Transport In Haifa

We are sitting at a cafe in the Mercaz HaCarmel(center) part of Haifa looking at the shortest subway in the world. The Carmelit is the only direct path to downtown Haifa and the city center.The city is known for its hilly nature and winding roads. It reminds be of my native Colorado but without the snow. Driving can be difficult not only due to the terrain but a lack of parking and short fuses of many Israeli drivers. Therefore, I choose to use public transportation rather than own a car.

Haifa has buses, cabs, and a high speed train that connects with cities such as Tel Aviv and Nahariya. The international airport known as Ben Gurion is just an hour and a quarter trip from here. Internet access is available plus power outlets to charge cell phones on trains and many buses. . The noise from cell phone chatter often drowns out other surrounding sounds. Due to quick and low cost transportation many Haifa residents commute to work daily using public services.

Buses are modern, air conditioned, and low cost The basic cost is about $1.50 per ride but discount passes are available.I use what is called a Rav Kav which gives me unlimited monthly rides at a very low price. Buses operate seven days a week in Haifa but only major routes on Saturday (Sabbath)

Cab rides are often entertaining as well as convenient. Most major thoroughfares have cab stations and ongoing hail cabs. Fare are negotiable and the mood of the driver is an important factor. It is rare that the same trip has the same rate. Having an honest and reliable cab driver in Haifa is a big plus.

Drivers only take cash and are often independent businessman. Many cabs are manufactured by Mercedes Benz, but you see all makes of vehicles. Cab riding is safe in Israel as robberies are rare. You can sit in the front seat with your driver which was a new experience for me. Not all drivers speak English Therefore it helps to have a your destination written in Hebrew when you hail a cab.

Low cost coach service connects Haifa to most other Israeli communities including Jerusalem. The country is small enough to visit Nazareth, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv in the same day.

For those us who like to walk, there are many trails, steps, and main thoroughfares it is not unusual topass historical sites such as The Bhai Gardens, the tomb of Elijah the Prophet, or the Madatech museum which was co -founded by Albert Einstein.

So for would be visitors, Haifa is both accessible and offers low cost travel.

Kababir Home of Israel's Muslim Ahmadiyya and Peaceful Coexistence.

My greatest joy in living in the city of Haifa is the peaceful coexistence
of its citizens. The city is also beautiful. It is on the Mediterranean with a tayelet or boardwalk and active commercial port.

Haifa is a city dotted with gardens. The most prominent is at the world center of the Baha’i religion, with the tombs of the Bab (Mirza Muhammad Ali) and Abbas Efendi. The presence of the Baha’i, for so long persecuted in various Middle East countries, is evidence of the tolerant social fabric of this city. The greatest challenge facing this small and brave nation is to promote the values of peace in an area filled with strife and hatred. Haifa is the home of the Tomb of Elijah the Prophet, which is considered one of the holiest and most venerated shrines to Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Druze alike.

One of my favorite communities in Haifa and in Israel is Kababir.
I am fortunate to live in the Mercaz or center part of Haifa which adjoins the wonderful neighborhood.

It is the home of Israel’s Ahmadiyya Muslim community. Most of our two thousand Achmadis live in this pleasant tree lined residential area of Haifa. There are many parks, some neighborhood cafes, schools, grocery stores and the grand Mosque and school for their believers. Many Jewish, some Christian, and a few Druze citizens are living in the quaint neighborhood. There is a breathtaking view of the sea in the bottom of the sloping area.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the larger of two communities that arose from the Ahmadiyya movement founded in 1889 in India by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (1835–1908). The original movement split into two factions in 1914. (The other branch is the smaller Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement, Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat-i-ahmadiat.)

The community is led by the Khalifatul Masih (“successor of the Messiah”), currently Khalifatul Masih V, who is the spiritual leader of the community and the successor to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya movement, declared that he was the “Promised One” of all religions, fulfilling the eschatological prophecies found in world religions. The motto of the Ahmadiyya Community is “Love for All, Hatred for None”. They first settled in Palestine in 1925 and became part of Israel in 1948.

They built the neighborhood’s first mosque on Mount Carmel in 1931, and a larger grand mosque in the 1980s. The grand mosque has two white minarets standing 34 metres tall, which dominate the low-rise skyline of the residential neighborhoods on the ridges nearby. Mount Carmel is the burial spot of Haifa’s most famous citizen Elijah the prophet. Famous visitors to Kababir include Shimon Peres.

