I have been to Israel six times: 1986, 1990, 1997 (when I lived here for a whole year), 2007, 2008, and right now. The changes that we can see in Israel are immediately evident in the food and the restaurants and the cultural feel here. This goes beyond the shift away from the kibbutz dining room. Once upon a time you couldn’t get a decent burger anywhere although you could find a bad one in a few spots. Today, it seems, meat is everywhere and it’s good. Entrecote, filet mignon, medallions, and yes, good burgers abound (okay, I’m limited to tourist and wealthier areas, I’m not sure how much meat ‘abounds’ in Dimona or Lod).
Most of this new feeling was evident at MachneYuda, a new, popular restaurant in the neighborhood of Jerusalem’s shuk, Machane Yehuda. The place was packed and it was tough to get a reservation for six. MachneYuda is a shining example of the shift (is “gentrification” too loaded?) in this old neighborhood. It’s a story like New York’s Lower East Side or Meat Packing District before they become so hip, expensive and interesting. The shuk and its surrounding streets ran with the detritus of butcher shops and smelled of rotten fruit. At night, the place was dead. The notable cuisine of the area was Jerusalem mixed grill, a seasoned mix of organ meat cooked over fire that you bought for a few shekels and ate in a pita or on a plastic plate. Today, Hashpudia, the once revered master of the mixed grill, is closed. Just a block away is MachneYuda. The dinner there is delicious, good service (yes, there is real attention to service! That alone is a small revolution). The fact that it costs a small fortune for dinner is only interesting inasmuch as it is not a tourist restaurant. Israelis are willing and interested to pay these prices and have this kind of restaurant experience. Beyond the food, MachneYuda pulsed with energy: Beni Bashan and upbeat, Israeli party music filled the room and the staff dance - not a choreographed, planned routine like you might see at Johnny Rockets but spontaneous, joyful dancing. The chefs and kitchen staff yell, throw back shots, bang out a dance rhythm on the huge hanging pots and pans and life just feels good.
You can also see the change on the roads. Once upon a time, Mercedes were everywhere because almost every taxi was a Mercedes. They were the nicest cars in the country and if people owned a car at all it was not usually a luxury model. On this trip we’ve seen Porsches, Audis, Minis, Cadillacs, Jaguars, Alfa Romeos, big Ford F350s and Explorers.
The rise of money in Israel is not just about wealth, consumption and the Start up Nation phenomenon. There is a religious aspect to it. It had appeared from America that religious extremism was increasingly dominating the country. Anat Hoffman’s arrest and the Conversion Bill drama of the past year are not, however, the only stories to tell about the role of religion and the tension between national observance and pluralistic, cosmopolitan impulses. Once upon a time, for example, the Israel Museum was one of the best destinations for non-religious tourists (and lots of Israelis on Shabbat). But, because of the Sabbath prohibitions, you had to buy tickets from a little kiosk across from the museum. It was a legal loophole that allowed the State to operate the museum without violating Shabbes. Today, the Museum front desk is open and accepts cash all Shabbat long and while the café is closed, the Museum shop does a brisk business as well. Once upon a time you could not find a market open on Shabbat in Jerusalem. Today, most of them are closed but you don’t have to walk far to find an open mini market on Saturday. Once upon a time, cabs were rare (though available) on Friday night and we always walked from the German Colony to Shabbat dinners in the center of town. Today, it’s no problem to find a cab right outside Kol Haneshama (not to mention the open gas station, the markets, the restaurants….)
Whether or not this is progress is subjective and personal. I think it is and I like it. However, not everyone agrees and I’ll leave it up to you to decide for yourself. Of course that means you’ll need to come here to experience it.
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