One block to the north, two 30-some-
thing friends leſt the fluorescent lights of the hi-tech halls, and today they dress more casually and feel closer to the pulse of the city with their piles of olives, great local boutique wines and olive oil for sale. In addition to food, stylish designs can
also be found in the market. Two women, one a costume designer for Israel Televi- sion, have invaded the ‘mens only’ terri- tory of the marketplace. Tey design and sew their own creations of lovely women’s clothing for appreciative buyers. Last summer the municipality of Jerusa-
lem sponsored art and music in the market on otherwise slow Monday evenings. Jazz and Middle Eastern music beckon from the second floor rooſtops, as these neighbour- hoods have not grown vertically, despite the construction and refurbishing that has taken place. Tapas and arts and craſts are on sale in the shuk, and the narrow alleys are full of young and old Jerusalemites eating their way through the market — many of them also practicing their Israeli folk dancing. Perhaps the Mahane Yehuda market- place is making a comeback aſter years of
attracting restaurant chefs looking for the freshest produce of the day, as well as the city’s poorer population without cars to transport them to the climate controlled super- markets. Today, soup kitch-
ens have also opened in the market, most notably Carmei Ha’ir, where every- one is fed a balanced lunch by table- hopping waitresses. Even the neediest are known to leave a few coins in the ‘pushke’ (charity box) to help the even less fortunate, and they talk about be- ing given back their self-respect along with a plate of healthy food. Certainly, changes are taking place in
Jerusalem’s 80-year-old marketplace, and they are a welcome harbinger of happy
times — all with an interest in preserva- tion rather than more and more construc- tion in the centre of the holy city.
fn Janet Mendelsohn Moshe is a tour guide
and freelance writer living in Jerusalem (
janetmos@netvision.net.il). Photography by Yael Shilo (
yaeltours@gmail.com).
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