Israelis are inveterate shoppers. In fact, the way Israelis shop and the ways that have been devised to market to them have been the subject of more than a few university research projects all over the world.
Shops are usually open Sunday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Some close for what until recently had been almost a sacrosanct midday break between 1-4 pm, though with the advent of malls and the competition they present, this custom has been falling by the wayside and nowadays there are even some large supermarkets and pharmacies that remain open non stop from Saturday night to Friday after noon.
The Jewish Sabbath begins on Friday at sundown and runs until Saturday evening when the first stars appear. This is why businesses that remain open on Friday usually finish working between 2-3:30 pm and most stay closed on Saturday. Jewish religious holidays start at sundown and also finish when the stars come out, and most of the rules governing Sabbath closures also apply to holidays.
Shops run by Moslems are closed Fridays while those operated by Christians are closed on Sundays.
According to law, all goods and services may be paid for in any hard currency. In Israel these are taken to be” Euro; Australian Dollar; U.S. Dollar; Hong Kong Dollar; New Zealand Dollar; Singapore Dollar; Canadian Dollar; Japanese Yen; Danish Krone; Norwegian Krone; Swedish Krona; Pound Sterling; Swiss Franc; South African Rand. However it's best paying in shekels, since the law permits shops and providers of other services to refuse payment in currencies other than the Israeli shekel, or if they do accept foreign money, to return shekels in change - and not always at the most favorable rate!
In keeping with Israel's penchant for modern shopping opportunities, a growing number of shopping malls have sprung up all over the country in recent years. Most shops in malls do not open until 9:30 or 10 am, but in the larger centers they remain open into the evening. Some malls, do open for Saturday business, but they are not located in urban areas and in centers of population.