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Shuki is celebrating his 43rd birthday this week, but his story begins in 1932. In that year, his famous father, Andre Haidu, was born into a secular family with no connection to Judaism, in Budapest. Amazingly, he survived the Holocaust relatively well (Shuki compares this to the film Life Is Beautiful by Roberto Benigni). After the war, he began studying music and working as a composer. When the revolution began in Hungary in 1956, he emigrated to Paris with his mother, continued his music studies, and built a career. A tempting job offer sent him to Tunis, where he first encountered the world of religion, and his Judaism took on new meaning. When he immigrated to Israel, he managed to combine the ultra-Orthodox world with the world of music. In 1997, he won the Israel Prize for this achievement.

Andre and his wife sent their six sons to strictly ultra-Orthodox educational institutions, believing that the ultra-Orthodox world he had left behind in Paris was the same as the one in Jerusalem. Due to the gap between the openness at home and the rigidity of the educational framework in Israel’s capital, the boys went through a series of schools on the religious continuum.

Shuki – the eldest son – was allowed to study at Hartman High School like his brothers. There, he received a pluralistic and integrated religious education. To this day, Shuki observes the Sabbath but does not wear a kippah: “I don’t need to show everyone that I am religious – it is something between me and Him up there.” He says that each of his brothers embraced religion differently; he has one ultra-Orthodox brother in Bnei Brak and another secular brother in Givatayim. Shuki served as a military officer in the Givati Brigade for three years, and after his service, while contemplating his future direction, he began working at the excavations in the City of David. He wanted to study archaeology and according to him, it was “a blessing that I was not accepted” (none of the sons followed their father’s path into music – the fear of comparison was too great).

Shuki began working as a security officer for the government. During this time, he met hundreds of visitors to Israel and, while they waited for their entry permits, he asked them what they did and how satisfied they were. He quickly concluded that the happiest people are tour guides: “The smile that appeared on their faces during the conversation showed their love for the profession.”

After two years, Shuki completed the tour guide course of the Ministry of Tourism and began working all over the country. “I agreed to every job offer to be successful and advance in this field.”

Very quickly, he realized that his true love was working in Jerusalem, and even more quickly, he realized that his favorite neighborhood in the city was the Mahane Yehuda market.

Back then – 15 years ago – there were no tours of the market, and Shuki decided to develop this area and focus on it. He came to the market and sat for hours with the owners of the stalls, restaurants, and other market workers. The deep connections he made during this time still serve him today. For him, the market is a true microcosm of Jerusalem. Here, Jews from all walks of life work alongside Arabs from the eastern part of the city, with good relationships and personal connections. Each of his tours begins with the sentence: “Hello, I am Shuki from the Shuk (market in Hebrew) and I will be your Jerusalemite for the next two hours.”

Shuki from the Shuk. Photo: Aliza Ashkenazi

Shuki is married to a secular woman who also comes from a religious family, and therefore both of their sons attend the Keshet School (a mixed school for religious and secular children). While Shuki and the boys observe the Sabbath, his wife sits in another room watching TV. His eldest son celebrated his Bar Mitzvah just a week ago: “I received him as a gift for my 30th birthday,” Shuki explains.

Shuki’s trademark is his unique clothing, which stands in stark contrast to the fashion of the workers at the market. He has always liked stylish and colorful clothes. The major change occurred when he was selected to guide the President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, and his guest, the German Chancellor. Shuki decided to give them a tour following the murals in the market. Out of respect for his guests, Shuki borrowed a fine suit from a friend. He quickly noticed that all his tourists treated him differently when he was dressed this way. Today, his wardrobe includes countless shirts and suits in many colors, dozens of pairs of shoes, and hats. He also places great importance on accessories, creating his own hatbands decorated with feathers. The glasses he chooses always match the lapel pin he will wear, as well as his necklace. This attention to detail is evident and inspiring. He buys everything in second-hand stores in Israel and around the world, managing to maintain a personal style tailored to him.

Oh – and he has a small beard, a nod to his love for Bob Marley: “I don’t want to have dreadlocks, so I decided on a small beard like Bob’s.”

Today, Shuki is the top tour guide for visitors to the famous Mahane Yehuda Market. Just like this Shuk, Shuki has a very personal style that makes him unique and gives him a very special character. The stories Shuki tells about himself during his tours are just as exciting as his stories about Jerusalem and its world-famous market.