Line 5 in Kiryat Shmona continues to operate/Eli Ashkenazi
Four months after the residents of Kiryat Shmona were evacuated from their homes and dispersed to temporary residences throughout the country, yesterday (Sunday) Shimon Amar decided to return to the city and open his falafel stand.
Last night he returned from Tel Aviv and entered his house, washed it and went to sleep.
This morning he got up, went to the falafel stand, cleaned and arranged it, prepared a falafel mix and salads, an oil fryer and around 10:00 the first customer came to buy a falafel dish.
"If I hadn't opened this morning, they would have had to take me and hospitalize me in the nursery," explained Amar, what pushed him to return home and open his business.
"Falafel Amar" is one of the oldest businesses in Kiryat Shmona and the oldest food business in the city.
The booth was opened by Eliyahu Amar, Shimon's father, in the 1950s.
In recent years, the third generation member of the family - Nadav Eliyahu, Shimon's son - also joined the business.
Shimon Amar Omal on the falafel balls/Walla! system, without
The place has become one of the places identified with the city due to the fact that every election campaign for the Knesset, the candidates for prime minister make sure to visit the stand and take pictures next to Amr while they bite into a pita with falafel balls.
During the years when the Labor Party was in power and strongly rooted in Kiryat Shmona, the party also had an active branch in Kiryat Shmona that stood in front of "Falafel Amar".
Shimon was considered for years to be associated with the party, senior officials who came to visit the city would make sure to go in and dine at his place.
Over the years, politicians from other parts of the political spectrum also started visiting the place and documenting the visits.
Since the war began in October also on the northern front and with the evacuation of the residents of Kiryat Shmona, Amr also closed the business and moved to "Tel Aviv exile".
"I couldn't stay in Tel Aviv even one more day," he said.
"I felt that I was starting to freak out there, outside of Kiryat, eight months and without getting up every morning for work."
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Shimon Amar at his falafel stand in Kiryat Shmona/Walla! system, without
According to him, since the evacuation he would come every week to visit Kiryat Shmona and then return to Tel Aviv.
"I decided that this is it, I'm going back to Kiryat Shmona, staying at home and opening the falafel. My friend is helping me," he added while his wife works in Tel Aviv with the evacuees and stayed in the center.
"Since the morning people have already started coming, they were waiting for me. I hope that soon we will return to normal life," said Amar.
More on the same topic:
Kiryat Shmona
War of Iron Swords
falafel