At the beginning, the neighborhood was managed as a commune in which every one of the founding family brothers worked in his occupation and donated its fee to a mutual account. Some of the family members joint the Turkish army, some worked in the Oil refinery in the city of Haifa. Others were involved in building the Port of Haifa.

Today the Achmadis are leaders in education, commerce, and medical care in our community. They are active in promoting dialogue and peace in Haifa. I have been blessed to join them in interfaith sports activities, choirs, community tours, and most importantly friendship. Below an Ahmadiyya Imam and Rabbi share friendship in Haifa.

Israel's Clandestine Army

I immigrated to Haifa, Israel five years ago from Colorado in the USA. My permanent move came at the age of fifty eight. This morning I went to visit the Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum located in Haifa.. The museum faces the Mediterranean Sea close to the Shrine of Elijah The Prophet. The museum features the story of the hardships of fighting for the right to live in our homeland and the history of the Israeli Navy. The immigration story is told by documents, articles of the time, models, photos, sound shows and diagrams. The ship "Af-Al-Pi-Chen", which ran the British blockade during the mandatory period, brought 434 immigrants to the country, houses most of the museum devoted to the clandestine immigration and to the history of Israel’s Navy up to the Yom Kippur War. The most famous clandestine immigration ship was the Exodus which docked here in Haifa.

From the end of World War II until the establishment of Israel (1945-1948), illegal immigration was the major method of immigration, because the British, by setting the quota at a mere 18,000 per year, virtually terminated the option of legal immigration. Sixty­ six illegal immigration sailings were organized during these years, but only a few managed to penetrate the British blockade and bring their passengers ashore. In 1947, 4500 immigrants on the Exodus were sent back to Europe by the Mandatory government. The British stopped the vessels carrying immigrants at sea, and interned the captured immigrants in camps in Cyprus; most of these persons only arrived in Israel after the establishment of the state. Approximately 80,000 illegal immigrants reached Palestine during 1945-48.

Forty four years ago, I was a communications student at the University of New Mexico. The year was 1968 and like many youth of my era, I sought something rewarding and exciting to do with my life. I still had two years of studies to finish, but was unsure of my goals for the future. I volunteered to do a six month work/study program at a kibbutz (collective settlement) in southern Israel, named Hatzor. The primary purposes of such programs was to promote Aliyah or immigration to Israel. Participants split the day evenly between work at the Kibbutz and Hebrew study in an Ulpan. 

Kibbutz Hatzor (taken from the blog Tiyul Bair - a tour of the city)

I soon discovered that sitting in a classroom was unsuitable for me. Conversely, my job as assistant Kibbutz caretaker was a perfect match. I delivered supplies throughout the settlement, did the gardening, collected the garbage, and did general maintenance. My supervisor, Shmuel, was a forty+ American born Kibbutznik. Shmuel was a short thin fellow with a moustache, slight limp, and ever-cheerful smile. He was very friendly, but said little about himself. He mentioned that he had come to Israel in 1948 from New York as a volunteer, was married, and had a teenage son. He had studied journalism in New York and limped as the result as a car accident in “The Big Apple”.

My six months at the Kibbutz went quickly. I did not acquire a lot of Hebrew; nonetheless, I made many wonderful friends and learned to be a pretty fair maintenance man. The Kibbutz members were the most wonderful people. Many were survivors of the Holocaust. A number came to Israel as volunteers in 1948, primarily from The United States. They came to protect and build a new nation. At my “Going Away” party, I was stunned to learn that Shmuel and several of the other Kibbutz members were crew and passengers on the famous immigrant ship “The Exodus”. They had braved the British embargo to bring illegal immigrants into "Palestine." Some were interred in British prisons. For their first decade in Israel, they often lived in treehouses and tents. The situation was further compounded by conflict with the Arab legions during the struggle for a safe Jewish homeland. Some of their comrades died, or suffered serious wounds during their fight for freedom. Yet, they were warm, humble, and generous souls. Many of the volunteers had been members of Mahal.

