Before I made Aliya, I was told by a good friend, that in Israel you won't find doughnuts so easily throughout the year, you'll have to seek out some special fancy bake shop that fries them. But, comes Chanukah and doughnuts are everywhere, overflowing the carts and shelves.
Ok, I admit that I am now officially on a diet, so I will let everyone else enjoy that Chanukah pastry, while I just look on. What I do have to tell you, is that this little observation represents a lot of what's going on in Israeli culture vs. to what I was used to in the states.
In NY, for example, you can go into every bakery in the middle of August and order a dozen doughnuts, or two weeks after Sukkos and buy a box of Purim Hamantashen. We are used to getting what we want, when we want it.
In Israel that's different, necessity takes rule over luxury. I mean, yes, you can get lots and almost all of luxurious food items, at sometimes exorbitant prices. But no doughnuts or Hamantashen when not in season. Now that the Chanukah winter breeze is here, what is more necessary on Chanukah than delicious spongy doughnuts? Besides the Menorah and Dreidlech of course.
Enjoy YOUR doughnut, friend!
Happy Chanukah
Yiddy