IKEA in Israel - 30% higher prices?

The Marker, one of Israel's leading economic magazines reports today what many of us have long suspected: IKEA's prices in Israel are significantly more expensive than other IKEA branches around the globe -- a hand towel (choose your own appropriate catalog word; frap, kwoodle, blargo...) in IKEA Sweden costs 1 NIS and in IKEA Israel costs 15 NIS.

On average, the prices in IKEA Israel are 30% higher than IKEA Britain and Holland, and 24% higher than France and Sweden. The Marker price checked 21 items that in Israel totaled
17,000 NIS, yet the exact same items in France or Sweden would have cost 13,000 NIS. In England and Holland the total price tag was even lower; only 12,000 NIS.

Shlomo Gabbai, CEO of IKEA Israel provided 2 main reasons for the higher cost;

1. The high shipping and Logistics costs of getting their merchandise from Sweden to Israel.

2. The strong Shekel vs. the weaker foreign currencies.

I personally only discovered IKEA after I made aliya, since it was only starting to gain popularity in the US when I made aliya. We were very excited about it at first, and purchased many items for our "lift", but we were soon underwhelmed by the quality of the items -- some are definitely sturdier than others.

On the bright side, the food court is Kosher, they are closed on shabbat, and IKEA Israel even has its own shul!

Follow me, the rabbi whispers to me mysteriously, and leads me to a hidden door, between the recliner department and the sofa display. We go down one floor, he opens a door, and I am totally stunned. Not a corner, not a small prayer room, but a synagogue. An honest-to-goodness synagogue. The Great Synagogue of IKEA.

Little by little, more good Jews gather in the secret bunker. Some work in the store, others are customers - the rabbi has assured their wives that he will personally see to it that they return within 15 minutes to the same mirrored shelf unit in the same model bathroom. I go to check out the bookshelves and am bowled over. Everything is so neat and spiffy. Every synagogue should be so orderly. Printed on each book is "Property of IKEA." There's an IKEA-siddur, and IKEA-chumash, a new set of IKEA-Rambam and even a Torah ark with a velvet curtain on which the following is embroidered: "For out of Zion shall go forth the Torah and the word of Hashem from Jerusalem. Donated by Yehiel Moshe (Edgar) and Matityahu Bronfman." HaAretz

From what I can see around the web, many people are disappointed with IKEA's customer service department, but for those of us living in Israel, it should be par for the course! (It can't possibly be worse than dealing with Highway-6 customer service or the Ministry of the Interior)

The adjoining comic was too good not to include, even if it may not be fully justified.














Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Attitude; The Oleh's Best Friend

Living in Israel is a challenge, and for immigrants, even more.

I could spend days and days pointing out the warts of Israeli society -- the number of problems and challenges are as countless as the grains of sand or stars in the sky.

The Israeli government is almost incomprehensible; is it stupidity, evil, corruption, hatred, apathy or blindness that decides and implements policy?

Just a quick and short roundup of a few issues of the day that demonstrate the point:

In an effort to earn more money for the government's coffers, Israel now charges a towing fee for cars damaged in terror attacks.

A family of new immigrants from the United States was startled to discover the new policy while trying to overcome the trauma of the first Jerusalem bulldozer attack.The family was ordered to pay for the towing of its damaged car from the attack scene; other residents faced similar demands.

The Aizenshtats moved to Israel from the US four years ago. On the day of the bulldozer attack they were driving in their car with their three children near the construction site where the terrorist came from.

The vehicle was towed away, and later the family was contacted by a government appraiser and asked to pay NIS 685 (roughly $200) for towing the car. "We were driving and suddenly saw the bulldozer charging at us," Rochelle Aizenshtat recounted. "We were in shock and we started screaming." One of the girls in the car sustained light wounds only, but the car was seriously damaged. (YNET)

Israel is facing it's worst water shortage ever.

The town of Afula for example has created a park with a man-made lake that has been filled 4 times so far, wasting tens of thousands of cubic meters of fresh drinking water, due to the poor planning and construction of the lake which allowed the water to leak out.

The Jordan river is so low in places, that the rafting/kayaking businesses are on the verge of stopping activity. A commission has been established to examine how we got into such a mess.

The future commission is to be tasked with investigating the failures that led the various Israeli governments to disregard dozens of reports and recommendations drafted by professional committees formed throughout the years and compiling a series of short and long-term recommendations that would ensure that Israel's water supply would remain intact. (YNET)

After 3 years since the Disengagement, most of the evicted families are still unemployed, in temporary housing, and without permanent housing plans.

