France's Jewish migrants face challenge of life in Israel

Newly arrived immigrants from France (from L to R) Jonathan Arbibe from Nice and Samuel Chemama, Alexandre Pequito, Myriam Bibas and Aurelie Serraf, all of whom are from Paris, study Hebrew at Ulpan Etzion, the original residential school and absorption centre, which has taught Hebrew to tens of thousands of immigrants since 1949, in Jerusalem, January 20, 2015. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - At a busy supermarket in Jerusalem a smartly dressed woman, recently arrived in Israel, was stopping shoppers to ask if anyone spoke French. Having found a candidate, her first question was: "Where's the cheese counter?"

For Jews coming to "the Jewish state" from all corners reached by the diaspora, the move may bring relief, but it also raises challenges: a new language and culture, unfamiliar social codes and the difficulty of finding a job -- let alone a cheese counter, something uncommon in Israel.