglo posts and joining consumer rights groups that I never knew existed; I have found helpful people that unfortunately have also gone through this awful process. They have given me their contact info and advice and for that I thank them.
I have created a list below (please feel free to add), of ways to fight your own battles. And keep in mind, don’t get angry, get empowered. We can only create change if we believe change will come.
Consumer Rights Organizations, Councils, Groups and more:
The Israel Consumer Council:76 Mzah St., Tel Aviv 65789; Tel: 03-560-4671/72
Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor – Department of Consumer Affairs: Yitzchak Kimchi, Esq. is in charge. His number is: 02- 6662590 His assistant: 02- 6662593 and 02-6662596
The Israeli Council for Consumerism: Fax number: 03- 6241035
Jerusalem Consumers Rights: 02-666-2034
Websites and online resources:
- consumers.org.il
- The Israel Consumer Council
- Public Trust
- Consumer Protection
- Service Report
- State Comptroller – Complaint Form
Groups:
- Consumer Rights in Israel – Yahoo Group
- Israel Consumer Rights -Yahoo Group
- Survival During Hard Times
Indian food in Jerusalem
After 4 years in Israel, I think I’ve finally moved out of my obsessive pita and humus stage. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always save a special place in my heart for the quintessential Israeli snack that requires swift wrist action, but it’s time to move on and sample some other cuisines.
Recently, I discovered a little hole-in-the-wall Indian restaurant, Ichikidana איצ’יקדנה inside the Machane Yehuda outdoor shuk in Jerusalem. And … it was delicious! And cheap – the small platter of thali was 24NIS 35 NIS! And cute – tiny room with wooden tables covered with collages of pictures and mementos from the staff’s trips to India. And so… I’m hooked. I even went home and starting looking up Indian recipes for things I had never even heard of before like Chana Dal (Curried Chick-Peas), Tamatar Ki Chutney(tomato chutney) and Garam Masala. Apparently, other people have also discovered this yummy joint, so you can read more reviews from Jewlicious and Presentense’s latest issue.
Here’s a list of the kosher Indian restaurants in Jerusalem. If I missed any, please leave a comment and I’ll update the post.
Ichikidana איצ’יקדנה
Location: 4 Haeshkol St., makhane yehuda shuk/market
Phone: 050-224-7070
Hours: Sun-Thu: 08:00-20:00, Tri: 08:00- one hour before Shabbat
Almora
Location: Even Sapir, past the Hadassah Hospital in Ein Karem
Phone: 02-643-1186
Hours: Open Sunday – Thursday 10:00am till 11:00pm. Friday till Shabbat. .Motzei Shabbat till midnight.
Kohinoor
Location: Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, by Binyanei HaUma and the Central Bus Station
Phone: 02-653-6667
Hours: Open for lunch, Sunday – Friday from 12:00 noon till 4:00pm. Open for dinner Sunday – Thursday 6pm till 11:30pm, and Saturday night after Shabbat.
In other Indian-related news, I went to see Slumdog Millionaire at Cinema City and it was incredible (both the VIP experience and the movie itself). Here’s some Indian music that I can’t get out of my head.
Rowdy English election debate in Jerusalem
National elections are coming up on February 10, 2009 so over 1,000 undecided Jerusalem English speakers came to the Great Synagogue Saturday night to hear what the major parties had to say for themselves.
I felt a little confused when I arrived, not sure if I had arrived at the national mah-jong tournament or a national debate, being that the average age of the crowd was somewhere around 82. Perfect constituents for the Pensioners party, too bad the party missed out on the opportunity.
But don’t be deceived, there was enough spunk in the audience to rowdy things up with a round of Jerry Springer-like boos and applause. Unfortunately, I would’ve liked to see more makeovers and girlfights. Maybe at the next English debate.
David Horovitz from the Jerusalem Post started off the evening by reminding us what happened at the previous Mayoral Debate in Jerusalem, and poking fun at the candidates: Porush for not letting his translator translate, Barkat for arriving late, Birron for being a politician for less than a month, and Gaydamak for being… well… Gaydamak.
David then let the representatives introduce themselves, followed by a few questions from the audience. I wonder why they didn’t ask my TV tax question (will you get rid of it?) Molly, I tried..
Here’s my take on each party’s performance. All this talk about parties makes me think we really should’ve gotten goody bags for attending. David Horovitz, if you’re listening…
Danny Ayalon – Israel Beitenu
Excellent speaker (former ambassador to the US). Very smooth and convincing about how we need to restore national pride and change the political system. He only got angry when Uri Bank from the National Religious party claimed that Yisrael Beitenu would give up parts of Jerusalem. Restoring national pride, you say… what do you say about the accusations against head of the party Leiberman’s daughter.
Dr. Bennie Begin, son of the Menachem Begin – Likud
He basically called out the current, Kadima-led government on all the things they are doing wrong. But I ask you this, Bennie, Whatcha gonna do? Why couldn’t you provide us with some solutions of your own. Oh, and notice anything familiar about the Likud website? Maybe this screenshot comparison to Obama’s site will help.
Uri Bank – Eichud Leumi – National Union
American-born and proud of it! I think he must’ve mentioned his American-ness at least 302 times and repeated the line “Vote for us and I will be your congressman” a bunch of times. I know we’re Americans, but I think we’ve finally caught on that we don’t call our Members of Knesset Congressmen. Perhaps he was playing the American card a little too much. He even said “When you vote eichud leumi, the best thing you get – is me” Very modest. Bank also affirmed that the next Prime Minister will be Netanyahu. Great, thanks for spoiling the anticipation! He then proceeded to bash Likud.
Dr. Tzvia Greenfield – Meretz
Tzvia is an ultra-Orthodox woman on the Meretz list, a liberal party focused on peace and social justice. She started out by bashing all the people who spoke before her, claiming they just go on and on about war and death. Here’s the confusing thing – Tzvia presents herself as Hareidi, but wasn’t Meretz’s platform in Jerusalem “Putting an end to the haredization of the city”.
Daniel Hershkovitz – Habayit Hayehudi
As to be expected, he also did a little bashing – of Uri Bank and his inconsistencies. His claim is that we should unite the land, the torah, and the people of Israel. Habayit Hayehudi (The Jewish Home) is a new right wing party, a joint party of the National Religious Party (Mafdal) and National Unity movements. A little English on your website would be helpful.
Rabbi Michael Melchior – Green Meimad
The least bashy yet, Melchior was a confident and powerful speaker who really cut through the crap and made me start paying attention. He said that no matter who the Prime Minister is from the 3 major parties – Labor, Kadima or Likud, they all believe that Israel should remain a Jewish and Democratic country, so they will pretty much handle Israel’s security in a similar way, and that 80% of Israelis believe there will be a 2 state solution. The real question is, what are the other parties proposing to do about education, social issues and the environment.
One of their slogan reads “all the other parties are fighting each other but we’re fighting for you”. It’s so true. All the other parties were so busy bashing each other that they couldn’t even get their visions across and they missed out, because I, for one, was in search of an leader who can see that Israel needs to be more than secure, it needs to be a place where people want to live and bring up their children. And for me, the only person who got that message across effectively was Melchior. And hey, if that baby is gonna vote for them, maybe I will too.
Avraham Michali – Shas
I have to be honest, by this point my ADD was fighting to take over, and Avraham’s slow and unenthusiastic English didn’t help much. So, I took it upon myself to read up on the Shas website after the debate. Unfortunately, there was very little English. What I did notice was their logo “Yes we can!”. Hmm.. reminds me of something very familiar. Also, you may want to get rid of the Drupal favicon. Sorry for being such a geek on that one.
Nachman Shai – Kadima
Nachman aroused the biggest number of boos from the crowd when he expressed his support for the disengagement from Gaza, and his willingness to go to the 1967 borders or whatever it takes to preserve the Jewish democratic state. Followed by more boos and his response to the audience, “enough already”.
Dr. Einat Wilf – Labor
Einat spoke confidently about her party’s focus on education, welfare and health issues. Also, she is all for higher levels of political responsibility and that the Labor party may sound boring but it is most definitely responsible. Later on, I checked out the Labor website – I love that a mini-Barak waltzes across his website and starts talking to you. It looks like he got trapped in the Willy Wonka TV shrinking machine and I could peel him right off the site and put him on my desk.
Are you still reading? 22 points for you.
And if you’re still undecided about which of the 34 parties to vote for, you can use the Election Voting Compass, a guide that asks your stance on several questions and then advises you on who to vote for. Thankfully, they offer it in the 3 most common languages spoken in Israel – English, Hebrew, and Dutch.
Don’t Have a Happy Chanukkah have a Funny Chanukkah!!
Benji and I are at it again. Watch Benji attack the people of Jerusalem to find out what Chanukkah is all about in the Holyland!
Is Fighting Worth the Peace?
So this isn’t my usual post, but it isn’t the usual story here in Israel. I wrote this to shed light on the fighting tactics in Hebron, rather than discuss the obvious reasons of the fight…
Stone throwing. Civilian rebellions. Riots. This is the Hebron the world has come to know in the past weeks. However, my words come from a source about the first Intifada, the Palestinian uprising that took place over 20 years ago. Forget why each group is fighting and instead focus on the methods they use. The method of violence. And the method works.
On March 19, 2007, according to the Hebron website, Beit HaShalom (The House of Peace) was purchased by the Jewish community to house hundreds of Hebron and Kiryat Arba residents, yeshiva students, youth and adults. The house was purchased from its previous Arab owner through a Jordanian office. And they have the legal documents to prove it. Continue reading this entry »
14 Unbelievably Cheap Outlet Stores in Jerusalem – Insider’s Guide
Everyone is now painfully aware of the world’s economic woes. Does that mean we should stop shopping altogether? I think not! I think it just calls for smarter shopping and discovering Jerusalem’s hidden outlet stores. And when I say hidden, some of these places are really hidden, so it’s probably a good idea to call the store first. If I missed any, or the information has changed, please leave a comment.
Aldo – Am V’olamo 3, 02-6537212
- Men & Women’s shoes
Castro, Lev Talpiot Mall, Haoman 17, Talpiot
- Women’s clothing
Crazy Line, Lev Talpiot Mall, Haoman 17, 02-6797683 [Thanks to commenters for pointing out that this has closed. ]
- Women’s clothing
FOX, Lev Talpiot Mall, Haom an 17, Talpiot, 02-6245116 [Thanks to commenters for pointing out that this has closed. ]
Also on Dorot Rishonim, 4, 02-6245116
- Teenage-ish clothing for boys & girls
Gali Shoes – across from Ahim Yisrael mall on Hatnufa St. in Talpiot
- Shoes for men, women, and children. Go with a friend because the deals are usually 2 for 150 shekels.
Honigman, Lev Talpiot Mall, Haoman 17, Talpiot [Thanks to commenters for pointing out that this has closed.]
- Women’s clothing
- H&O Lev Talpiot Mall, Haoman 17, Talpiot
- Men and Women’s clothing
Lord Kitsch, Merkaz Sapir, Am V’olamo 3, Tel: 02-6512905
- Women’s clothes, lots of skirtsMerkaz Sapir is in Givat Shaul, pretty close to the Tax Authority building. I think the busses 11 & 15 go there. I recommend calling and asking people as you go along.
L’metayel Camping Store, Yoel Solomon 5, City Center, 02-6233338
- camping supplies. They call themselves an outlet store, but it still looks pricey to me 😦
Matim Li – Lev Talpiot Mall, Haoman 17, Talpiot, 02-6725566 [Thanks to commenters for pointing out that this has closed. ]
- Women’s clothing
Nimrod Shoes, Hadar Mall on Pierre Koening 31, Talpiot, 02-6721630
Also in Lev Talpiot Mall, Haoman 17, Talpiot 02-6718161- Shoes for men, women, and children
Old Navy & Gap, on 87 Agrippas St. across from the Mahane Yehuda market/shuk.
- Men & Women’s clothing
Polgat/Golf outlet in Ahim Yisrael mall, Hatnufa St. Talpiot 3rd floor.
- Men & Women’s clothes
Tamnun – Merkaz Sapir, Am V’olamo 3, Tel: 02-6527459
- Men & Women’s clothes
Victoria’s Secret & Gap, Rehov Strauss, City Center/Mea Shearim. Up the hill toward Mea Shearim on your left hand side from the Yaffo and King George intersection.
- women’s apparel
- Designer Outlet, Ahim Yisrael mall, Hatnufa St. Talpiot 3rd floor. [Thanks, Leah for reminding me about this one]
- women’s clothing
If you still want more outlet goodness, check out the Israel Outlets Master List.
Also, here’s a blog dedicated entirely to outlet stores in Israel
If you find any other outlets that I left out, please leave a comment with the info. Thanks!
Thanksgiving in Israel! It can be done!
It’s almost turkey time. I love Thanksgiving. And what’s not to love, dinner at 3pm, turkey that isn’t sliced lunch meat, stuffing right from the turkey’s butt, mashed potatoes dripping with gravy and cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Lots of pumpkin pie.
This used to be my reality every November for as long as I can remember. But for the last 3 years I have been living in Israel and those Thanksgiving days have turned into memories of my past. Oh, stop being so dramatic, the truth is you (as in me and all other American immigrants) can still have Thanksgiving in Israel.
I know it isn’t the same as sitting around the table in America, staring down at your food baby (this is a term Shira taught me which refers to the ridiculous amount of food you just ate that now makes you appear five months pregnant) and going around the table saying what we are thankful for (I am always thankful there is a toilet near by)—but friends, we are not alone and Thanksgiving can still be the best holiday ever! The gravy bowl is half full! Continue reading this entry »
The Big Felafel 