The Little Bakery on Prophets Street

March 12, 2025

by: Janet Aslin, BFP Writer

Tucked between Moshe’s falafel stand and Eli’s makolet (small grocery store) on Prophets Street is a little bakery. Each Friday morning without fail, I make my way to this bakery and buy a loaf of challah from Ronnie for our Shabbat dinner. It is one of the special moments of my week. Ronnie always greets me with a big smile and a cheerful, “How are you?” just as he has greeted all his customers during the 40 years he has operated the Arochas Bakery at 48 Nevi’im (Prophets) Street, Jerusalem.

One thing that sets the life of a long-term volunteer apart from a tourist are the opportunities we have to form relationships within the Jewish community. Even something as simple as buying a loaf of challah at the same bakery each week opens a door to understanding the culture and life in Israel on a different level than simply moving from hotel to hotel and tourist site to tourist site.

So, how did I meet Ronnie? For many years, the Bridges for Peace headquarters building was located a short distance from his bakery and many of the volunteers got into the habit of stopping there for a pastry or a coffee. For me, the first Friday night I tasted his challah, I felt like I was back in my childhood, eating my mother’s delicious bread. I’ve never looked for challah anywhere else.

Arochas Bakery

The Arochas family’s roots in the city run deep. Several hundred years ago, they arrived in Israel after they left Spain, taking a detour in Greece before reaching Jerusalem, their final destination. Ronnie is a 13th generation Jerusalemite, so it seems fitting that the building that houses the bakery is a historic one. Built in 1868, a few short years after Jerusalem began expanding beyond the Old City walls, it once housed the American Consulate.

It wasn’t Ronnie’s plan to become a baker. He shared that when he was young, he would help his father, who founded the family enterprise, and basically learned the trade from him. As an adult, there came a point when he found himself in need of a means to support his young family. And so, he followed in his father’s footsteps and eventually inherited the business.

When I asked Ronnie if one of his children would take over when he retires, he shook his head emphatically. “No,” he answered. It is hard work, he explained. Up at 2 a.m. to arrive at the bakery by 3 a.m., Ronnie, who does all the baking and mans the sales counter as well, has been hard at it for four hours when I pick up my challah! He works long, 12-hour days, and yet he always has a smile and a kind word for each of his customers.

His clients are a varied group—much like the city of Jerusalem, where you will hear a profusion of languages and observe Jews, Arabs and foreign workers from Asia mingling together on its streets. During the interview, I witnessed a variety of people come in for a pastry or two, and in one case, several dozen of Ronnie’s baked treats, boxed up and ready to be enjoyed by a large group, perhaps at the office.

A Man with Hope

As we talked, I asked him what changes he has seen in the neighborhood, in the city and in the country during his 40 years as the owner of the little bakery on Prophets Street. He remarked that the neighborhood has become more Orthodox. That was evident as we watched people walk by the open doors of the bakery. And, of course, there are new high rise buildings across the street. As the Jewish people return from the nations to their ancient homeland, the city is growing upward to accommodate them.

Any discussion about “how are things” in Israel these days almost automatically ends up focused on the events of October 7, 2023 and the aftermath. Ronnie said that October 7 caught the country by surprise, much like the Yom Kippur War in 1973. It was like a punch in the face and a shocking failure on the part of the government and the military.

Ronnie was quick to tell me, “I am not political,” but like all Israelis, he has strong opinions. One of the observations he shared with me is that “the majority of Israel’s population has moved to the right.” He fears that the shift endangers Israeli democracy. His mental anguish was obvious when he spoke about being ashamed of some of the members of the Knesset (parliament) and of his belief that the solution to the nation’s current problems will only come via a political change in the government.

After the bleak outlook he shared regarding his views on the situation with the government, I asked him, “Do you have hope?” He quickly responded, “Yes! I have hope. A man without hope is nothing.” I asked if he meant a man without hope has nothing? He reiterated, “A man without hope is nothing.”

And that, I believe is a quintessential picture of Israelis. Hope is what sustains them, even in the darkest times.

Note: After more than 20 years of volunteering in Israel off and on, I realize I still have a limited understanding about the complexities of being Jewish and living in a tiny country that is the focal point of much of the world’s attention—both good and bad. I would like to encourage anyone who wants to learn more to consider attending the 19th Institute of Israel Studies in Jerusalem on 18–30, 2025. See page ___ for more information.

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