Telling friends and family that you want to move to Israel for a couple of years is not easy. It is a lot like informing parents of your choice to skip engineering to maybe pursue arts. No matter what reasons you give, they still ask you, “But, why?”

I am glad my parents and in-laws were on board with us for this big move. Colleagues and friends still wondered, “Why Israel of all places?” I want to clear the air about this country. I don’t think I can do full justice yet, but I can tell you that it is not as scary as we perceive it to be from all the news reports we come across.

Two months in Tel Aviv has given me some insight to say for sure that:

There is no scare here and especially not right now 

A common sight in Israel and Tel Aviv is youth in army fatigue carrying rather intimidating fire arms going about daily chores like buying milk at the grocery store. This does seem out of the ordinary at first, but you get used to it. These are just men and women who have been conscripted for the mandatory 3/2 year term. This does not mean that a conflict is expected anytime soon.

If we reacted to all the negative news we read in India, be it rape or communal violence, we would not be able to go about our lives. And this applies to Tel Aviv too. One has to understand the nature of the incident before saying, “Oh! That’s a scary place to be.”

During my first two weeks here, there were a few stabbing incidents in Jerusalem and one even in Tel Aviv when an Israeli soldier was stabbed. These were random acts of violence that could not have been prevented. The offender just decided to attack someone when he woke up that morning and it was hardly premeditated. My AirBnB host (B), a history teacher a local school, told me that, “If someone is planning a large-scale attack, the government has the resources to intervene.” His belief made me feel safe. This was around the same time when B’s school planned a day trip to Jerusalem for the students. Few parents were apprehensive; to B, the panic seemed unwarranted. “There are more chances that one will die in a road accident on the way to Jerusalem than die in a terrorist attack,” he said.

Tel Aviv is awesome

Tel Aviv is cosmopolitan, vibrant, secular diverse, a cultural hub and an uniquely international and very gay-friendly city. It has a high immigrant population, houses all the three religions as Jerusalem does and is far less religious in nature than the latter. It has great beaches and is one of the most pet-friendly cities I have come across. During a 45 minute bus ride you could see up to 10 dogs/cats boarding the bus. And what is very pleasing is that the dogs never bark and are well-behaved.

I have come across extremely helpful people in this city and I am willing to bet that the rest must be just as helpful. Your skin tone may make you a foreigner here but that’s about it. An orthodox Jew (going by his outfit) who was selling Hanukkah candles asked me if I was a Jew and wanted to buy candles. I said that I was not one, he said, “Oh, but I thought only Jews could live in Israel.”* When I clarified that I had not immigrated, he wanted to know my nationality. Until then, we had nothing in common, but India stuck a chord, he said, “Lot of Jews in India. Terrorist attack in Mumbai, you know?” We had a moment there, despairing over what the world had come to… And I felt like it no more mattered that I was not a Jew or that I was a foreigner.

Hummus is not overrated

Have you have watched You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, where hummus is used for everything and even to extinguish fire at some point? While I am yet to find a hummus fire extinguisher, hummus has become a staple at home. I honestly panic if I do not have a box of hummus in the refrigerator. I make sure I stock up on my favourite because where you are in Tel Aviv or even Israel for that matter weighs heavily on the taste of hummus. From my experience, the hummus in the south of Tel Aviv in Jaffa is the best so far.

Shabbath to me 

Shabbath is typically a day of rest when it is forbidden to perform deliberate work (which may include turning on/off electrical switches, cooking and driving). Some public buildings and apartment complexes have shabbath elevators that stop at every floor so that if you are observing shabbath, you do not have to press any buttons.

In Tel Aviv, buses and trains do not ply during shabbath, most grocery stores and shops are closed. However, cafes, pubs and sit-down restaurants remain open and see a high-footfall during shabbath. Shabbath does not deter Tel Aviv from being its vibrant self and the city is known to have a rather relaxed attitude towards shabbath.

Though shabbath is technically from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown, the shops shut and buses stop plying around 3-4 pm to allow enough time for the employees to be back home to observe shabbath.

That said, you can travel around the city and to other parts of the country (for hiking and beach hopping) if you use the shared taxi service called sherut or have a car; taxis are an option, but far more expensive. Israel being a country with a varied geography and history offers a lot to those who want to explore and travel.

As one without a car, I would have to say that shabbath is a tad bit inconvenient for me. But I make the most of my weekend by either cooking/cleaning or just binge watching TV shows.

If your company has an office in Tel Aviv and they want to post you here, do not pass. Tel Aviv and Israel in general is an academic hot bed and is a hub for start-ups. In short, you do not want to miss an opportunity to visit this city.

*Anyone can immigrate to Israel. It is just easier for Jews.