The Mahalniks were mostly World War II veterans from American and British armed forces. Allied armies were reduced considerably after the end of the war and many soldiers were demobilised; moreover, the service experience became mundane and did not resonate with some servicemen, particularly pilots. In various circumstances they were invited, or heard of the Jewish state’s struggle for independence and enlisted. There were Jews and Christians, both ideological supporters of Zionism and just plain idealists. 

The Ha’apala movement, also called “Aliyah Bet”, which attempted to evade the 1939 and 1948 British Naval blockade restricting Jewish immigration to Palestine, was assisted by 236 Mahal former servicemen of the Allied Navies as crews of ten clandestine Jewish refugee ships, out of sixty-six participating vessels.The Exodus was the most famous of the clandestine fleet.The story was told in both print and in film. No one can accuse history of not having a sense of irony. Sixty-six years ago, in July 1947, a passenger ship destined for Palestine and named the Exodus was stopped and boarded by the British navy. 

Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum in Haifa

The ship was crowded with Holocaust survivors determined to make a new life for themselves in British-controlled Palestine. The British, facing Zionist terrorism and trying to keep promises made to the Palestinian Arabs to limit Jewish immigration, were determined to stop it. Accordingly, when the Royal Navy boarded the ship twenty miles out from Haifa, a full-scale battle ensued. Three immigrants were killed and dozens injured as British troops beat the passengers on to three separate prison ships. From there these Holocaust survivors were transported back to Germany and were once again placed in camps. The world was horrified. Since then, the fate of the Exodus has achieved legendary status: Leon Uris used it as the basis of his 1958 bestseller of the same name; an award-winning film. It was "The Ship That Launched A Nation".

The 1948 Arab-Israeli War saw approximately 3,500 foreign volunteers from forty-three countries among the Jewish forces, out of an estimated 29,677–108,300 total (its size grew considerably in later stages of the war owing to immigration into Palestine). A total of 119 Mahalniks were killed in battle.

One of the most senior Mahal personnel was Mickey Marcus, a Jewish United States Army colonel who assisted Israeli forces during the war and became Israel’s first Brigadier General. Marcus’s wartime experience was vital in breaking the 1948 Siege of Jerusalem. He was killed during the war. 

" The Machal forces were the Diaspora's most important contribution to the survival of the State of Israel " "David Ben-Gurion, Founding Father and first Prime Minister of Israel"

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O Jerusalem, OY Jerusalem!

I enjoy having a massage twice a month. My masseuse Jona also immigrated to Haifa Israel from Colorado. She and her husband, David are in my age range. They immigrated to Haifa six months ago. We love to share stories about our views, experiences and yes, adventures as new immigrants to the land of Canaan. This is a post about their first visit to Jerusalem.

After being in Israel for nearly three months, we finally left Haifa and took a day-trip to Jerusalem. David’s nephew — heretofore called Zach since he didn’t give us permission to use his real name — is studying at a Yeshiva in Jerusalem for six months. A Yeshiva is an Orthodox Jewish college or seminary It is always a delight to spend time with Zach. He gave us a walking tour of Jerusalem.

We travelled from Haifa to Jerusalem by train. The trip normally is about an hour. The train ride from Haifa to Jerusalem was delayed at Beit Shemesh for about 30 minutes. This is the town where the incident occurred where a member of the Haredi spit on Jewish girl for not dressing modestly enough. Although my arms and legs were covered, I was a bit nervous about my modern dress and liberal approach to Judaism. It is a sad commentary on life in Israel that conflicts about religious ideology are common. These conflicts are both among and between followers of faiths.

When we arrived in Jerusalem, it was well past lunch time. We met Zach at the mall, and instead of partaking in some of Jerusalem’s better food offerings, we ate in the food court in the mall. Zach opted for McDonald’s since it was one of the 30% that are kosher in the city. While we were eating, a nice old woman came by with a plastic cup. I didn't quite understand what she wanted, but Zach gave her a few shekels and she went away.


