Tips for Successful Aliyah

‫בס''ד‬ 100 Tips for Successful Aliyah & Klita Everything you need to know about aliyah and didn’t know you should ask!!! By Ronda Israel 1. When packing your suitcases for your aliyah make sure you take all your essential clothing, medicines, personal toiletries, games, books, toys and linens to get you thru at least a week or two in case your lift is delayed or stuck in a port strike. 2. Put all your important documents, copies of papers and valuables in your carry-on and make sure it stays with you throughout the trip. Put a copy of all the documents you are carrying in each person’s suitcase in case a suitcase gets lost or left behind. 3. Ask your car insurance company for a letter that states you, and each person who will drive in Israel right away, have not been in any accidents for 3 years (if this is true) Your Israeli car insurance agent can get you a lower rate if you have this letter. 4. Bring USA postage stamps to put on letters that you give people in Israel to mail for you in the states when they go back. 5. Don’t waste space on your lift with white tuna, peanut butter and ketchup and toilet paper. It’s all here and more … except the white tuna, but get over it!! There’s more to life than white tuna! 6. When packing for aliyah, de-clutter your life. Remember there is less space in homes/apts, not much storage and no closets. BUT take those things that are meaningful and special reminders of your life. For you and your children. An extra box of 2nd grade pictures, shabbat drawings or hand made haggadahs will be special when you open it. That special Bubby gift or “tsochka” from your sister may make you feel better, take it. 7. Don’t discard your small electrical appliances, like stick blender, food processor, mixer or blender. They can be used with a transformer and if they blow up here you can buy a new one. 8. Israel has some very different model of stoves, refrigerators and other appliances. Before you buy these major appliances in the states, think about buying them in Israel. 9. Don’t ignore your health!!! Before making aliyah have a dental check up for everyone and get any dental records you might need. Have check ups with other doctors especially your ob/gyn check up, mammograms, update of prescriptions, update all children’s shots and take at least a couple months supply of your current Rx to last until you find a doctor in Israel. Some Rx are not available in Israel. Your new doctor will find an alternate prescription. 10. When planning your budget for Israeli living initially figure that your grocery bill will be equivalent to what you paid in the states, there won’t be yeshiva tuitions, unless your young children are going to private schools, there will be almost no fundraiser dinners to attend, car insurance will be expensive, even more than in New Jersey, and gasoline is about 5 shekels per liter which equates to about $4.50 per gallon. Do the math! 11. Money can be changed without charge at post offices in Israel. You can also pay fees and bills at the post office. 12. Ask your bank for your banking statement in English. Some offer that as a free service. That’s about all that’s free! 13. The sooner you can mentally change from spending dollars to shekels and not always converting what you spent into dollars the easier life will be. Occasional financial minus is no embarrassment. It means you have become Israeli! 14. Learn about Tashlumim. It is interest free payments on credit cards that is a wonderful thing when you have a very large bill for appliances, furniture, dental work, etc. But be careful not to make your grocery bills each week in payments. You will be paying in December for the food you ate in October. 15. Learn about Horaat Kevah. That is where you give the bank the authority by written consent to pay for your monthly regular bills such as, gas, electric, tuition, mortgage, insurance and the like. You will receive a statement from the service provider that says DO NOT PAY, indicating the bank has already paid it out of your bank account. Keep a careful eye out for overpayments, missed payments or inaccurate payments. Don’t assume everything is perfect -100%. 16. Learn that credit cards in Israel are often debit cards and the money you charge today is money taken out of your account today. Make sure you understand what kind of “credit “ card you have so you won’t have to run to the bank to put cash in for overdraft you can’t cover. 17. Be honest in all your business dealings with the government and businesses you interact with. 18. Don’t complain about life in Israel and how everything is not like it was “back home.” This is your home and your negative feelings will translate negatively to your children and your perspective on everything else here. 19. Be the first to invite guests for Shabbat or tea if people in your neighborhood are not extending themselves to you. Israelis are usually NOT the first to reach out but when they see how nice you are they will be great neighbors. 20. Always smile and say hello to people on the street, in stores, on the way to shul etc. Wish them a good day or a Shabbat shalom. 21. Be positive, be positive, be positive and remember why you decided to make aliyah! (why did you decide to make aliyah????) 