All shuk up and coming to London!

As every local or tourist in Jerusalem knows, a visit to Machane Yehuda market (or the “shuk”) on a  Friday lunchtime is not for the faint hearted. With intoxicating aromas of za’atar and nana (mint), stall vendors lovingly screaming in your face about the last of their cheap tomatoes, giant mounds of shiny olives glistening in the sun, freshly baked pita at every turn, tempting halva samples, hands already laden with heavy plastic bags grabbing at avocados to test their ripeness, shekels, elbows and boxes flying everywhere. This is a truly authentic Israeli experience.

Did you know that buried deep in the shuk you will find a tiny but fully functioning synagogue, world class restaurants, three barber shops, four “granny cart” specialist stalls, no less than 13 stalls offering knife-sharpening services and even a police station? In the 1990s the authorities tried to enforce a law banning yelling in the shuk (but this law was quickly shouted down).

This month, the British Friends of Ezer Mizion is excited to bring Jerusalem’s iconic Machane Yehuda market to London, in celebration of 20 years of the International Jewish Bone Marrow Registry.

Grab your shopping bags, rally your taste buds and get ready for a one-of-a-kind culinary and cultural experience, straight from Jerusalem. Real vendors from Machane Yehuda market are coming to London and will supply you with specialty foods, spices, and aromas, reminiscent of a day in the shuk.  Vendors will bring the market to life as they yell to the crowd, inviting you to taste their bourekkas, dried fruits, nuts, sweets, and spices. You’ll be able to try new treats from the shuk and stock up on all your favourites.

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Ezer Mizion (founded in 1979) is Israel’s biggest provider of health support services. Since 1996, Ezer Mizion’s Bone Marrow registry has made 11,930 complete donor-patient matches and facilitated 2,691 marrow stem cell transplants. It has handled thousands of requests from transplant centres in 48 countries and has grown to be the sixth largest registry in the world. Ezer Mizion strives to expand the bone marrow registry, ensuring that there’s a match – and a second chance at life – for everyone. Ezer Mizion believes in ‘Choosing life’, and what better way to celebrate the miracle of life than a day spent immersed in the vibrant sights, sounds and smells of the shuk?

Lehitraot! See you there!

Event details

Dates: Sunday 22 and Monday 23 April
Location: London N9. Venue announced on ticket purchase.

Tickets: Adults – £10, Children – £5, Under 2 – Free.

See more here: shuk.ezermizion.org.uk/

• All the event proceeds will go to Ezer Mizion to fund further bone marrow testing and help save lives across the world.