From the desert to the blooming garden: a Russian-speaking repatriate told the whole truth about Israel

It's delicious triangular cookies stuffed with poppy seeds, chocolate, date paste. Their name comes from the name of the ancient villain Haman, who slandered the Jews of Persia, trying to destroy them. But thanks to Queen Esther and her uncle Mordechai, everything ended well: the Jews survived, and the just king Akhashvereosh executed Aman. Here is a short biblical story of Purim.
⠀
Why are these cookies triangular in shape? It is said that in this way it recalls the cocked hat worn by Haman. And the name "ears" or "ears" is often associated with a similar Russian word, meaning in the old days small pies with filling.

Israelis are often compared to cacti

There is such a cactus - Indian prickly pear. It is found almost everywhere in Israel and brings delicious fruits. There is one small “but”: to get to the juicy pulp, they need to be thoroughly cleaned of small and harmful thorns. When collecting these fruits, thick working gloves are put on your hands, otherwise a visit to the doctor is guaranteed.
⠀
In Hebrew, these fruits are called “sabres” or “tzabar”. Natives of this country are also called. Sabra is a Jew who was born here on the land of his ancestors, unlike those who came to the Land of Israel from another country. The name is slang, but it took root in the modern language very quickly. Sabra is not always intelligent, sometimes rude and prickly, like a cactus fruit, but when you get to know him better, you understand that his appearance is deceiving.

On the streets you can get caught by scammers

It happens that tourists collide with unscrupulous merchants or outright crooks. I will list their main tricks.

• Free souvenir. At first glance, everything looks pretty cute: they hand you a trinket and say: "Gift, present." After you pick it up, they immediately start asking for money from you. How to fight: do not take anything from the hands of strangers.
• Good Samaritan. A man approaches you, warns that pickpockets are operating nearby, and asks you to be careful. People often instinctively begin to check whether everything is in place, and thereby tell the scammers where the valuables are. How to fight: politely thank and move on.
• Double menu. In any cafe in the Old Town, do not rely on a verbal promise: "Inexpensive, I will make you a good price." One of my friends for a plate of hummus, fried potatoes and tortillas paid more than € 70. Avoiding: require a menu.
• Pseudo-Guides / Happers. Usually these are locals who, for an 15-minute excursion to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, can rip off almost € 100 from you. How to deal: take only a professional guide with a license from the Israeli Ministry of Tourism.

There are invisible monasteries in the Old Town

Past everyone walk week and not notice the door leading inside. In each of them there is an average 1 – 2 monk. These monasteries are tiny but functioning. There is always a church in which worship is held from time to time, and cells are usually rented to Christian Arabs for housing.

Sometimes it’s funny: you go inside, and there the children ride bicycles, the sliders on the ropes dry. But this place is officially listed and is a monastery.

Cats walk the streets freely

State of israel appeared in 1948 year. The Jewish population of the country at that time was approximately 500 thousand people, and exactly after 3 years it increased to 1,5 million. People simply had nowhere to live: they huddled in improvised tent towns, in abandoned English military bases, where there were a huge number of rats and mice.
⠀
The inhabitants of these tent towns agreed to feed the cats and take care of them in every way. Children who were then 5 – 6 years old remembered how their parents acted. Today, these people are already well for 70, but to this day they maintain the tradition of feeding cats and cats. In almost every house in any city in Israel, grandparents live who buy cat food for their own money and feed domestic animals.

Eucalyptus trees grow in cities, forests and fields.

You say: "Eucalyptus Is an Australian tree. ” And you will be absolutely right. In Israel, he was planted on purpose, because of malaria, which mowed the locals in the late XIX - early XX centuries. The disease was spread by malaria mosquitoes that lived in swamps. Therefore, eucalyptus plants were primarily planted in swampy areas.

On the subject: What is the difference between Jews living in the USA and Israel?
⠀
Now they grow in cities and villages, in forests and fields. Often these are the tallest and oldest trees that can be found in the country. Numerous eucalyptus seedlings in the hands of the first settlers became a symbol of the Jewish settlement of these lands.

Israeli roses can bloom from a drop of water

Photo: shapiro.dmitriy / instagram

The queen colors there is a namesake - a Jericho rose. This plant is famous not for its beauty, but for its amazing vitality, thanks to which it received the name "Resurrection Flower". In summer, its branches bend inward around the ripened seeds and dry out, forming balls. Torn away and blown away by the wind, they can be stored for years, but immediately straighten when raindrops fall on them.
⠀
According to legend, the Virgin Mary on her way to Egypt noticed this plant and blessed it for eternal life. The amazing ability of the plant to "resurrect" was used on the holidays of Christmas and Easter. Dry branches were placed in the water and after a few hours they got the likeness of a rose flower.

Bonus: a place where you get unique selfies

In the Golan heights in north-east of Israel there is a Wheel of Spirits - giant basalt megaliths with a diameter of up to 158 m and an age of about 5 thousand years. A sort of Middle Eastern Stonehenge.
⠀
From the center of this building, through the tear holes in the 3 circles, once a year, on the day of the spring, summer and autumn solstice, one can observe astronomical points accurately verified by ancient people.