Sisters open Bahrain's first Jewish gift shop in honour of their late mother


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When Heidi Nonoo came to Bahrain 31 years ago, the capital was very different to the multicultural, bustling city it is today.

Then, a gift shop displaying Jewish wares would have been unthinkable. But now, Ms Nonoo runs Lily B of LP, the country's first Jewish gift shop.

"I never dreamt that there would be Hebrew writing on the wall [in Bahrain]," she says.

The shop is named after her mother, Lily, and sells locally-made items like challah bread covers used on shabbat and kippahs traditionally worn by Jewish men, with Hebrew, Arabic and English writing. Lily died in 2019.

"We opened this shop in her memory. It was my way to cope with the grief because I was very distraught," Ms Nonoo says.

Her husband, Ebrahim Nonoo, is the leader of the country's Jewish community. He helped to renovate the abandoned synagogue near Ms Nonoo's shop.

"This is the first Judaica shop in the Gulf, and in Bahrain, certainly. It's the first time we printed Hebrew writing in Bahrain, thanks to the Abraham Accords."

The only Judaica shop in the Gulf in Bahrain opens to the public. Photo: Aamer Mohammed / The National
The only Judaica shop in the Gulf in Bahrain opens to the public. Photo: Aamer Mohammed / The National

Signed in 2020, the Abraham Accords established ties between the UAE and Bahrain and Israel.

Last week, Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz paid a visit to Bahrain by an Israeli defence chief where he signed a security co-operation deal.

The reaction to the shop has been overwhelmingly positive.

"We have had such a great reaction to the store. We've had a lot of visitors and the local community were very supportive," Ms Nonoo's sister Yael says.

This is one of the reasons why they chose to keep the products they sell made locally.

"This country has been very accommodating and welcoming to the Jewish community. So it’s a nice celebration to be able to give back to the local community by supporting artisans and craftsmen," Yael said.

Next door, the House of Ten Commandments Synagogue was the centre of the Jewish quarter in Bahrain in 1947.

The only Judaica shop in the Gulf in Bahrain opens to the public. Photo: Aamer Mohammed / The National
The only Judaica shop in the Gulf in Bahrain opens to the public. Photo: Aamer Mohammed / The National

It was re-opened last year, after receiving a $159,000 make-over.

In the true spirit of co-existence, both sisters say they are happy to see people from all faiths supporting their shop, and coming to the synagogue for worship.

"Lots of people are coming to visit and local people from the community who are not actually Jewish like to come to the synagogue to pray," Yael says.

"Everything that we sell here is hopefully going to help other people," Heidi says.

'The worst thing you can eat'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

The Baghdad Clock

Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld

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Updated: February 08, 2022, 4:15 PM