22. (4)When frustrated with the “system” don’t remind the Israeli secretary or clerk that in America you can get it done faster, better or more efficiently. They may tell you to go back there or perhaps go somewhere even hotter than Israel. 23. Keep it simple. Life is hectic and making things simple can alleviate some of the stress. 24. Savlanut, Savlanut, Savlanut!!! Patience, Patience, Patience! Remember your life thus far wasn’t made in a day, month or year and neither will your new life. Everything takes time and you will fare much better if you laugh, love and enjoy each crazy and meaningful experience that adds to your adjusting to life in Israel. Remember Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is you new life. 25. One of the true pleasures in Israel is hearing people say “Shabbat Shalom” or “Chag sameach”. Respond in kind and if you initiate it see how many people respond to you. One of the true pleasures of a Jewish country. 26. Don’t save your errands for Friday afternoon or erev chaggim because everything closes early … remember this is a Jewish country. 27. Grocery shop early in the morning earlier in the week to avoid horrendous pre-shabbat rush. Don’t grocery shop Thursday night or Friday morning except for Challah or last minute produce to avoid standing in line for hours. 28. Explore the country. It is one big fabulous place and every opportunity to see something new is one more day to appreciate your home. 29. Know that walls in your home do NOT have to be white. Yes, there is colored paint in Israel. 30. Always have a water bottle for every member of your family and drink often. You don’t realize how much you can get dehydrated in the Middle East. You should wear sunglasses and a hat also. The sun is pretty rough on the eyes and head … especially if you are bald!!! 31. Learn as much as you can about the metric system. Everything is sold in liters, grams and kilos instead of quarts, ounces and pounds. Distances are measured in kilometers not miles, and inches and feet are replaced by centimeters and meters. You’ll feel taller in centimeters and weigh less in kilograms! 32. Let family members deal with your decision to make aliyah their way. you’ve made your decision now they have to digest it. For parents and grandparents it is hard. That is usually the main reason people postpone aliyah-leaving family- don’t allow the guilt trips to change your mind, it all works out well in the end and everyone kisses before you board the plane! 33. If you are more comfortable speaking to a doctor, nurse, medical person in English ask for an English speaker or someone to help translate. You have the right to know what is medically taking place in a language you understand fully. 34. Insist on the cab driver putting the meter on. Tell him/her “al ha monai”, on the meter. If they insist it is cheaper off the meter say that’s ok you prefer to be fair for him and fair for you. You do not have to tip a driver unless they have done something unbelievably nice, like buy you an ice pop when you have a headache in the back seat. Yup it happens! 35. Drive defensively as if you were in an army tank. You have never experienced driving on roads like in Israel … even the NJ Turnpike is no match for the antics and scary driving here. Always watch your front and back!!! 36. Although there are thousands of restaurants in Israel, DO NOT assume they are all KOSHER. Always ask to see their teudat Kashrut. Some people will tell you everything is kosher but they are opened on Shabbat. Make your own decisions but be informed. FYI, White steak (Basar Lavan) is pork! 37. Don’t act foolishly. While real men may not ask for directions on the road, it is better to swallow your pride, ask for directions before entering that Arab village not on your map, where the tires are on fire, they are not having a barb-que! 38. It is a good idea before heading out on a tiyul by foot or by car to go over your directions. There are so many road changes and path changes that you should go on the computer and look up the directions. There are many map sites that will plot your course for you on the computer. BUY Maps and use them! 39. Israelis love to correct your Hebrew, whenever and wherever. 40. Create a portable medicine cabinet by purchasing an over the door hanging shoe holder for each bathroom in your new home. Use each compartment to hold your essential over the counter medications and toiletries, such as ibuprofen, Imodium, band aids, Benadryl, Neosporin, alcohol, zinc oxide, chewable children’s Tylenol, nail polish remover, gauze pads, medical tape, q-tips, static guard, Desenex, deodorant, Tums, dental floss, mouthwash, talcum powder with corn starch, contact lens solution, etc. 41. Making Aliyah successfully is like a good marriage. It requires continued dedication, energy, hard work, patience, a sense of humor, communication, growth and an eye to the future … and a little ice cream never hurts! 42. Don’t be afraid to volunteer your skills and your time to your community to make it a better place. 43. Always carry a water bottle with you no matter where you go. Drink often and make sure you give your children and babies lots of water. Even if a baby is nursing you must give him/her water also. 44. While crosswalks are for pedestrian crossings and cars are SUPPOSED to stop for pedestrians please, please, please be careful that when you walk across, all the cars in all directions have stopped. When you are the driver and have stopped, be vigilant that other cars see that you have stopped for pedestrians and that they do the same. It is extremely dangerous for you to stop to allow children to cross and other cars zoom by while a child is in midcrossing. Sometimes it is better NOT to stop if the traffic is too fast or too heavy. 45. Remember that davening on shabbat and chaggim usually start earlier than in the states and are usually shorter also. You can be eating cholent at 10 am. Sometimes you might like to rethink your menus for shabbat or chaggim and make lighter meals, more salads, soups (especially cold soups) and fish. 46. People come to the parks with their families on shabbat and chaggim when it starts getting cooler at the end of the day. That is always a great time to meet people. 47. Most shuls/minyans do not have kiddushes after davening and everyone is home earlier, so keep that in mind when setting your timer on your plata. 48. If having company for lunch on shabbat or chaggim right after shul is too early for you, make sure you specify a time for your guests to come over. Sometimes it is more enjoyable to have guest for seudat shlisheet in the summer on those looooong shabbat days. 49. Conserve Water. Instead of running the water when you do dishes or brush your teeth, soap up the dishes and rinse them all together to conserve water. That extra water in the kumkum (hot pot) after shabbat or in a netilat yadayim cup can be thrown onto the nearest plant(s). Water your plants at night and not during the heat of the day. We live in the dessert and if our prayers for rain are not answered we will all have to conserve water. Pray hard!!! 50. Having a simcha and want to share the wealth of left over food? Have the caterer wrap it up and take it to the nearest army base or Machsom (checkpoint) and share it with the soldiers. You know an army travels on its stomach so make our boys and girls feel good and think of them at Purim, Pesach, Chanukah, Rosh Hashanah and throughout the year. 51. Get a lawyer for apt/house rental contracts as well as purchase of a home. It is well worth it and saves you from many a headache after you sign an all Hebrew contract 52. Try to spend Shavuot in Jerusalem. After you've finished attending some of the hundreds of lectures offered in English, Hebrew, Russian and/or French, follow the crowds down to the Kotel and experience Shavuot as you never could have in the Diaspora. 53. Recycle. Yes, Israel recycles many things including, newspapers in some areas, plastic bottles. Be a partner to keep Israel clean. There are plenty of people willing to trash it. Throw that trash in a receptacle not on the street. 54. Remember that the work week begins on Sunday for most people, but many people are off on Fridays. Maximize your Friday by getting your shabbat cooking and cleaning finished on Thursday and leave Friday free for family outings or some relaxation and fun! 55. Everyone you meet is a connection. Networking is a way of life here. You may need to keep in touch with people for a job, for an apt, for school information, a shidduch, medical advice etc. Always exchange cards and keep them in a file near your home phone. (Have cards printed up with your name, address, city- zip code and phone numbers, both cellphones and home phones.) 56. Listen to the news in Hebrew every day and read a Hebrew newspaper. 57. Keep a list of office hours for the post office, your bank, your municipality, etc. This way you can reduce frustration... you don't show up when they're not open. 58. Plan your vacations wisely. Chol Hamoed Succot and Pesach, Yom Ha'atzmaut and summer time are great times for hiking, touring and learning to really love Israel. Keep your eyes on the newspapers and internet to see what kinds of activities are going on around that time. 59. Carry around a notebook or PDI and write down Hebrew words you are not familiar with. Study them and try to integrate them into your speech. 60. Shuk shopping is an experience. Enjoy it; you can also find great bargains. 61. Bring with you and use often your sense of humor. It is invaluable. It is always better to start laughing at a situation than crying. 62. Every day try and remember why you decided to move here. Maybe it's the sufganiyot that they sell at the beginning of December to get us in the spirit of Chanukah, or the kids collecting lumber (keep yours under lock and key) for L'ag B'Omer right after Yom Ha'atzmaut, or the Arba't Minim marketplaces stocked with everything you could possibly need or not need for Succot right after Rosh Hashannah. 63. Don’t be shocked when your 2nd grader or any of your children come home from school with political opinions. Politics and political discussions are a way of life here. Encourage dialogue at your table and share views based on your beliefs. 64. Let your kids become age appropriately independent; walk to the pizza shop, go for a falafel with friends, get on a bus, go to the movies or the park with their group of friends. 