Category: Aliyah

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Aliyah

Corona Aliyah News

Corona Aliyah News

22.4.20

· There is only one flight a day, with United, and only for Israeli Citizens.

· ELAL may resume flights on May 1st, 15th or later.

· The Jewish Agency is contemplating doing remote interviews.

· Those already accepted for Aliyah can proceed with their plans.

· The possibility of making Aliyah from within Israel is linked to the re-opening of government offices and allowing non-citizens into the country.

 

27.4.20

Israel has eased the Corona restrictions:

  • Stores are allowed to reopen with limitations, with the exception of indoor malls.
  • Government employees will return to work, once the civil service meets the standards for safe workplaces, which until now only applied to private sector workplaces.
  • The Government continues to provide special grants for those aged 67 and over who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus crisis.
  • Some banks (eg. Bank Hapoalim) are receiving clients based on scheduled meetings.
  • Delta Airlines’ website says that they are booking flights between New York and Tel Aviv starting from May 10th. Unclear if non-citizens will be permitted entry.

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Aliyah

Making Aliyah Single

As a single moving to Israel, remember you are not alone.   Not only have 1,800,000 made aliya since 1970, but your ancestors have come and gone several times.  They never stopped yearning to recover it.
You are coming here to be transformed and to help  transform the country–both into what you were always meant to be.   You’ll find that the other people who made aliya have a certain strength–not the Old Country strength of self-interest, more the ability to envision how your life is part of a much greater whole, and you can and will make a big difference.
If you come on a Nefesh b’Nefesh aliyah flight, you’ll be seated in the singles section of the plane, maybe next to a soulmate!   Part of Nefesh b’Nefesh is the One Aliyah Department, a division dedicated to helping young professional and single olim from North America between the ages of 17 and 35.  The program offers networking opportunities and helpful webinars, among other services.
 As a single person, you may be interested in  going to college or graduate school (it’s free for most olim), serving in the Israeli army, and getting a job.  It can be lonely moving to a new country when you’re single, especially if you don’t speak the language well.  Developing a new social network (in the flesh as well as online) is an important part of settling into your new life in Israel.
For religious people, the shul is often a social center as well as a place to daven.  Many Israeli shuls are known for their social scene, and this is especially true in Jerusalem.  Some popular Jerusalem synagogues include Yeshurun in Rehavia (Dati Leumi), Yakar in Katamon (Modern Orthodox), Mayanot in Sha’are Chesed (Chabad), Kol Rina in Nachlaot (Carlebach), Mayanot in Talpiot (Conservative).
Kol Haneshama in Baka (Reform), Yedidya in Baka (Pluralistic), and Kedem in the German Colony (Egalitarian). You might even want to go shul shopping before you select an apartment in order to save yourself a long schlep on Shabbat.
In Jerusalem, some neighborhoods popular with singles are Baka, the German Colony, Rehavia, and Nachlaot. Overall, anywhere in the center of town and around the Machane Yehuda market is a good place for singles.  In Tel Aviv, popular neighborhoods for singles include Central Tel Aviv (near Shenkin and Allenby streets), North Tel Aviv (near Tel Aviv University) and Giv’at Shmuel (near Bar Ilan University).
There are numerous online dating sites and lists of singles events, and you can also pick up the Friday editions of The Jerusalem Post and Ha’Aretz to see what’s going on.  Time Out also publishes a monthly edition for Israel.  If you’re in college, or a recent graduate, you might not have a lot of belongings to move to Israel.
But if you’re already well established and bringing furniture with you, one of the things you will need to think about when moving to Israel is hiring a shipping company.  The resources on the Kef site can help you get ready for the big move.
Either way, the most important “thing” to bring is you–all your energies, all your powers of patience and giving the “benefit of the doubt”, your sense of history, and your vision of a time when Israel and you really have it “together”!
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Aliyah Uncategorized

Helping Elderly Parents Make Aliyah

Bringing your parents to Israel is a mitzvah – and a major undertaking. Fortunately, there are many resources available to help you with the process.
The reasons for moving are many. Your parents may want to be closer to you and their grandchildren, or they may need your care and attention. They may be fulfilling a life-long dream or escaping a harsh climate. Whatever the reasons, careful planning can help make the easier and more enjoyable for everyone.
The first thing to determine is where your parents will live. If they’re going to live with your family, then you need to assure that your home is suitable. A 5th-floor walk-up is probably not going to be a good option for parents in their 70’s. If your building has an elevator or is otherwise accessible, you may need to make small changes such as installing handrails, a seat for the bath or shower, and a riser for the toilet seat.
Will you be able to keep the level of privacy that you and your parents require? Will you need separate entrances?
Especially if you work full-time outside the home, you might need help caring for your parents. Live-in and live-out caregivers are available from agencies, and there are also day-care programs for seniors in some areas. Since it may take 6-8 weeks to arrange a care-giver, start the process well before your parents’ moving date.
The cost of live-in caregivers is a fraction of what they are in North America. $1,000 plus room and board with 1 day off a week for a caring and competent helper is about 10% what you would pay in Los Angeles through an agency.
If your home isn’t suitable, or your parents want a more independent environment or need intensive medical care, a retirement home or care facility may be a better option.
If your parents are healthy and can manage most things on their own, they may only need your help finding an apartment and dealing with Hebrew-language bureaucracy, utilities, etc.
Educate your parents about the realities of Israeli apartments. Large furniture and appliances will not fit in smaller apartments and storage space is usually at a premium compared with homes in North America. Sorting through a lifetime of accumulated possessions, some rich with memories, is an emotional process that should not be rushed. Start well before Shipping date.
Even if your parents are leaving most of their furniture behind, shipping a familiar bed or comfortable chair, plus favorite books and pictures, can help make them more comfortable in their new home.
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Aliyah Israel

Top 10 Most Important Things You Should Know When Making Aliyah

Top 10 most important things you should know when making Aliyah.

