If you’re going to be touring another city or country, it’s always good to carry some כֶּסֶף with you. So you go to a בַּנְק. There, you can cash or deposit a המחאה or למשוך some כֶּסֶף.

Israeli Currency

The שֶׁקֶל חָדָשׁ is the currency of Israel and has been in circulation since 1985. They come in denominations of 1/2, 1, 5, 10 shekel coins and 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 shekel שְׁטָרוֹת.

When Does The Bank Open?

Recently there’s been some important holidays celebrated in Israel., so to be sure the בַּנְק is open, you ask: מָתַי פּוֹתחִים אֶת הבַּנְק?

Generally the banks are open Sunday – Tuesday and on Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Wednesday and Friday and holy day evenings, they’re open from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Changing dollars to shekels

I need to change some דוֹלָרִים to שֶׁקֶל חָדָשׁ (abbreviated as NIS – the symbol is ₪). There’s a Union Bank on Ahuzat Bayit 8 to do the exchange. Most banks have a board or poster showing the current שַׁעַר חֲלִיפִין. At the time I wrote this post, it is $1 = ₪3.79.

Go up to the כַּסְפָּרand say
אני רוצה להחליף כסף

Whenever you exchange money or cash a הַמְחָאַת נוֹסְעִים you’ll need to show some תְּעוּדַת זֶהוּת, such as your דרכון or רִישׁיוֹן נְהִיגָא. The כַּסְפָּר (teller) will ask:

האם יש לך תעודת זהות?

For now, I’ll exchange $200, giving me ₪758.40 (there may also be a דָּמִי עִסְקָה). Now that I have some כסף, where to go first?

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Vocabulary – Banking and Money

ATM (US) – כַּסְפּוֹמָט

balance – יִתְרָה‏

bank account – חֶשְׁבּוֹן בַּנְק

banknote – שְׁטַר (כֶּסֶף)‏

bill – שְׁטַר‏

cash – מְזוּמָּן ‏

cash machine (GB) – כַּסְפּוֹמָט‏

change (difference returned) – עוֹדֶף‏

change (coins) – כֶּסֶף קָטָן

check (US)/cheque (GB) – הַמְחָאָה‏

checkbook (US)/cheque book (GB) – פִּנְקָס צֶ’קִים

checking account (US) – חֶשְׁבּוֹן עוֹבֵר וָשָׁב

coin – מַטְבֵּעַ‏

credit card – כַּרְטִיס אַשְׁרַאי

currency – מַטְבֵּעַ‏

current account (GB) – חֶשְׁבּוֹן עוֹבֵר וָשָׁב

debit card – ‏ כַּרְטִיס חִיּוּב

dollar – דּוֹלָר‏

euro – יוּרוֹ‏ / אֵירוֹ‏

exchange rate – שַׁעַר חֲלִיפִין

fee – עַמְלָה‏

foreign currency – מַטְבֵּעַ חוּץ

money – כֶּסֶף

New Israeli Shekel – שֶׁקֶל חָדָשׁ

NIS (abbrev. of New Israeli Shekel) – שַׁ”ח

note – שְׁטַר‏

PIN (personal identification number) – מִסְפָּר סוֹדִי

pound (sterling) – לִירָה שְׂטֶרְלִינְג

savings account – חֶשְׁבּוֹן חִסָּכוֹן