65. If you want to keep some money in US dollars, a safe way to keep your dollars is to bring travelers checks. If lost or stolen they can be replaced and you always have available dollars. Put it under your mattress for safekeeping, you get more interest there than in the bank and pay less in fees to keep dollars! 66. Make copies of every document you bring (driver’s license, social security card, marriage license, ketubah, medical records, birth certificate, etc.) and have it in a plastic file folder, one file for each member of the family. Carry the folder every time you go to any government office for aliyah business. Undoubtedly you will always need the one paper you left behind causing you to have to make a second trip. 67. Before aliyah find Israeli pen pals for the kids - Arrive in Israel knowing each child already has a friend in Israel. 68. Bring all medical records, especially immunization records. You will need to bring copies of your children’s shots to the school they are going to. Ask your doctor about getting the Hepatitis A series shots. 69. Be your child’s advocate. Your kids need to know there is someone on their side, in school, in chuggim. If something is bothering your child and the teacher isn’t helping go to the principal, or go to the yoetzet (school counselor) and get it resolved. Israeli kids are more physical and if your child is being hurt you have the right to protect and make sure they are not the recipients of harmful behavior. 70. Israeli shopping divides into "open for negotiation" and "not open for negotiation". Don't be embarrassed to try to reduce the price; the worst that can happen is the person across from you says no. 71. The price on cars is not negotiable, but on everything else it is, your long distance phone carrier is willing to give you a “good deal”. The bank mortgage department will consider your counter offer for a mortgage rate. At a store if you buy more than one of the same item, lamps, chairs, appliances, etc you can negotiate the price. You’ll be surprised how much you can save. 72. Don’t try to understand every shekel charged to you at the bank. It is impossible to balance your checkbook and that’s just the way it is. 73. Enjoy the quiet of Shabbat. Take walks, sit on your mirpeset, sleep with a wonderful breeze coming into your home, watch the sunset with a cool refreshing drink and enjoy! It doesn’t get any better than that! 74. Carry around sucking candies or mints. Offer them to a secretary or clerk when they are helping you. You will be given the royal treatment and not be rushed aside or yelled at. It always brings out a smile in people. 75. There are times when you will need to use your English. If someone is yelling at you and you get flustered with countering in Hebrew (actually just walk away, it saves on the acid indigestion) switch to English. Then let them get flustered because they are thrown off by the English. 76. Israelis are enthusiastic singers. It starts when your kids are little... the ganim are constantly teaching the children songs, and you'll find that your adult neighbors will encourage you to join them for shira be'tzibur. Join in... just about everyone sings off-key, the words are usually flashed in front of you on a screen and no one cares if you say them correctly or not. Just enjoy. 77. Always take snacks and something to do for yourself and your kids when going to a government office, bank, post office etc., lines /waiting can be long and frustrating but seem less tense when eating, drinking and doing something. 78. Remember you are entitled to free ulpan as an oleh/olah. Use it immediately! 79. So that your extended family doesn’t stop talking to you because you are making aliyah and leaving them behind to go to that G-d forsaken place “over there”, just tell them you are going on a “long” vacation. Send postcards often, “having a wonderful time, wish you were here! 80. Learn about Israel and your environment. Many of the most fantastic places to see or experience are right in your own backyard. You don’t need to go to far away places for trips. Israel is a wealth of unique places to visit, nature to see and animals to watch. 81. One of the first things you must do upon arrival is sign up for a Kupat CholimMedical plan. Discuss with your friends and neighbors which one they use and which doctors they recommend in which plan. Extra coverage is not expensive and you may find it useful. Make sure you discuss the various plans with a HMO-kupat cholim representative in English so you will understand your plan and what is covered and what is NOT. 82. You have never seen a country more into burning fires at Lag B’omer, burning chometz on Pesach, burning candles, and making barbeques than in Israel. On Lag B’omer night close your windows and trissim (outer window covers) to keep soot and smell of fire out of your home. If you have any breathing disorders stay indoors during the fire burning on Lag B’omer. If you want to get a sense of the chag, take a walk at night on Lag B’omer and visit the hundreds of fires throughout your city. Always carry a bag of marshmallows/hot dogs with you as you can always pick up a stick at anyone’s fire and roast them. Enjoy! 