“I’ve been involved in a leading role in the community and in social
organizations since I was 14,” says Elyasaf Ish-Shalom, the owner and visionary
behind Salon Shabazi. A café in Nachlaot, Salon Shabazi’s main aim is to act as
a gathering place for people from the community and to provide a platform for
social activism and change.
At any time of day, you could see young
bohemian students chatting to older Orthodox Jewish men, and everything
in-between.
Elyasaf is multi-talented with a broad range of interests and
abilities. He served as an officer in the IDF for six years, before staying on
in a kibbutz in the North and studying business management. He then returned to
Jerusalem and worked as a stage manager at the Khan Theater, and later with
Ensemble Herzliya. Elyasaf then went on to work in agriculture where he
developed systems and machines.
“I went through an ideological crisis
after the Second Lebanon War in the summer of 2006,” recalls Elyasaf. “When [IDF
soldier] Gilad Shalit was captured, I decided to go to Switzerland for a while.”
There, Elyasaf worked with the disabled Jewish community and began studying
philosophy.
At the time Elyasaf began researching social organization
models as well as business models. “I realized that one can apply lessons
learned from successful and sustainable business start-ups to the social world,”
explains Elyasaf. “I began to see the value in social organizations remaining
independent without pressure from philanthropists and their own potential
agendas.”
The social business and entrepreneurship combination was still
extremely rare in Israel when Elyasaf opened up Salon Shabazi a year and a half
ago. “I decided not to focus on saying what I believe in, but rather to do it
and serve as an example and inspiration for others,” reflects
Elyasaf.
Near the beginning, Elyasaf began working with Chaya Gilboa, who
brought a lot of fire to the table. Without sponsorship, Salon Shabazi makes
money in a number of ways – as an amazing café with really good food, by selling
local handmade products and by inviting ideological and educational groups to
learn how they can make a difference to their community.
In addition to a
rich calendar of events, the Salon produces a quarterly newspaper featuring
unedited poetry and stories.
Salon Shabazi serves the community’s need
for a meeting place, for culture and for the chance to be outside their four
walls. “There is an emphasis on communal space in the neighborhood’s traditional
homes, which reflects what people are looking for,” explains Elyasaf. Salon
Shabazi meets this need in contemporary language by acting as a communal living
room.
“There is huge potential that exists in so many individuals, which
can get lost without a forum or place to come together,” says Elyasaf. “The best
ideas are created when people sit together in a group, and we try to bring
together people with ideas and those with power to make them into reality.”
Elyasaf shares how he tries to create a facilitative atmosphere with the chairs
facing inward. The layout in most coffee shops usually creates individual
bubbles, but this is exactly the opposite.
Elyasaf is known for his
ability to draw all types to him. “Salon Shabazi is not just for young people.
The Salon makes culture accessible and affordable for older people, and they
like to come hang out. You can see young families meeting, the local
kindergarten making Succa decorations, left-wing and right-wing groups in their
respective meetings.”
“In life I try to focus on commonalities between
people rather than our differences,” he explains. “I try my hardest not to
judge, to empathize with people and to be as close to their point of view as
possible with the awareness that you can never walk in another’s
shoes.”
Salon Shabazi is tastefully decorated, mainly by volunteers,
using second-hand vintage or retro items, which creates a nostalgic atmosphere.
“I wanted to challenge the Ikea-style consumer culture,” says Elyasaf. “People
are creating more trash than ever yet we used to have such beautiful things that
lasted for a long time. I love that the furniture in the Salon has a story – we
know who the chairs belonged to, what was in their minds 50 years
ago.”
It was also important to fill the place with special things
connected to the area like the authentic flooring. “We have so much to learn
from old people and our traditions,” recounts Elyasaf. “We stand on their
shoulders.”
My grandmother is one of the best marketing people I have,”
grins Elyasaf. “My parents are concerned about the unconventionality of my path,
but they stand behind me and try to help where they come. My five brothers and I
are like best friends.”
Elyasaf is a ninth generation Jerusalemite with a
Swiss background on his mother’s side. “I am Yerushalmi (Jerusalemite) before
Israeli,” exclaims Elyasaf proudly. “As a Jerusalemite, I’m a mix of everything.
We are a pluralistic people always in search of definitions. Nobody is a
stranger because we’re all strangers.”
Salon Shabazi promises a kosher
dairy menu, but ideologically avoids outside kosher certification. Instead, they
place responsibility in the hands of those preparing the food, some of whom need
to be trained in the laws of Kashrut. But, the end result is an atmosphere of
effort, trust and honesty. The kitchen is open, which contributes to the feeling
of transparency. When issues of Kashrut arise, the Salon consults a Rabbi and
his kollel students.
“What do I love most? Overhearing the bizarre
conversations, which form the soundtrack of the place,” he explains. “You can
have two people fighting about prayer times the following day sitting next to
art students discussing their naked model. I feel like the Salon is a light on
the streets in the neighbourhood. So many people have said that they wanted to
move away but then thanks to the Salon decided to stay. I’ve even been to a
wedding of a couple that met here.”
“I’m really just an old fashioned
social worker,” chuckles Elyasaf. “I’m not into Facebook and enjoy really
listening to people. Even in a crowd, I try find a few people to talk to. When I
chat to students, see the flash in their eyes when they realize that their
dreams can become a reality and then help them make connections, I can go to
sleep peacefully.”
“At the moment my biggest challenge it’s trying to
create a community center that really connects people from such different
backgrounds,” he explains. “Also, I have internal dissonance between two sides
of me: the pull between the activist making real changes in the city and the
part of me that wants to live somewhere in the dessert writing poetry and
philosophy. I feel this conflict every day but I’m doing what I feel is right
for now.”
“To unwind, I go with my dog to the desert or to a quiet place.
I am not an urbanite and enjoy the stillness of nature,” says Elyasaf. “I am
also a ski guide and when I can, I try to go skiing in
Switzerland.”
“There are a number of opportunities on the horizon and I’m
excited that we may transform the space next door into a hub for students,” says
Elyasaf. “I am also teaching entrepreneurship at the Reali School in
Haifa.”
“Since I choose what I want to do in my life, I have no regrets
or unfulfilled dreams. It’s not an easy path, but I would do the same
again.”
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