First of all, there are two Jerusalem’s, so to speak. Modern Jerusalem is equivalent to cities in the United States, complete with malls of grandeur, high rise apartments a modern transportation system and fabulous malls.. You can find almost any products here that are sold in America. Many of the stores are the same. We can shop at Ace Hardware and eat at McDonald's. The Jerusalem mall where we met Zach could have been Any Mall in the USA. English is widely spoken. The mall like much of the architectural in this glorious city is picturesque, Many of the houses, apartments and other buildings are built on and along the winding hills of this beautiful and ancient city In fact, Jerusalem is one of the most beautiful cities that I ever visited. The physical beauty and spiritual glory of Jerusalem make it a wonderful place to visit. Zach asked me how many cities that I have visited. That’s hard to say, but most are in the states. I would gage the number to be at least thirty.

Zach said he was helping the needy, or giving tzadakah, David called the old woman a schnorer, although he admitted she was nice about it. Then, or as they say in Hebrew, ah-har-chok (I’m not going to tell you how I remember that word) another schnorer came by wanting money. She even had a little brochure. When we didn't give her any money, she took her brochure back with a huff.

The night before going to Jerusalem I was kind of worried about riding the city bus — with the potential for bombings and other security issues. Nevertheless, once there, I got onto buses and trains without a second thought. Two days later, David read me a news story about how a female Israeli soldier was stabbed by a Palestinian on the same train-line we rode.In Haifa, we have a bus pass that is good for buses within the city. In other words, we wouldn't be able to use the pass to take a bus from Haifa to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, it can only be used in Haifa. Well, the same bus system is used throughout Israel, and so we tried to use our pass on the Jerusalem city bus It worked! We were given a transfer, and on the city-train a transit official was checking for passes.
Well, maybe he saw something on the transfer that indicated Haifa instead of Jerusalem, and he demanded to see David’s ID. He took the ID and kept it for almost the entire ride. While he had the ID, it was kind of scary because we had no idea what was going on or even why he wanted it in the first place. Were we going to be thrown off the train? Arrested? Forced to pay 6.60 shekels (around $1.75) for the fare? The trip took maybe 15 minutes, and the security official held onto the ID almost the entire time. After making several phone calls, presumably to verify David’s veracity, the ID was returned and we proceeded toward Old Jerusalem.

Old Jerusalem is a walled city, a citadel. The outer wall was destroyed and later rebuilt by the Ottomans so is only 500 years old, young compared to many of the inner walls of which might be 2000 years or older. There are parts of Old J. that are driveable, as in one-way only and be prepared to go about 5 mph  Most of Old J. must be walked as the streets are too narrow and since Jerusalem is built on hills, steps to go up and down. All the roads in Old Jerusalem. are paved with rectangular tiles, the same off-white/light-tan materials of which the buildings are constructed. The tiled streets are smooth and well-worn: a lot of traffic goes through the city. Throughout Old Jerusalem are plenty of shops, street vendors, and small food markets.There are four quarters in Old Jerusalem: Armenian, Jewish, Arab and Christian, although Armenians are Christians too (Eastern Orthodox).

As we entered the archway of Old J., there were a couple of people begging or schnoring. We found ourselves in the Armenian sector, and I was amazed at how much of a tourist trap Old Jerusalem can be. I mean it is a tourist trap to the max. We wandered through the Armenian sector down alleyways and side streets into the Jewish Quarter and went to the Western Wall. Where else?

Going down the steps to the Wall we came upon even more schnorers. One guy came up to David and started praying in his ear, all in Hebrew of course. I watched the man as he was whispering his prayer to David. It seemed to me it was all a big scam to rip-off tourists. For all we know instead of prayers, the guy was hurling insults and saying vulgarities. Finished with the prayer, he expected payment. David gave him a few shekels and the fellow was not pleased.

When we were in the Arab Quarter a little boy saw Zach and ran up to him and went, “R-rr-ow!” I thought he was being a cute, a rambunctious kid. Neither Zach nor the boy’s father thought it was cute. Then I realized that the reason the boy did that may have been because he is Palestinian. He may have been taught that Jews are bad, evil, and even need to be killed. David told me that same kid threw a rock at us but missed. Perhaps he was just a kid acting silly, I hope that is the case. I was so entranced with the Old City that I didn’t notice any tensions at all in the Arab section. But David said that he did and felt uncomfortable there.

I had seen pictures of the Wall It looked pretty much like the photographs. We had to go through a security check and found ourselves in a huge courtyard. I went to the female side and David and Zach went to the male side. The female side was really crowded and there were hundreds of orthodox women praying and reading at the Wall.