83. Learn Hebrew! You won’t regret it!! Ulpan is crucial for those who don't have Hebrew skills and/or really want to improve their existing Hebrew skills, especially in your profession’s jargon. 84. Become active in your community in something that is of interest to you. That way you can be doing something worthwhile and valuable, and also meet lots of people you may not have a chance to meet otherwise. 85. Learn about your family’s clothing and shoe sizes as quickly as possible. 86. Keep up your and your kids English skills. Internet is helpful, but so is your local library. See if they have English books, or find the closest second hand bookstore, or join an English book club. 87. Magnets are a way of life for advertising and keeping all the phone numbers of services you will need at easy glance on either your refrigerator or front door (most are metal). Stuck in traffic and won’t be able to make dinner? Call the kids on your cellphone and tell them to pick out the pizza place magnet you want them to call for home delivery of dinner. When you walk in from a long day, supper has been delivered (and it’s kosher too!!) Life doesn’t get any better than that! 88. Make sure that your computer is Hebrew enabled. It doesn’t matter if you buy a new computer abroad or in Israel make sure it is Hebrew enabled. Your children will be writing reports and papers and doing research in Hebrew before you know it. 89. Investigate if it is worth it to bring your own car from the states. It is often too expensive for parts (if you can get them at all), too time consuming to get the right repair company and a real headache for minor or major repairs, so unless it is new, in perfect shape, paid for and a real gem with parts available at dealer repair stations think twice. 90. A four room apt means 3 bedrooms and a salon (living room sometimes dining room combo area). Kitchen, laundry room, bathrooms are not counted in the advertised room count. So if you want 5 bedrooms you will be looking for a 6 room apt. 91. If you are told you will receive English for English speakers in school, or Hebrew remedial help for your children don’t wait until “after chag”! to ensure that they are getting that help! In Israel there is a chag (holiday) every month and if you wait until “after chag” you will have spent an entire school year waiting for help and find that it is already June! 92. School books are bought by parents for school. Go to the book store or school supply store and buy your supplies early. Opening school rush in stores are bigger than Macy’s after Xmas sales. Don’t bring school supplies from the states. Your child’s school supplies are all different than in the states, except white out, girls use that for nail polish!!! 93. Ask for help. Israelis really respond to you when you look to them for assistance. They love to correct your language skills, they love to tell you directions (if two out of three people give you the same directions it might be correct), they love to tell you where they got a good deal, and they love to tell you that they will gladly take your American passport because you are crazy to come here … ok you knew that but you love it here anyway! 94. Speak Hebrew no matter how stupid you sound. Your job is to embarrass your Sabra sounding children because you are now “green horns”! This will give you an idea of how your grandparents felt coming to America! 95. Invite children over for your children to play with. Have a Shabbat party, Sukkot party, Chanukah party to introduce your kids to the neighborhood kids. Serve lots of sweets and bamba the national junk food! 96. Welcome to the land of Kineem—Lice!! Since the 10 plagues they have not left. In fact they have gotten bigger and bolder! Schools do not check for lice and you will undoubtedly be given a gift of lice as a welcome present at your child’s new school! Don’t freak out, ponytails, braids, baseball caps and instructing your children not to share hats, combs, hair accessories etc will add to the deterrence … but not for long! There are many home remedies, drug store products and of course RID kits from the states that you brought with you, right? 97. Let your children hang up pictures, posters, items that they like on their bedroom walls and let them decorate to make their room feel cozy and safe. They will feel that this is a place of comfort when they are overly challenged out of the house. Painting it black is not an option! 98. Get to know your Israeli neighbors... invite them over for kiddush, seudah shlisheet or just pop in and introduce yourself. It never hurts to take the first step. 99. Did I mention that you will never be able to balance your checkbook? 100. When you wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, after making aliyah, selling your house, pulling your kids out of their yeshivot, and justifying your aliyah to your parents, remember how beautiful the Galilee is, how awesome the Negev is, how holy the Kotel is and how majestic the sunset is on the Mediterranean Sea. Remember all the reasons that made you dream to come to Israel and to be part of Kibbutz Galyiot, making the return of Jews to our homeland a reality. Smile, take a deep breath, take two Tums and go back to bed…..tomorrow’s a work day! Welcome Home! Tehilla- Kadima 1/7/05