“Hamaafia” – A Taste of Israel in the Heart of the Community

There are moments when the aroma of freshly baked pastries can instantly bring us home. If you’ve ever strolled through the Machane Yehuda market in Jerusalem, you know the scent—the warm, sweet fragrance of fresh rugelach, the crisp flakiness of bourekas, and the rich, golden challahs straight from the oven. It’s a scent that signals the arrival of Shabbat and fills the air with the essence of Israel. That is exactly the experience Adina Lesov sought to bring to the local community with the opening of Hamaafia—a Jewish-Israeli bakery dedicated to sharing the flavors of tradition.

Adina, passionate about connecting people through food, envisioned a place where Jews of all backgrounds could come together over the tastes that remind them of home. “Food has always been a central part of our identity as a people,” she explains. “When you bite into a warm rugelach, it’s not just a pastry—it’s a moment of connection, of memory, of belonging.”

For now, Hamaafia operates on a pre-order basis through the Chabad website, with orders available until Thursday evening for pickup on Friday—just in time for Shabbat. But Adina’s dream extends even further: one day, she hopes to open a full-fledged bakery and café near the beach, a place where locals can gather, enjoy fresh Israeli-style pastries, and experience the warm, inviting atmosphere of home.

Until then, anyone longing for a taste of Israel is invited to order in advance and savor the flavors and aromas that connect us to tradition, family, and home.