I’m sorry to say, the are around the Wall didn’t feel like a Holy Place to me. It also felt like a tourist trap. When I was at the wall, I looked up hoping to see G-d, and I saw a beautiful blue sky. I didn’t feel closer to G-d at the wall of course, feeling close or connected to G-d is something I never feel and have never felt. I’m so jealous of those people who have that connection. I classify myself as a hiloni or non- religious. Sixty per cent of Israelis are "hilonim"

So after leaving the wall, we walked around "The Old City". This ancient city is so exciting. There are tunnels and interesting paths…it’s hard to describe. Individual quarters are not marked, so you don’t know when you’re leaving the Armenian Quarter and entered the Jewish Quarter. Nevertheless, we visited all the Quarters, including the Arab Quarter.Here’s what David didn’t like about Jerusalem: the schnoring.

Here’s what I didn’t like about Jerusalem: nothing. Yes, it does snow and can get very cold in Jerusalem, and I don’t like that, but the weather was fine the day we came. I liked everything about the city. The city has it all! If Israel is the center of religious/political controversy and global unrest, Jerusalem is the hub.

Zach, if you’re reading this, here are some of the cities I’ve been in: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, London, Edinburgh, New York, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans, Denver, Phoenix, Washington DC, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, Tijuana, Belize City, Matamoros, Dallas, Houston, Amarillo, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Portland, San Jose, Oakland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Mazatlan, Nashville, Cleveland, Vancouver, Baltimore, and your home town of Louisville to name a few.

The Shulamit Hotel, Life in a Haifa Suburb!.

We were sitting in our favorite cafe. Our server Chen was a native born Israeli or Sabra. She is finishing her degree in Social Sciences at the University of Haifa. I am an American immigrant to Haifa of five years. We decided to write about life in a Haifa suburb.

Kiryat Sefer is an upper middle class community in the Horev area of Haifa. It was my first home in Haifa, Israel. I immigrated to Israel five years ago from Colorado. What an adventure! Travel is wonderful in Israel. I can visit the Galilee, Nazareth, and Jerusalem, in the same day from my home in Haifa.

Horev is an alternate appellate for Sinai, where Moses received the Torah and the Ten Commandments. It is located on the bus route to the University of Haifa and two Druze Villages about thirty miles South of this quaint and sedate residential center. This wonderful community is a perfect blend of beautiful apartments, a large array of mid-priced restaurants, and upper-end shopping at a local mall.

In Israel, medical and dental care is universal. Their facilities are dotted throughout every community. It is even possible to receive care at virtually any time. Due to the nation’s socialized health care system, health care costs are 20% of most western nations. The quality of care competes with virtually any nation in the world. Horev offers health and dental care within walking distance from most homes!

My editor and I lived at the Shulamit Hotel, an institution of Haifa originally built in 1953 by the Feldman family. The Hotel originally had twelve rooms and was named after the owner’s daughter Shulamit. At the hotel’s prime, the desk clerk Debby mentioned that the capacity of the Hotel was 300 residents. Famous dignitaries such as Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin visited this pristine establishment. The Hotel was a Hotel/Motel that had both monthly and short term residents when it closed two years ago.

The community offers an English Bookstore named Lia’s Books, which is owned and managed by two Vatikot (veterans) from the UK. The Bookstore serves as both as a source of reading material and impromptu welcome wagon for Anglo immigrants. The city Zoo is a fifteen minute walk or short bus ride. The world famous B’hai Center is also a short bus trip from this community. Yes, there is a Pizza Hut and Mcdonald’s within walking distance of the hotel and bookstore.

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View of the Haifa bay from my home

The combined residential and transitional nature of our hotel community gave us an endless series of social adventures. Life in The Shulamit was interesting. The residents came from from a multitude of backgrounds,, I met a retired Florida resident who just finished a six week volunteer nursing program in Beer Sheva. There was a group of Nigerian sailors who were guests of the Hotel. I met a representative of the E.U. at our local Pizza Hut. Hotel residents include a graduate student in Biblical Archaeology, a retired Brazilian businessman, an American born school-teacher, and a certified massage therapist. At any given time, you could sit in the Hotel Lobby and listen to conversations spoken in multiple languages.

