TABLET MAG
The New Flavors of Israel
Flora Tsapovsky
January 10, 2023

Since early 2020, first due to the pandemic, and, most recently, during the war in Ukraine, Israel has been experiencing a slow yet persistent wave of immigration from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. Last February alone, according to the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, saw close to 40,000 immigrants—the highest number of people making aliyah from the region since the early 1990s. Alongside the usual challenges—like Hebrew classes shortages and employment deficit—these new, social media-savvy, young, cosmopolitan olim face surprises on the culinary front. The Israeli dining and drinking scene, as advanced and trend-driven as it may be, doesn’t necessarily have some of the key elements newcomers have grown accustomed to in their home countries. READ MORE