Israeli Restaurant Opens in Krakow’s Old Jewish Quarter

An Israeli restaurant opened in the heart of the old Jewish quarter of Krakow.

Hamsa Hummus and Happiness Restobar opened recently in a historic building on Szeroka, the main square of the Jewish quarter, Kazimierz, in the Polish city.

Hamsa is being called the first Israeli-themed restaurant in Krakow, and unlike most of the other Jewish restaurants and cafes in Kazimierz, it features a contemporary decor that avoids nostalgic evocations of prewar times. In addition, the menu features hummus, salads, and other Israeli and Middle Eastern specialties rather than traditional East European Jewish fare.

“There is nothing kitschy about it,” Jonathan Ornstein, the director of the Krakow JCC, told JTA. “It could be in Neve Tzedek [Tel Aviv].”