Shopping and kosher food in Ashkelon: supermarkets, markets and kashrut levels

Ashkelon's local kashrut certificates are issued by the Religious Council's kashrut department ("Rabbanut Ashkelon"), at two levels: regular (ragil) and mehadrin. Its public hours are Sun-Thu 09:00-15:00, phone 08-6714401 ext. 5.

What the council list does and doesn't show

The council's kosher-business list has 31 categories, but on 5 October 2026 most of the tables did not load on its own site. Only halls, hotels, bakeries, butchers, fish shops, packing houses and old-age homes displayed. So:

• Bakeries: almost all are under mehadrin supervision (for example all six Oren Mashi branches); Gil bakery is regular. See groceries and bakeries.
• Butchers and fish shops: all on the list are under regular supervision, including a stall in the municipal market.
• Restaurants, cafes and pizzerias: the council tables did not load, so my restaurant entries come from the Rest.co.il directory, which says "kosher" without naming the certifier. Those entries carry a Confirm details tag: check the certificate on the wall before you eat.
• The Ministry of Religious Services portal shows only 22 published Ashkelon sites, mostly halls and hotels.

Before Pesach the council sells chametz online and at stands in the malls, and publishes a booklet with a kosher-business list.

Supermarkets

• Shufersal: three Shufersal Deal stores (Rothschild 8, David Remez 39 and Yerushalayim Blvd 122 in Barnea), two Shufersal Express (Emek HaEla 2 and Emek Yizre'el 73 in Agamim), and Yuniverse at the Power Center / Kfar Silver junction.
• Victory: Barnea (Rechavam Ze'evi 4), North (Ben Tsvi 48) and Center (Ben Gurion Blvd 17), roughly 07:00-21:00/22:00 Sun-Thu and until 17:00 on Friday.
• Rami Levy: HaMetachnen 8, Ashkelon North on Tzahal St, and a smaller store at Eli Cohen 43; the two larger stores are closed on Motzei Shabbat.
• Osher Ad: one branch at Bat Hadar, Sun-Tue 09:00-22:00, Wed-Thu 09:00-23:00, Friday from 07:30.

No supermarket states a hechsher in the sources I used.

Malls and markets

The municipal market has about 350 stalls and runs on Mondays and Thursdays. The main malls are Giron (Ben Gurion Blvd 21), Hutzot (HaNachal 1), Lev Ashkelon (HaHistadrut 40, with a Tuesday clothes and kitchenware market) and Power Center Silver (Thursday flea market). The mall details come from a travel listing, so check before you go.

Eating out after Shabbat

Rest.co.il lists 134 kosher restaurants in Ashkelon, 8 marked Shabbat-observant and 42 open on Motzei Shabbat. Two examples: Nisso HaDayag at the marina, from an hour after Shabbat, and Kulanu (Mahal 1), from 21:30. See also Shabbat in Ashkelon.