(New York Times) Isabel Kershner - At one end of Independence Square in Netanya, French speakers sat at tables outside La Brioche, a patisserie, drinking coffee and ordering from a window display of eclairs, macaroons and mille-feuilles. At the other end of the square, French and Hebrew speakers lunched at Chez Claude, a falafel and shawarma joint owned by French immigrants. A plethora of real estate agencies advertised themselves with the French word "immobilier" and hair salons offered "coiffure." This Israeli city on the Mediterranean coast has long been a magnet for French-Jewish immigrants; its municipal website has branded it "the Israeli Riviera." It offers French-speaking synagogues and dentists and provides immigrants with an immediate sense of community.
2015-01-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive