The Shuk of Kever Benjamin

We have a small shuk in the center of the town. It was never a typical Middle East sleepy and dirty shuk, but an active noisy Israeli market. Wife a bit depressed so we went shopping and found that the shuk has gentrified and a French girl took over the cheese shop, and has all kind of exotic goat cheeses, all very clean. One of the two fish shops has closed. The bastot are passed on from father to son, and the old Iraqi fathers have their chair in front of the shop where they sit, drink their coffee, observe the happenings, and help where they can. Once the shuk had tea shops where Iraqi Jews could drink tea and pass the day playing blackgammon, but that generation is no more. Russian babushkot frequent this last remaining open air market, they think it is cheaper than supermarkets or have better merchandise, they stand and touch every fruit and vegetable before buying two potatoes. Interestingly, plastic bags are marked as made in Doha, in the Gulf. Nothing can stop commerce.