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Banking and currency
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Most banks are open every morning from 8:30 in the morning till 12:30. Some banks have tourist branches that are open till 14:00, various banks open twice a week in the afternoon generally between hours 16:00-18:00. banks being a public service are closed on Saturdays and Jewish holidays ,the banks offer ATMs and check depositing machines that may allow you to make transactions even when the banks are closed –withdrawing cash, depositing checks or checking your balance to name but a few. The currency in Israel is called the new Israeli shekel or NIS in Israel it is just called "shekels" and comes in varying denominations, the a smallest bill is the 20 shekel bill every denomination under 20 is coinage- the 10,5,2,1,half shekel and 10 agorot, each shekels consists of 100 Agorot.
Languages
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Standing at a street corner can have a strange effect on you – Hebrew and Arabic are official languages in Israel but you may hear people talking in French, Russian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Hungarian, Italian and English - English is really a second language in Israel and everybody well almost everybody speaks English, standing at the street corner you may see that the sign is also written in English –everywhere in Israel.
Useful words
The word in Hebrew
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The word in English letters
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The Meaning
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שלום
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Shalom
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Hello
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להתראות
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Le'hitraot
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Goold Bye
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תודה
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Toda
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Thank you
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בבקשה
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Bevakasha
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Please
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יפה מאוד
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Yafe Meod
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Very Good
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בוקר טוב
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Boker Tov
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Good Morning
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לילה טוב
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Layla Tov
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Good Night
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Tipping -
The tipping in Israel is similar to American culture. It is always customary to leave a tip. Usually a 12 percent tip is O.K. in restaurants and in bars this is customary, as a tourist you want to tip tour guides and bus drivers, but sometimes you will be directed not to tip by the travel agent. Sometimes the service is included in the check and in these cases it will say so in the bill
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Clothing -
People in Israel are very informal and that of course manifests itself in their clothing. During the day casual dress will be very appropriate - maybe a T-shirt and jeans and informal while going out in the evening –same jeans maybe with a buttoned shirt. Don't bring anything heavy bring a cap or something to cover your head, comfortable shoes and a bathing suit. Visits at religious sites such as the western wall and religious neighborhoods should be made while wearing modest and covered clothing. In Jerusalem and other cooler cities for instance up north it is recommended to bring a light jacket.
Shopping -
S
hops in Israel (in big cities primarily) are open generally from 9 o'clock in the morning till 7 o'clock in the evening, generally Sunday to Thursday. Something that was very common and you hardly ever hear about now is the afternoon break of shops between the hours of 13:00-16:00. Shopping malls and shopping centers in Israel are an epidemic, more are being built everyday. Shopping malls allow for more flexible shopping hours and they of course have AC which makes every shopping experience into a more pleasant one. Fridays are generally half days and most shops are open till 14:00-15:30 and most Jewish shops are not open on Saturdays.
Time
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The time in Israel is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), one hour a head of mid eastern European time, and seven hours ahead of the US east coast time.
Weekend
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Unlike other countries Israel work days are generally Sunday thru Thursday being that Friday is half a day ,because of Shabbat .some people don't work on Fridays at all and only work 5 days a week the weekend generally begins Thursday night and ends Saturday night. "Shabbat" is a holy day for Jews in Israel and there is a law that is called the rest and work hours law in Israel that states that the Sabbath (Friday night till Saturday night –hours vary) is the official rest day. Muslims day of rest is Friday and for Christians it is Sunday. The law forbids employing a worker in his rest day. This law is actually a compromise maintain a certain status quo that the religious Jews demanded the "Sabbath keeping law", meaning a complete sabbatical of all the public companies and official government offices including public transportation.
Passport requirements -
Most of the time visitors from North America and Western Europe don't have a problem getting a visa and get a visa upon arrival. For specifics it would be a good idea to consult with the Israeli embassy in your country before making any travelling plans. The visa maybe issued in a separate paper then actually stamped on your passport.
Alcohol and smoking
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Smoking in Israel is prohibited in public places such as café's, restaurants, clubs, pubs and more .in certain places it is allowed to smoke only in appointed places in special smoking sections in restaurant and bars. In bars and pubs smoking is allowed outdoors. Beware of inspectors. a person who is caught smoking in a public place is liable to pay up to a 1000 shekel fine-so if you are not sure if you can smoke –just ask! For the alcohol lovers unlike other countries there is no law against drinking on the street, so you may drink everywhere in a pub, in your home or at the park bench. But remember drinking and driving is very dangerous and highly illegal.
Alcohol (beer, whisky, vodka and wines) and cigarettes
may be obtained in any kiosk that is usually open all night long. The selling of alcohol to persons under the age of 18 is strictly forbidden. Identification may be asked at times to verify this.
Credit cards
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Most places such as hotels,
businesses, shops, restaurants and bars accept credit cards such as visa, master card and other major credit card companies.
Value added tax (vat)
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VAT reimbursement or refund usually applies to buying goods or receiving services that were paid by tourists who did not use Israeli money. A refund of VAT only applies if you own a receipt and refund form that is to be shown at the airport bank.
Average Temperature in Israel:
Jerusalem Tel Aviv Eilat
January
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5-12 C
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11-20 C
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11-23 C
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41-54 F
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52-69 F
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52-73 F
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August
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19-28 C
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22-30 C
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20-39 C
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64-82 F
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72-86 F
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68-102 F
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Distances in Israel
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Israel is a very small country and distances between the three major centers are quiet short: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa are all not that far away from each other –so you may travel easily from one of these places to the other without changing hotels or making over planned travel arrangement, this is great if you plan on staying for a short period of time. Buses and minibuses and limousines all have AC and supple a very comfortable travelling experience to get where you need to go. Drivers and tour guides are very experienced and know how to get from place to place. Also public transportation is great and taxis are very approachable.