If you want good advise on making Aliyah, then go to the experts – real Olim.

We asked Olim from all over what they thought were the most important things to know when making Aliyah and put it together in this post. We hope you find the next 10 pieces of advise as helpful as the Olim that provided them thought they were, and, of course, if you need any shipping info for your lift, feel free to be in touch.

Image Credit: Adam Pearlman

Don’t take yourself too seriously

When you move to Israel, you’re signing yourself up for a constant family get together. From a mother being told how to care for her baby on the train to a salesman telling you you’re overweight, Israeli’s are very comfortable getting comfortable. The one-big-family mentality that middle easterners are renowned for may shock westerners, but it is (usually) coming from a good place. “I scratch your back, you scratch mine”. So when you’re making Aliyah, make sure you develop the necessary space within your ego and mindset to not take yourself, or anyone, too seriously.

Bring an extra dose of patience and tolerance

When you make Aliyah, know that nothing comes easily. Finances, the health system, schooling and everyday occurrences usually happen with a story. Olim suggest a very wise piece of advice, “Bring an extra dose of patience and tolerance” to help you survive the bureaucracy, transportation, phone companies, and much more.

Come with a sense of humor and an open mind

So much of life in Israel can be frustrating for the westerner that is used to a “smooth” life and friendly customer service, but Olim reiterate over and again that the only way to survive the, sometimes overwhelming, change is to come to Israel with a sense of humor and an open mind. Having a good attitude and a ready smile can help any newcomer get through the strangest scenarios.

Don’t think of “there” as “back home”

It can be hard not to miss certain aspects of your origin city once you move, but most people making Aliyah have a specific reason – Israel is home. Home to the Jewish people for thousands of years, their Promised Land, the golden stone and dusty roads have a supernaturally special place in many Jewish hearts. While the changing leaves, holiday tunes, summer resorts, and much more may be nostalgic for so many, keeping the focus on the idealistic reasons one has made Aliyah is important for a successful move. Family may even be “back home”, so making sure to create “family” in Israel is essential to staying positive, feeling supported, and not becoming lonely. With the right support system, a positive attitude and reminders of why you live in Israel, “there” will remain “there” and “home” will be “here”.

Go on tiyulim!

Tiyulim, or trips, are an important part of the Israeli culture. During vacations, on long weekends, and any other free time, Israelis enjoy going on hikes, finding a new area to explore and appreciating the beautiful nature that surrounds them. From top to bottom, the country hosts several different climates. Up north, it is mountainous, rainy, green, full of trees and even snowy in the winter. Down south, there is a large desert with beautiful sandy dunes, volcanic craters and more. The hiking trails and parks are packed on holidays, so head out early to avoid the traffic and make sure to integrate this essential part of Israeli culture into your new life.

Think in shekel right away, not in your former currency

It might be hard to spend hundreds when it comes to shopping for a simple sweater, a few food items or a lamp (!), but thinking in shekel is very important. Whatever it may be, whether cheaper or more expensive, you don’t want to start comparing prices to where you came from. Cost of living in Israel is different than where you lived originally, so price comparing for specific items is not necessarily helpful, sometimes concerning, and more than anything makes you into a foreigner.

Celebrate the little moments along the way

It is important to recognize and truly celebrate the little moments along the way. Making the move to Israel can be demanding, but when you set time aside to reflect and appreciate the little things, everyday can become a short story of heroism, love or adventure.

Enjoy! Great things happen here ALL the time!

Losing your wallet might be a balagan, but in Israel it could be more than just a happy ending. The Jewish People are always putting up lost and found signs to help out an unknown friend, creating amazing stories and great experiences. Not only with lost objects, but friendly help from someone riding the bus with you, or a gesture of kindness from a random person waiting in line at the same bureaucratic office, surprising, heartwarming and amazing things happen in Israel ALL the time!

Life is more fulfilling here on a whole other level.

Words can hardly do this point justice. Most people find that there is a feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment that comes with living, struggling, surviving and enjoying life in Israel. Leaving your homeland, family, friends and your familiar surroundings cannot be easy, but many Olim find that living in Israel is a very special gift and changes life for the better.

Living in Israel is better than anything you can imagine.

Words from real people. Can’t argue with the many that find this point true. It might come with challenges and some people succumb to the pressures, but many people that have moved to Israel think it is better than they, or you, could have ever imagined.

And most importantly, enjoy the ride.