Machane Yehuda

Machane Yehuda is becoming an increasingly popular tourist site with shops and cafes alongside the food stalls. One finds a cross section of Jerusalemites here, from Cabinet Ministers to poor people from the outlying suburbs, ultra orthodox Jews from the other side of Jaffa Road, Arabs from east Jerusalem and quite a few tourists, local and foreign.

Regulars seem to have their favourite stalls where they buy tomatoes or fish or seasonal fruit and vegetables. Personally I prefer the cheaper vegetables in the Iraqi shuk to the west of the open street, Rechov Machane Yehuda. I buy dried fruits, beans and oats from Ronen in the covered shuk, Rechov Etz Haim.

We are used to the fact that during its season a particular product is plentiful, if not cheap, but outside the season, it is unavailable.

Machane Yehuda is part of the Jewish neighbourhoods built at the end of the 19th century by Jews who moved out of the Old City and from other places. The picturesque alleys have placards describing the history of the inhabitants. The area has become more gentrified over the years, but the old men still come and play shesh besh (backgammon) in the open area at the back of the Iraqi shuk.