Over the past few days, the former Gaza inhabitants discovered their belongings, mostly Holy Scriptures and additional materials that were packed at the various community synagogues and stored at a Ministry of Religious Affairs’ warehouse at Moshav Givati near Ashdod, have been severely damaged. Some of the Judaica was completely ruined and some was cast on the floor covered in mold and dust.

The SELA Administration for Assistance to Settlers from the Gaza Strip and Northern Samaria referred Tucker and his friends to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, which referred them to the person in charge of storage. He referred them to the storehouse on Kibbutz Givati, which was leased out to hold the contents of evacuated Gaza community synagogues. (read the whole sordid, sad run-around story here on YNET)

The State Comptroller Committee approved yesterday the establishment of an investigative committee to look into the appalling treatment of 2005's Gaza evacuees. The State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss was quoted as saying that this was a grave problem for which "a solution must be found, and it is possible that the appropriate way to do this is through an investigative committee."

Of course, there are people such as MK Avshalom Vilan (Meretz) that voted for the Disengagement who believe it was so successful that such an investigation is unwarranted and politically motivated.

MK Vilan said that the establishment of this committee constitutes "cheap populism". He added: "it pains me that instead of remaining outside of the political discussion, the state comptroller has taken a stance that will have long-term political consequences." (JPost)

So what's a person to do?

Israel is not a rose garden, yet. Till that happens, the best way to deal with life here on a daily basis when confronting the frustration of dealing with so many problems is attitude.

Yes, coming to Israel with lots of money helps. (I didn't...I came with a few hundred dollars, but then again, I was single).

Coming to Israel with a job lined up helps. (Coming to Israel with a skillset that is wanted in the marketplace really helps)

Coming to Israel with family members living here helps.

Knowing Hebrew before moving here helps.

But the #1 trait to bring with you is a positive attitude -- that you are here to make a difference, here to build the country, here to raise a family and be part of the community, and here, because it's home.

Old-time blogger Chayyei Sarah has a great post in honor of her 5 year aliyanniversary on her absorption and the 5 stages of acclimation to Israel (Euphoria, Panic, Depression, Adaption, and Acculturation).

CS writes, "But the pot of gold at the end of the absorption rainbow is . . ." (stage 5).

Life here can be difficult and scary. Building a home was difficult, taking out a mortgage was scary, the first time I showed up at the bakum (the IDF absorption center), I was in a panic when told I was about to serve 18 months (married, with 3 kids, with a job and mortgage, 18 months sounded a bit too long...but till I found someone who agreed with me, I had many butterflies in my stomach).

Yet just as life in general can be scary here, the same applies everywhere and not only here.

There is annoying beauracracy in the rest of the world. In fact, getting an Israeli passport is now easier than getting an American one in the United States. Israel has improved by light-years in terms of telecommunications. When it used to take 9 years to get a residential phone line, one can get hooked up to a phone, complete with ADSL internet in days. Customer service is now a concept in Israel that never used to exist. Look at Israel in the 1970s and 80s -- and compare the standard of living. Cellphones, food-quality and diversity, housing, tourism, the list is enormous.

So while the government may be a bunch of crooks, or even cruel hearted and corrupted, overall things have improved.

The choice to make is this; are you going to have a positive attitude and approach every problem as a challenge? Are you going to view the absorption process with a smile? Are you going to make the best of a difficult situation because we have no real alternative home?

Fixing the problems (or trying to) is the best possible solution -- so that Israel will be a better place for our children, and the olim that follow us.

CS wrote: A friend of mine said "I'm upset because I don't feel the holiness as much as I used to." I answered: "You don't notice it as much because you've become part of it." Yet, once in a while, one still can step back and appreciate it. I live in Israel.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

An Amazing Graduation -- Living the Dream

I can be proud of my daughter's graduation tonight from sixth grade and that she is starting "Ulpana" (Jr. High). Not proud that she "graduated" (its pretty hard to not graduate from 6th grade) -- but proud of the actual, impressive ceremony. In fact, it was as if the Muqata blog had written and directed the entire evening; sound, light, video, effects, Eretz Yisrael all rolled into one (though no one was wearing a yellow smiley face).

