The Chance restaurant was founded by Shula and Danny, who immigrated to Israel from Tunisia as young children in the 1950s. Shula’s family found their home in the village of Poriya in the Galilee, and Danny’s family lived in the Gan Yavne transit camp. As an adult, Danny went on to be educated as a “foreign child” at Kibbutz Dorot.  Shula in her youth loved to dance, desecrate and travel in the Galilee with the goats and worked for a living as a counselor in the Hodayot youth village. In 1968, Danny and Shula, an adventurous couple, stood under the canopy and their fascinating journey together began: the desert called them, and with the strong desire to build and establish the country, they thought of settling in the sands of Sinai, but finally decided to settle in the town of Arad, which was just beginning to develop. In 1977, Shula and Danny decided to embark on a new adventure with their extended family and join the establishment of Mitzpe Jericho. Their great yearning to touch and plant roots in the land led them to become pioneers in building a new and young settlement called Vered Jericho, adjacent to the city of Jericho. There their fourth daughter was born, the first girl in the settlement – Yaara. Danny’s lifelong dream was to become a farmer, and for several years he was engaged in farming, but over the years the difficulties arose and Danny tried a new way out and purchased a van that is remembered to this day as the “Last Chance” ice cream car. Danny and Shula set out and began selling baguettes, hamburgers, drinks and ice cream to IDF soldiers in Nabi Musa and at the entrance to Lord Jericho, and thus all passersby to the north and residents enjoyed their services. The Oslo Accords shuffled the cards, and in 1993 they found themselves searching for a new home for the special car. Their artichoke patch was the answer. Thus, on Highway 1 Jerusalem-Dead Sea, the first tourist project was established on the route. They created a lively meeting place that provided a response 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Food, drink, good conversation, attention and lots of love were what they gave naturally. Later, the car was replaced by a kosher restaurant located near the family’s date grove, and for the past three decades, they have been lovingly serving delicious Israeli food with touches of Tunisian cuisine.

Welcome and thank you for choosing to stay in the shadow of our beam,
Danny & Shula, The Chance Restaurant