Israel is home to many cultures and welcomes people from all religions. In order to make your stay more comfortable, please note the following local traditions and behavioral norms:

Religious Days and Holidays

• Saturday (the Sabbath, or “Shabbat”) is the national weekly day of rest. Many stores and cultural sites are closed, so it’s best to check ahead of time before making plans.
• Since the Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday, the country slows down midday on Friday (e.g. most stores close midafternoon on Friday). Plan ahead!
• There is no national public transportation on the Sabbath/Friday evenings. It resumes sundown Saturday night.
• Certain Jewish holidays are also treated like the Sabbath. They fall in September/October (Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simhat Torah), April (Passover/Pesach) and May (Shavuot).
• Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour fast, and day-long prayer. There are no radio or television broadcasts, airports are shut down, there is no public transportation, and all shops and businesses are closed early on the holiday eve. It is considered impolite to eat in public on Yom Kippur, to play music or to drive a motor vehicle (except for emergency services). There are no legal prohibitions, but we do warmly suggest that you respect your neighbors on this important day.
• Israel Independence Day/Yom HaAtzmaut falls in April/May.
• Jewish holidays follow the Jewish calendar. To check exact Gregorian dates, make sure you are looking at the current year!
• A siren is sounded on two memorial days – do not be frightened – Holocaust Remembrance Day/Yom HaShoah (April/May), and Memorial Day/Yom Hazikaron (May). People stop everything and stand still when the siren is sounded. Be careful if you are near the road as cars will pull over.
• Sunday is a regular work day.

Israeli Society Cultural Norms

• Some sectors of the population have increased expectations of gender separation and modest dress, most notably ultra-religious sects in Bnei Brak, Jerusalem, and Safed.
• Observant Jews do not eat milk and meat together. As such, kosher restaurants will be either “Meat” or “Dairy” (or vegetarian, which is neutral, called “Parve”). If, after a meat meal at a kosher restaurant, you need milk with your coffee, you can ask for soy milk!
• Pedestrians are expected to stop and wait at red lights before they cross the street.  Not everyone keeps to this.
• Neighborhood with schools have volunteer crossing guards. They may be young students. Please cross only when they say so.
• Some neighborhood parks request quiet between the hours of 14:00-16:00. Some stores are also closed during those hours (this dates back to the days before air conditioning!).
• You may sit up front with cab drivers. Some love to talk! Israel does not have Uber, yet works with Gett Taxi.
• It is customary to leave a tip in restaurants – on average of 12%; cab drivers are generally not tipped.
• Most houses and apartments are heated with solar water boilers. On cloudy days, the electric boiler will need to be turned on.
• You may see large cups, often with two handles, near sinks. These are not drinking cups, but rather, cups for ritual hand washing. Don’t get confused!

Local Safety Tips

• Shelters/safe spaces can be found in most buildings and in public areas, if necessary.
• When driving, there is no “right on red” in Israel.
• Tap water is considered safe to drink.
• Personal bags are often checked by security personnel upon entering public buildings (e.g. malls, government offices, hospitals).

The Basic of the Basic

• Currency: There are 10 agurot and 50 agurot coins. There are 20, 50, 100, 200 NIS bills. One hundred agurot equals one shekel (NIS).
• Time is GMT +3.
• In an emergency, phone: Police 100, Magen David Adom (Red Cross) 101, Fire 102, Electric Company 103, Home Front Command 104

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