The "theme" of the evening was the "impending redemption" -- and the boys and girls had separate presentations (they aren't mixed in school either). The primary artistic presentation was about a class going on a forced museum trip, where they encountered different historical characters who came alive at the mention of the word "Geula" -- redemption. (The smoke machine and strobe added some cool effects).

Avraham Avinu proudly congratulated them for building up the land, and proving G-d's promise of לך אתן את הארץ הזאת -- "to you I will give this land".

The class comforted Rachel the Matriarch that her children were returning from Exile and rebuilding the land. How poignant was it that the class reminded her that some children were still missing and needed her prayers; Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev, Ron Arad... how current events mesh with our lives...and we don't even forget our missing soldiers -- even at a 6th grade graduation.

The class met a group of Jews...who were going to trash the store of "Shmuel the Shoemaker" -- because he was working on Shabbat. R' Kook arrived on the scene and told the crowd that only through "Ahavat Chinam" would the redemption come.

Yoni Netanyahu met the class as well -- one who gave his life for Ahavat Chinam -- on behalf of the Jewish people in his daring rescue mission at Entebbe.

Ben-Gurion, Naomi Shemer, and others characters met the class, all through the theme of "redemption" -- how close it is...how close it can be.

The following background painting summed it all up perfectly:

"Such is the redemption of Israel:
first, it is bit by bit,
but as it goes on,
the light continues to grow..."

(Mevaseret Zion -- here)

As the play ended, the sounds of the shofar erupted from all corners of the gymnasium.

May we merit redemption soon -- I could not be more proud of my daughter, her class, and her school.

Living the dream day by day, in Israel.


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

A Mother's Tears

Apropos my previous posting/video of husbands who "disappear" on business trips (note, I left out the quotation marks from "business trips"), the following story by Molly Green just appeared on YNET (in Hebrew).

Here's my quick and imperfect translation...

The tears streamed down my cheeks.

Yes, even at my mature age, the stubborn tears filtered out of my eyes and joined my angry cries.

At first I was embarrassed. I reached for a tissue. No one cries over a plane that has left. Yet my tears returned. For years I waited for this chance, and in an instant it was cruelly snatched away from me.

At my workplace there are occasional bonuses; perks if you may. At some companies its cash, at my company, its a trip abroad every few years.

The trip could be to cover a seminar, convention, or an important event, and the lucky person gets sent on an all-expense-paid trip to "Chutz La'Aretz"...anywhere outside of Israel.

There's nothing like a small carrot, such as a trip abroad, to throw at employees to motivate them and give them a "high" for weeks on end.

This trip was mine; it was my field, my forte, and yet...while I have 8 years of seniority and tenure at my company, they sent someone who was only with us for 6 months!

The rage bottled up inside me, "How dare they not offer me this trip?" I ranted at my husband. "This is how they reward years of hard effort and dedication? Have I only imagined myself as being an integral part of the company?!"

I was inconsolable.

My husband gently suggested there must be a rational and logical reason why I wasn't sent.

Enough was enough; I couldn't take it any longer -- I called our chief editor.

"Is everything OK, Molly?" he asked.

"No, not really", I answered, trying to sound as calm as possible under the circumstances.

"I have been working here for 8 years. I am not going to detail all my dedication and hard work, but will come straight to the point. I'm very offended you didn't offer to send me to cover the game convention in Italy.

This is my field, it is near and dear to my heart and I cover it professionally for our publication. I have nothing against the reporter you sent in my place, but I am with a doubt the right person for the job -- so why didn't you send me?"

Silence.

"Err, Um, I'm, ah... shocked", my boss stammered.

He barely got the words out, "Your name came up at the staff review, and everyone agreed you were the right person to go, but everyone mentioned the problem."

"The 'Problem'?" I asked. "What 'problem'?"

"The problem that you have 9 children! How could we possibly ask a mother of NINE children to leave for a 3 day business trip! We all had mercy on you and didn't ask you to go..."

A good, nice feeling washed over me. I didn't hear the rest. They honestly thought they couldn't ask me to go.

"Just so that you should know," I stopped his ongoing apology, "of all people, davka (specifically) a mother of 9 is someone who SHOULD go on a trip like this"

"Why?" my editor stammered.

"Believe me," I answered, "a mother of 9 could use a 3 day vacation!"

