Category: aliyah rites
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People-watching in a mirror.
Waiting for my mom at the airport this morning, I got to engage in the curious ritual that is people-watching. Airport arrival halls are the best places to people-watch. This pre-holiday Friday morning was even more interesting. One family particularly stood out to me. I watched a middle-aged couple – probably around my mother’s age…
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Changing and staying the same.
I came across an old article written up for the Jewish Press, for which I was interviewed. It ran 9 months after I made aliyah, and reading it just now freaks me out a bit. Why? I supposed because of the time that has passed, what has happened since that article was published, and also…
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The Rich Little American game.
Sometimes I long to play the Rich Little American game. Basically, it’s a game that plays on the fact that I can pass for a tourist with loads of money to spend and respect to demand. I can go on a weekend holiday somewhere in Israel, give my passport number, pay in dollars and get…
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A view of yet another Israeli first.
I love going to the eye doctor. Is that weird? I just love the clicking sound the lenses make when your face is in that huge thing and you have to say which was clearer, one? Or two? One? Or two? This one? Or this one? Today I went to pick out new glasses and…
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Living here is taxing.
Ah, the Israeli workforce. It can be quite taxing. Literally. My aliyah counselor-husband came to my rescue and found this site (put together by MLL PayWay, apparently), that calculates for Israeli wage-earners what you get paid and what kinds of taxes, and how much of it, your money is being sucked into. It definitely helps…
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Aliyah realism.
Just met with an old friend who is visiting/studying for the summer. She considers aliyah from time to time. It’s been a while since I’ve sat down for a conversation with a friend from ‘home’. Especially one who considers making aliyah. I listened to myself and realized how realistic I sounded. I don’t mean to…
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Clue #287 that you're Israeli…
It doesn’t seem like 2.5 years is enough to forget where you come from and one of the biggest national holidays of your motherland. But I guess it is enough for me. Not only did I forget it was July 4th, Independence Day, quite a few times today – but it took a Brit and…
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An immigrant's dozen.
So, Nefesh b’Nefesh is collecting olim’s top 12 favorite things about Israel, eh? Hmm… 1. Hebrew rap 2. Tzfatit cheese 3. Children of olim 4. The fact that Israel only started mass producing ‘real’ orange juice a few years ago 5. Jerusalem bus system 6. The way in which Israeli guys hit on you (except…
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The every-day.
There comes a point – after you move far away from where you grew up – when you realize that you’ve been cut off from the every-day, and even from the once-in-a-while. A few months into the self-induced separation, the happy birthdays and mazal tovs flow; you invite each other to happenings from across the…
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Israeli is to chic peas as Russian is to dentistry.
Sometimes I’m amazed that I still have new experiences to write about here. I had my first Israeli dental experience today – or should I say Russian dental experience? It seems that to be a dentist here, you have to be Russian, and you also have to be way harsh about poking around in there.…
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RE: aliyah.
Every time I do this, the emails get longer and more detailed. Here’s the latest aliyah tips email I’ve written. If you happen to have questions, feel free to email me. If you happen to have more/better info, feel free to comment with it. ———————— …I’m more than happy to spill out as much info…
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Tough love and more.
Someone asked me what I love about Israel. I was speechless. It’s not that I don’t love anything about Israel. It’s not that I don’t love Israel at all. I think what it is… When people ask me where in Israel I live, I say Jerusalem. And then I groan as their faces glow up…