NEWS FEATURE: A Cautious Optimism Marks Hanukkah in Israel This Year

c. 2003 Religion News Service JERUSALEM _ In the days leading up to Hanukkah vacation, Mark Feldman, CEO of the Ziontours travel agency in the center of Jerusalem, began to detect a trend. “We’ve seen a good 20 percent increase in holiday travel this year over last year,” said the affable businessman, referring to the […]

c. 2003 Religion News Service

JERUSALEM _ In the days leading up to Hanukkah vacation, Mark Feldman, CEO of the Ziontours travel agency in the center of Jerusalem, began to detect a trend.

“We’ve seen a good 20 percent increase in holiday travel this year over last year,” said the affable businessman, referring to the number of reservations his agency has booked for the Hanukkah break, which begins at sundown Dec. 19. “It signals that people are feeling somewhat more optimistic.” Thanks to a relative lull in the number of terror attacks during the past two months as well as signs of modest economic recovery from a troubling recession, many Israelis do seem to be infused with a bit of holiday cheer. More people seem to be packing the malls, the movie theaters and cafes despite the ever-present threat of terror. Shopkeepers, who were devastated last year by a spate of suicide bombings and the country’s severe economic woes, this year report a small upsurge in business, whether it be for clothing, housewares or toys. With the schools closed for the holiday, museums and malls will be offering a slew of shows for children, and kids’ movies will dominate the Hanukkah-week line-up. Israelis, Feldman said, have an incredible capacity to adapt to difficult circumstances, an ability honed through decades of war and hardship. “We have become used to the precarious situation. This is the norm. If you talk to Israelis, most will say the current quiet is just temporary, but it doesn’t mean we’ve stopped living.” Last Hanukkah, Feldman recalled, “people were already getting apprehensive about flying overseas because of Iraq. They flew shorter distances and for fewer days to ensure they could rush home in case of an emergency.” At the time Israelis feared Iraq would lob missiles at Israel, as it did during the first Gulf War in 1991. A year ago, the Israeli government was advising citizens to upgrade their gas masks in preparation for a possible chemical or biological attack. This year, Feldman said, “the feeling is that there is no overriding threat and people don’t feel the need to stay so close to home. Just the opposite. We’ve had a huge upswing to Australia and South Africa. In general, the destinations people are choosing require lengthier stays.” Although more Israelis will once again be traveling abroad during Hanukkah break, many will be steering clear of Turkey due to the recent terror attacks there against two synagogues. “Historically, Turkey has been one of the most popular destinations for Israelis, with 150 planes a week. It was huge last Hanukkah,” Feldman noted. “Now people are afraid to go there.” Because the mood has been so glum since the start of the intifada in October 2000, local businesses have had to make a special effort to woo customers. At the Shilav baby store in Jerusalem’s three-story Malcha Mall, Shiri Levy, a 24-year-old saleswoman and part-time student, said that her shop will have a buy-one, get-one-at-half-price sale during the intermediate days of the eight-day holiday. Due to the nature of its business, Shilav, which sells a wide variety of toys, baby furniture and infant clothing, has a steady, year-round stream of customers. Even so, Levy said, the store, already welcoming thanks to its assortment of cuddly stuffed animals and adorable babywear, will be decked out for the holiday. “The store and everything in the mall will be very colorful,” she said, pointing out the Hanukkah CDs and coloring books for sale at the checkout counter. “There will be all kinds of activities for children. Everyone will come.” “Business isn’t what it used to be,” Levy’s colleague Keren Mishli, also 24, chimed in. “People are afraid to go out, due to the attacks. I don’t go out to discos or to other public places where there are a lot of people,” she said. At the sprawling Toys ‘R Us at the Malcha Mall, Benny and Renee, an Orthodox Jewish couple with six children, said they had put aside their fear in order to buy their kids some Hanukkah gifts. “The security situation is a little quieter, so we’re feeling a little safer,” Benny, a building contractor, said, explaining why he and his wife were in the mall this chilly December evening. “The story of Hanukkah reminds us that God has saved us many times before and will continue to do so,” Renee said of the festival, which commemorates the Jews’ ancient triumph over the Syrians, who were trying to force them to adopt paganism. “When you get to Hanukkah, you realize that God is in charge,” Renee continued. “That thought gives us a little hope.” DEA END CHABIN


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