Jameel adds: And what better time, than right before Pesach! (Passover)

:-)

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

More Nighttime Adventures in Eretz Yisrael

I've been really busy lately -- which is why I've been blogging less. Not that I don't have a million things to write about. In fact, I'd like to finish this week the following posts I started writing:

Shifra the Soldier
Urban Legends and Israeli Law
An Eretz Yisrael Hilltop Bar Mitzva
A Muqata Limrick
Bush Visits the Muqata

and a few more.

Actually, I'm so busy that an event I normally would have gone to, I had to pass up. One night a year, the IDF allows access to the village of Anapta in the Shomron/Shechem region, and allows Jews to pray at the graves of the 70 Zekeinim and 2 of Aharon HaCohen's sons -- Itamar and Elazar. For those of you who don't know, Rafi G's "Life in Israel" blog has many posts that could easily be found here (and vice versa). Since I couldn't go to Anapta last week, I did the next best thing -- I called up Rafi G and he blogged it.

So what was I doing in the hills of the Shomron in sub-zero weather?

That leads us to the review of my latest Adventure in Eretz Yisrael..

At about 8:30 PM on Thursday night, Jameel calls me up on the phone. Whenever Jameel calls, you know something is up. He tells me that he just got word they are opening the village of [I could not catch the name of the village], and this is a place they only open to Jews once a year. In this village are the grave sites of Elazar and Isamar, 2 of the sons of Aharon Ha'Kohen, and the gravesite of the 70 elders. The buses would be leaving from "Bat Shalosh" at about 12 am and there was no need to pre-register.

We went over the directions quickly, and hung up. I called Jameel about 10:15 to go over the directions again, as I am not as familiar with the roads of the Shomron as he is. He tells me that he probably would not be going, but we went over the directions again.

So I head out to the Shomron. The trip was pretty smooth. Driving through the Shomron at night is a bit spooky, if you are not familiar with the roads. You drive through some Arab villages that straddle the "highway". You know that if you make a wrong turn you will end up on the morning news as the victim of a lynching. The signs "could be better", the lighting of the roads "could be better".

Read it all here (with pictures) at Life in Israel.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Facing up at the sky

Second day of milluim. Unlike Jack's posting of what I probably do in the IDF, my milluim doesn't waste time.

We were simulating combat with tactical paintball rifles, and we rotated being unit commander.

I was told to advance and find the terrorist.

Slowly moving forward, I heard the noise to the left. Turning around, the person watching my back...wasn't.

Whoosh.

Splat.

Soldier down.

me.

Shot by a paintball, the rules state that I had to stay out till the next round (about 10 minutes)...and I had to lie on the ground.

With my paintball face mask still on, I heard my own heavy breathing as I looked up the slightly fogged sky through my mask.

Yellow paintball streaks continued to whoosh through the air over me, and they loudly banged into the metals walls around me. Yells and confusion as soldiers looked for paintball terrorists.

The sky was peaceful, the tall trees offering solace as I lay on the cold, wet ground, wondering if this was what the end is like.

Subconsciously, "life flashing through my head" -- flashed through my head.

The night before I had to run to my older kids' school with no time to change out of uniform, for a parent-teacher-student get-together, and as I was leaving and walking away from the school, I heard one the remnants of a conversation as a student excitedly told his father about a cool rifle that a soldier was carrying (me). The father told his son, "there's no way you're going to be a combat solider...no reason for you to be a frier...the government just released 450 Palestinian terrorists today...why bother being a combat solider...don't be a frier...don't die for nothing..."

Do soldiers really end up lying on their backs, looking up at the sky, wondering if it's worth it?

The yells of "Sof Targil, Sof Targil" (end of the exercise) brought me out of my daydream, and the terrorist who shot me extended his hand to help me up.

He said the other guy should have watched my back...but he took advantage of it to nail me.

Brushing the dirt off my uniform, I took a picture of the spot I was killed, and where I spent 10 minutes looking up at the sky.

But our trainers had more in store for us.

We did about 10 more simulations, and the last one was the most difficult.

Little did I know, but the explicit mission of 1 of the 2 terrorists was to "kill Jameel...don't worry about anyone else...just kill Jameel"

(Our IDF trainers really like me).

I won't go into details of the simulation, but the terrorist didn't succeed.

Chanuka Sameach.

Oh, and wish me luck; I may have an unbelievable post coming up next week, which will surpass almost every posting ever seen on this blog.

Shabbat Shalom,

Jameel.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael