Shuks are marketplaces where locals sell everything from vegetables to dried fruits to souvenirs. Whereas they are hot tourist destinations, Israelis also go there to find some of the cheapest prices on produce. Shuks are also the best places to perfect your haggling skills, especially if you’re looking to buy a rug or clothes. There are two main Shuks in Israel: Mahane Yehuda Shuk or “The Shuk” (שוק מהנה יהודה) in Jerusalem and HaCarmel Shuk (שוק הכרמל) in Tel Aviv. Although I do love Mahane Yehuda Shuk (pictured above), this blog will be dedicated to HaCarmel. (Photo courtesy of Israel Editorial Stock) As you can see from the photo above, there is so much to look at here. However, as part of my Master’s program, we had a cultural food tour led by Ilyll of Cultural Encounters Tours, who is a graduate of our program. Ilyll is one of those impressive people who speaks five languages and is exudes warmth. She introduced us to the multiculturalism found in HaCarmel and its surrounding areas. We started at David Square, the entrance to HaCarmel. Funny enough, today it is no longer a square, but a Star of David where six streets intersect. Here are pictures of then and now: (Photo courtesy of Colorizing History, circa 1934) (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons) As we made our way into the shuk, we first stopped at my favorite food place on the trip, a family-owned, homemade Turkish Boureka stand. (Photo courtesy of hungryhoss.com) These treats are made of fillo dough and they’re stuffed with potato, cheese, or egg. So yummy! Discussing the multiculturalism of the shuk, someone asked whether the Turkish family who runs the boureka stand is Muslim. Our guide responded by saying it’s never that simple. Culturally, the generation from Turkey may identify as Muslim and Turkish, and now Israeli. However, for the generation born in Israel, it can be more complicated. They maybe identify as Jewish-Israeli culturally, but practice connecting to God through Muslim traditions. This is something I can relate to. I grew up very aware that I am Jewish on my mom’s side and Christian on my dad’s side. Although we celebrated Jewish holidays, I identify more culturally with the hegemonic religion in the US, Christianity. Ilyll used an amazing metaphor for understanding this. Different cultures are like waves coming together. They can crash into each other, consuming one another; they can get close to touching, but then come apart; or one can overtake the other. In many ways, the latter demonstrates Western culture and Christianity when it collides with other cultures. However, in Israel, obviously the dominant religion and culture is Jewish. It’s been an amazing experience reconnecting with the culture and traditions. This brings me to the finale of the tour, and, perhaps the most culturally shocking of them all. We enjoyed coffee at Cohen Coffee, another family-owned business. It is run by the grandson of the man who started it. However, he was a high school teacher by trade and, after retirement and before taking over the family business, he moved to New York to study opera singing. |
Details
ArchivesCategories |