Local residents are quick to “adopt” newcomers, as most of our neighbours immigrated to Israel after its founding in 1948. My life was everybody's business. Gossip is the “national sport” of Israel. I learned very quickly that “silence is golden” in Israel. Muslim, Christian and others live in this community. This is a a reflection of life in Israel. Israel is a nation of immigrants from almost every nation on earth. We all live together in a fairly democratic, but jaded society. Please, come and see it for yourselves!

Brother Can You Spare a Million

Many of my years in America were spent on the beautiful Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. By many people's standards I enjoyed a quiet, idyllic life of peaceful serenity. Many of my thoughts and those of my neighbors-were filled with green surroundings, beautiful lakes, and regional wildlife. My life as an Oleh  (immigrant) is certainly far from serene.Why did I make this dramatic change in my life? There are many reasons. The most important is that I firmly believe that the return of the Jewish people to the land of our roots is destiny. It is a destiny with spiritual, religious, social, and political implications that have already proven to have historical implications. In this incredibly complicated and diverse nation, Haifa was my choice of city, due to the beautiful scenery, balmy weather, and cultural harmony of this glorious metropolis. Haifa is located on the sea and hosts a wonderful tayelat or boardwalk.

The bay of Haifa

At some point in your first few months as a new immigrant in Israel reality sets in and challenges replace idealism. You realize that, even though your decision was the correct one, you still must overcome some hurdles that you hadn't expected before your sojourn to the holy land. My experience has been that dealing with the differences in culture are the greatest obstacles to overcome for new Olim to Israel. I have also learned that my prejudices are an obstacle for me as well. I brought a series of expectations of life in Israel that turned out to be very different than reality. Israel is a nation of seven million people from numerous social and cultural backgrounds. Twenty per cent of Israelis are Muslim, Christian, Druze and other faiths in addition to the Jewish citizens of this new nation. There are three national languages: Hebrew, Arabic, and English. Russian is widely spoken.

Gossip is a favorite pastime of many Israelis. I learned very quickly upon immigrating to Israel to protect personal information with great diligence. The purchase of a new shirt can often be the subject of great interest in my community. My love life is shared with my closest confidants only, at times to my regret. Judaism considers gossip spoken without a constructive purpose (known in Hebrew as an evil tongue, lashon hara) as a sin. All the tenants in your building know how much you earn and the size of your monthly payments. What will be the eternal fate of my neighbors!

Even though they teach you the word "savlanut" or patience, no one seems to have any. There is no shame in asking. You can negotiate a parking fine and generally get out of it. No one will refund your money, once you've parted with it, it is gone for good. Refunds, even at many large stores tend to be a difficult battle at best.

My greatest frustration in dealing with some of my new neighbors is the "all Americans are friars" mentality. Friar is the Hebrew word for sucker. The belief is shared by many Israelis is that all Americans are millionaires and easily part with their riches. In my five years in Israel, I've been asked to buy homes by non-owners several times. Strangers have begged me for loans on countless occasions with vows of poverty accompanied such pleas. Much of the time I discovered that my neighbors were far better off than I am financially. There have been many occasions that fellow diners in restaurants tried to stick me with every one's bills. I try to confront these obnoxious behaviors and always get the same response. "You're a rich American, what do you care!" I have come to learn with time that all French, Spanish, and Russians tourists and immigrants are rich also! I should have no difficulty meeting a nice and wealthy Jewish girl in this country.

I have given great thought and received much counseling on the subject of Friarism. I must remember that many of my new neighbors come from the most difficult backgrounds in history. Indeed, the old axiom that money is the root of all evil may also apply in Eretz Canaan. Perhaps the scarcity of natural riches in Israel concerns all of us. Let us blame Moshe or Moses for our errant behavior. Let me tell you something that we Israelis have against our famous forefather. He took us through the desert for forty years to bring us to the one spot in the Middle East that has no oil!

It might seem to the readers that I am frustrated or even angry at the spiritual nature of my new neighbors. I have learned to ignore the gossip and occasionally greed surrounding me. I try to remind myself that many of my new friends come from backgrounds where it was prohibited or even dangerous to speak openly or enjoy opportunities that we all take for granted. I have learned to truly appreciate the freedoms that I enjoyed in The United States and now enjoy in Israel.

"Above all, this country is our own. Nobody has to get up in the morning and worry what his neighbors think of him. Being a Jew is no problem here." Thank you Golda Meir!

Chelm Exists in Haifa, Humor in Israel!

Panoramic view of the bay of Haifa

The City of Chelm, Poland

The town of Chełm decided to build a new synagogue. So, some strong, able-bodied men were sent to a mountaintop to gather heavy stones for the foundation. The men put the stones on their shoulders and trudged down the mountain to the town below. When they arrived, the town constable yelled, "Foolish men! You should have rolled the stones down the mountain!" The men agreed this was an excellent idea. So they turned around, and with the stones still on their shoulders, trudged back up the mountain, and rolled the stones back down again.


Allow me to introduce myself. I am Earl Shugerman, a proud immigrant to Haifa Israel of five years. I moved to Israel at age of fifty eight from Colorado. Why did I make this dramatic change in my life? There are many reasons. The most important is that I firmly believe that the return of the Jewish people to the land of our roots is destiny. It is a destiny with spiritual, religious, social, and political implications that have already proven to have historical implications. Haifa was my choice of city in this incredibly complicated and diverse nation.Haifa (Hebrew: חֵיפָה‎‎, Hebrew pronunciation: [χeiˈfä], Ḥefa; Arabic: حيفا‎ Ḥayfā[2]) is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Haifa is a mixed city: 90% are Jews, more than a quarter of whom are immigrants from the former Soviet Union, while 10% are Arabs, predominantly of the Christian faith. It is also home to the Baha'i World Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.


Built on the slopes of Mount Carmel, the history of settlement at the site spans more than 3,000 years. Over the centuries, the city has changed hands numerous times. It has been conquered and ruled by the Phoenicians, Persians, Hasmoneans, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, Ottomans, British, and the Israelis. Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the city has been governed by the Haifa Municipality. The weather is balmy although a bit cold at times in the winter. There are two major universities, a large and well known tech center and lots of parks and fun things to do. My famous place to hike is Park Carmel. Our region’s most famous resident was Elijah the Prophet. He reportedly lived his nomadic live in the Carmel Mountain Range. 

I have enjoyed many blessings and faced many obstacles in adjusting to my new home. One of the greatest obstacles to overcome is to learn a new language especially at my age.


Israel offers newcomers the opportunity to study in an Ulpan. It is a four hour a day program where new immigrants study Hebrew and receive some orientation to their new homeland. Private tutoring is available at a fee. I chose to both attend the Ulpan and receive private assistance. My tutor Elinor Kimmel used the children’s stories about the citizens of Chelm as our study guide. 

Almost every culture around the world has developed stories about fools in their midst. It’s a way of gently poking fun at themselves. In Jewish folklore we find a wonderful mythical town in Poland called Chelm located in Poland in the days of old. The residents are usually happy, gentle folk who also share another virtue – they are considered fools by everyone living outside of Chelm. But the Chelmites know they are the great sages of the world, the brightest of bright. Stories of their antics have adorned Jewish humor and folklore for centuries.

...Two men of Chelm went out for a walk, when suddenly it began to rain. “Quick,” said one. “Open your umbrella.”It won’t help,” said his friend. “My umbrella is full of holes.”

“Then why did you bring it? “I didn't think it would rain!”…
My favorite cafe in Haifa is the Ego Panorama. The owner is a long time resident of Haifa named Hannah. Hannah’s family came to Israel in 1948 from Poland. They were fortunate and thankful to have escaped the horrors of the Holocaust. I sat down yesterday to eat and study my beloved Chelm stories at The Ego. Hannah came over to me and began to giggle in a good nature way. “My family is from Chelm” she informed me with great glee. The city really exists! It is a nice sized community in Poland of no particular distinction other than its contribution to the world of humor.

Britt, Katia, and Danit

The greatest joy that I have derived from my immigration to Israel is learning about the great diversity of culture and history that this nation has to offer. I can visit the Sea of Galilee, Jerusalem. And Tel Aviv in the same day! Israel is a nation of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Druze and other citizens. In many cases we manage to live together with a fair degree of harmony. Israel is a nation of immigrants from virtually every nation on earth. It is common to sit at The Ego and listen to fellow diner’s converse in several languages!