by Sivan Rahav-Meir, originally published in inn.co.il, translated by Hillel Fendel
10% Discount to Fix Sin of the Spies
Allow me to introduce you to Paltiel Kenigsburg, 40. Up until two years ago, he owned two restaurants in Miami, Florida – and now he lives in the northern Israeli city of Karmiel, where he is thrilled with his new life. I got to know him after a reader sent me a picture of what looked like a simple ad for a Karmiel restaurant named Kikar Miami [Miami Square].
But when I read the fine print, I saw a fascinating detail having to do with that week's Torah portion of Sh'lach. You may recall that Sh'lach deals with the 12 tribal leaders whom Moses sent to scout out the Promised Land and bring back a report. Most unfortunately, they went beyond the boundaries of their assignment, and instead of bringing back just the dry facts, they demoralized the people by offering their decidedly negative opinion of the prospects of settling the new land. They basically said that leaving Egypt had been a mistake and that there was no future for them in Eretz Yisrael.
So Paltiel, who loves it here in Israel, had an idea to promote both his business and the Land of Israel: Whoever comes to the cash register to pay and tells something good and optimistic about the Land of Israel, will receive a 10% discount on the spot!
I called the restaurant to find out how this unique offer was playing out. One of the workers told me that customers had told them that the food in Israel – fruit, vegetables, and cheeses – are more delicious than anywhere else in the world. Others referred to the beautiful views and varied climates in Israel, including desert and snow-capped mountains within a relatively short drive of each other. Some told about the special holiness they felt in the country. Still others shared the excitement of their personal Aliyah stories and the thrill of seeing – and being part of! – the prophecies of the Ingathering of the Exiles coming true before their eyes.
I asked about the owner and what was his story. And thus was I introduced to Paltiel Kengisburg. Born in New York, his Venezuelan-born wife has two sisters who married Israelis and moved to the U.S. And it was precisely via these Israelis that Paltiel began to fall in love with Israel.
His two restaurants were doing well, but when Corona struck, he began to take stock, and realized that Miami could no longer be his home. He sold his two establishments, and set out on his way – he, his wife, and six kids. (A seventh has in the meanwhile been born in Israel.) Not only them, but his wife's sisters and families – and his mother-in-law, too! – joined as well, and altogether 25 new Olim (immigrants to Israel) arrived here from this family in the summer of 2020!
Paltiel had never heard of Karmiel while in Florida, and thought in fact of moving to Beit Shemesh, which sports a large community of former Americans. But as they toured the country, his family fell in love with northern Israel, and Karmiel specifically. "Something about the north just brought a calming feeling upon us," Paltiel told me. "Even the kids in the back seat stopped fighting when we arrived here."
"We made Aliyah precisely on the Shabbat of Parashat Sh'lach two years ago," he recalls. "We read how only two scouts, Joshua Bin-Nun and Calev, were optimistic about entering the Land. We, too, felt a bit like spies when we first came, checking out the Land – but our conclusions were wonderful!"
"From day to day we feel less American and more Israeli," Paltiel says. "We have even gotten a chance to vote for the Knesset already!"
How did the 10% discount idea for singing the praises of the Land come about? "We tried to figure out a good way to mark the 2nd anniversary of our Aliyah. What better way than to share our story and the Land of Israel with our customers!"
In the meantime the sale has ended, but you can still sing the praises of Israel – and enjoy some good fish-and-chips at the same time, even without a discount – up at Paltiel's eatery in Karmiel. Welcome to Israel!