Frugal Adventure to Beit Shemesh, Plus: Pishers' Guide to Beit Shemesh #1

The other day I met with some friends in Beit Shemesh, or to be more exact, we met at a Beit Shemesh mall. To be honest I've been in Beit Shemesh for a wedding, Shabbat Bar Mitzvah and maybe something else, but even after this little adventure, I still don't think that I know Beit Shemesh.

Over twenty years ago, when some real estate developers began marketing Beit Shemesh, they kept insisting that it's right near Jerusalem. I think they claimed it was something like seventeen minutes away. The truth is that it may be that from the border of Jerusalem, on the highway until the turnoff to Beit Shemesh, when driving in the middle of the night without traffic it may be '"seventeen minutes." But at 11am, in a fast bus on the highway, no traffic, to the first stop at the Beit Shemesh Junction, which has three malls but no residential buildings I could find, it took about thirty-three minutes from Jerusalem Central Bus Station.

Our plan was to meet for lunch in the Bleecker Street Bakery. My friends and I came from all over the country, Kedumim, Shiloh, Netivot, Beersheva and quite a few points in between.

I was happy to discover that I could buy a one day unlimited bus pass, Metropolitan Jerusalem West, senior citizen rate NS13.50 (just over $3-) when I got on my bus in Shiloh, and it would include Beit Shemesh. As I had written, I'm not familiar with Beit Shemesh. To be honest I began to panic when I got off the bus, even though it was the correct stop. I didn't expect to see three malls nearby. Nobody had warned me.

Since I was early, I decided to case out mall #1, and thank Gd I found Bleecker Street Bakery. My friends and I chose Bleecker Street Bakery, because it had a breakfast special which could be ordered all day. The food was delicious. Everyone was happy with their selections.

Pishers' Guide to Beit Shemesh #1

I couldn't resist the opportunity to check out the WC, 00, Restroom or just call it the Public Toilets of Beit Shemesh. One shouldn't need WAZE to find a WC. I'm from the "old world" of reading signs. Well, in this Rami Levy Mall, trying to follow the signs was like getting lost in a maze. So, I used the old standby, the closest supermarket. Yes, I walked into the Rami Levy Supermarket.  

Just a few steps into the store I spotted the easy to recognize icons for the Public Toilets and followed the signs. My experiences with Rami Levy's WCs have been pretty good, and these didn't disappoint.

The public toilets were clean and stocked with paper and soap. My friends who had found the mall's WC admitted that it was "lacking."

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I had a lovely time with my friends, who requested "no pictures" on the blog.

New Ariel Mall Could be Anyplace in Israel

A version of this article was posted on Israel Blogger as  Rami Levy’s New Mall in Ariel has Major Chains.

For a couple of years we had watched the progress of the building of the "Rami Levy Mall" in Ariel, a gorgeous, up-to-date brand new mall at the "other end" of the very impressive Shomron city. I don't get to ride through Ariel all that often, which gave me a good perspective of the mall from a big road sign to a massive, impressive building. It began to seem very similar to the new mall Rami Levy built on the Kastel side of Mevaseret.

The biggest surprise was once the buildings were completed and the store signs began to go up. Unlike the old Rami Levy buildings where his iconic discount supermarket is flanked by Yafiz, Rami Levy Tikshoret (cellphone deal,) Rami Levy Pizza/Burger and other bargain stores, these two malls have branches of the same chains you'll find in Kfar Saba, Beersheba and Haifa.

FOX has their clothing store, like in the Pisgat Zeev Mall, but I really hope that they bring their HOME department, which I love. Kravitz has a lovely branch in Ariel. The health food chain Nitzat Haduduvan has a branch, too, but my friend and I didn't go in. We were put off by the fact that they had heat-sensitive products like whole wheat flour in displays in the sun outside the store. Obviously the manager, or is it a franchise owner, hasn't a clue about how to care for delicate foods.

escalator 

elevator

The mall only opened very recently, so not all of the shops are full. But we saw that the elevator is in use, as is the escalator. As you can see, there's lots of space, benches, etc. Some of the empty stores were being prepared for opening.

second floor

We wandered around and peeked into the stores. There were many customers including young mothers with babies. Our guess is that many of the customers are from the yishuvim, Jewish communities in the Shomron and northern Binyamin. For those of us in the Shiloh Bloc, this Ariel Mall is closer by car than Sha'ar Binyamin and offers a much wider variety of shopping options. The cellphone store, which is near the Halpern Opticians, is a Golan agent, not Rami Levy's own brand. Yes, Rami Levy has managed to go upscale here, as well as Mevaseret.

There's lots of parking in front of the mall, which is off of the main road that skirts Ariel. This makes it much easier for those coming "just to shop." No doubt it's harder for Ariel residents who don't have cars. And for people like myself, it seems almost impossible, unless I have a ride to and from.

My friend and I had a lovely lunch at Greg, which I'll blog about in a separate post, and then we shopped at Rami Levy. I had heard that it's humongous, especially for those used to the Sha'ar Binyamin branch. It is pretty big and I did have trouble finding things, but that always happens the first time at a new supermarket. There's a fresh fish department which was tempting, besides all the usual things I know from the Sha'ar Binyamin branch. I am happy with the prices I found there and bought more than expected. I even had to borrow a shopping bag from my friend who had bought less than she had planned. One thing I like much better in Sha'ar Binyamin branch is that the Kupah Rashit, where the management sits and you can redeem coupons etc. is next to the exit. In Ariel, it's at the other end of the cash registers, so you may have to walk the width of the floor to get your free calendar etc.

The Rami Levy is enormous.

I definitely enjoyed my shopping adventure in the Rami Levy Ariel Mall and hope to return, Gd willing.

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #11, Never Fear The Rami Levy WC

sink and hand-dryer
in the women's side

This is a continuation in my ongoing series about public toilets in Jerusalem. See #10, #9,  #8, #7,  #6,  #5, Saved by The First Station aka #4a, #4, #3, #2and #1

The Rami Levy Shivuk Hashikma, Discount Supermarket Chain is known for its low prices and minimal advertising, so who would expect him to invest in above average public toilets that are kept clean? When I used to work in Yafiz, Sha'ar Binyamin, people would ask if the toilets were decent enough to use, and I'd say that they are nicer than those in many wedding halls. And they seem better kept than those in some restaurants. And they are more comfortable than those peculiar rectangular seats in the Mamilla Mall.

There's a handicapped toilet, a men's section, a women's section and an additional sink that can be used by all.

The older I get the more I've become an expert in public toilets. And that's why I must tell you that, davka, the Rami Levy in Sha'ar Binyamin can compete with the best of them. He may sell onions for less than in Machane Yehuda, but he doesn't offer cheapo facilities. They may not be fancy, but they're functional and don't smell.

If you're familiar with the public toilets in other branches, I'd appreciate a report in the comments, thanks.

A Traveling Adventure

The other day we had a joyous family occasion in Kfar Saba, which is a medium-size city northwest of Shiloh. We got there very easily, since my daughter, who lives in Ofra, picked us up on the way. But afterwards, she had to hurry to work in Jerusalem, which was convenient for my husband, but I wanted to check out some textbooks in a publishing house in nearby Ranaana. My cousin and her husband dropped me off there, but when I finished, things got more complicated.

"Where can I find a bus to take me in the direction of Yarkon Junction or Ranaana Junction?" I innocently and rather optimistically asked the staff.
"Bus?" I don't know. I've never taken a bus here." Responded one of the women. "Do you know where there's a bus stop?" She asked the other one.
"Maybe you can point me in the right direction, and I can walk to the Ranaana Junction?" I asked.
"No, it's much too far to walk." They replied in unison.
"Maybe --(I didn't catch the name)-- knows." And she went to the back to call another worker.
"Walk down the street to the right. Turn left  and then at the traffic light turn left again. Walk another couple of hundred meters, and then you should find a bus stop. Take the #2." He spoke with the confidence of someone who actually takes buses, thank Gd. 

I surprised myself by actually remembering, more or less, the directions, though I did ask a few people on the way, just to make sure...

When I got to the bus stop, immediately somebody asked me about the buses. Apparently, I wasn't the only stranger trying to get out of Ranaana by public transportation. We both kept asking people for help. And I saw there were charts showing all the stops, which was helpful.

Ironically just across the street from the stop was Rami Levy. I debated going in to shop, but didn't need anything and didn't want to schlep.

Eventually, after a long winding route that must have crisscrossed every neighborhood and street in Ranaana we got the last stop, the Ranaana Junction, which has buses to all over. I looked at the listing for buses going in the direction of Petach Tikva and Tel Aviv, since I knew that most if not all would get to the Yarkon Junction where I could get a bus or ride to Ariel. Within just a couple of minutes, I was on my way.

Once at the Yarkon Junction, I knew my way and confidently crossed to the bus stop.

After a bit, I caught a bus to Ariel. And in Ariel I got off by the university, which is building and expanding.

From there I got a tremp home, B"H! Even though I really didn't know how I was going to travel, which buses and where, for some of the way, I must admit that it was a pretty easy trip and didn't take all that long. It almost took longer to blog it...

Saying Goodbye to Yafiz, Yes, I Quit!

It's hard to believe, but I left my job at Yafiz. I had worked there for almost six years. You can see that in the photo on the right, I am wearing two pairs of glasses. It was during the time when I needed both distance and reading, but I hadn't yet started using multifocals. Now, I can't imagine living without my multifocals. They are a brilliant invention, and I'm among the blessed who didn't suffer any difficulties adjusting to them.

The photos below are of me working in the shoe store, Yafiz's Shoe Department, which is in a small building in the Rami Levy section of Sha'ar Binyamin. I really had fun there. When I wasn't busy with customers, I'd sit by the entrance, which is just across from the Rami Levi exit and say hello to friends, former students and the many, many people I know who shop there. And quite often people who just wanted to say "hello" to me would stop in and end up buying something.

I have a different job now, which will remain unnamed for the time being. Honestly, it deserves a blog post on its own

A New "Toy" From Work, Holiday Gift

In the almost six years I've worked at Yafiz, part of the Rami Levy discount supermarket chain, in Sha'ar Binyamin, I've rarely liked or use or kept the holiday gifts they give twice a year, before Rosh Hashana and Passover. Sometimes I beg my kids to take them, and last Passover I donated it, a good quality cooking pan, to a charity for young couples who don't have the money to buy what they need.

But this time, for Rosh Hashanah, they gave something I didn't have and should have, a simple vacuum cleaner. It's a Sauter Power Stick, but strangely I can't find any mention of it on the internet. I had been counting on that for English instructions...

Many years ago, I had a vacuum cleaner; I don't remember who brought it from America. It was either my mother or mother-in-law. They probably hoped it would make me a better housekeeper. I am one of the world's worst. OK I wouldn't win first prize, just honorable mention... I hardly used it, since I was always afraid that it would gobble up something of value. It's one of those things that ended up in the attic and died a miserable death, like being locked in a tomb.

My husband photographed me unpacking and unwrapping it.

After taking a quick look at the parts, I easily managed to put them together without trying to figure out the instructions, which seemed a lot more difficult.

And then I did some vacuuming...

I'm glad to see that instead of the old bags, this has a plastic container that gets emptied periodically. If anyone knows more about this "toy," please let me know in the comments, thanks.

I Finally Ate at Jerusalem's Iconic Rachmo's

For years I'd heard of this excellent, simple low-price meat restaurant Rachmo. It's just off the the main part of the Mahane Yehuda Open Air Market, which has gone rather yuppy or upscale in recent years.

You can get anything from low price carrots to boutique fashions to fancy jewelry, or bargain clothes or yummy fruit or even pet accessories. There are lots of bars, and even more open at night when the vegetable stands close. This is your shopping center of multiple personalities.

Rachmo is located at 5 Eshcol St, Jerusalem, phone 02-623-4595. It's less than a block from the original Rami Levy grocery store which has blossomed into a large Israeli chain of discount supermarkets. My friend and I could see it from the window by our table.

Before finding ourselves at Rachmo, my friend and I had wandered around the shuq looking for a place to eat. We like simple, healthy and inexpensive meals, preferably something we don't make at home. Although Machne Yehuda is known for bargains, we found many of the restaurants too expensive. And even though we were there on Monday, a relatively quiet day for shopping in Machane Yehuda, it was too noisy. Some of the noise came from renovations and other noise was the "music" playing in the restaurants which chased us away. That's why we ended up on the side street. When we saw the Rachmo sign, we decided to check it out, mostly out of curiosity but with a large dose of hunger, too.

For us Rachmo was an oasis of calm and quiet. The prices looked good, too. And, yes, of course it's Kosher. We had to line up with a tray by the opening to the kitchen, where we asked for food from the pans, pots and trays. They didn't have everything on the menu; I had wanted to try their musakka. But instead we both had Kubbe Soup. It was delicious, homemade style, just perfect. And it only cost NS33-

Yes, the soup is a meal. For us it was a perfect lunch! And next time I'm there, I hope they have Moussaka, and if they don't I'll be happy to try something else.