Overlooking the Hermon Mtn. range, Golan Hts.



Hi Folks!

We hope you have enjoyed and learned some tips on Aliyah from this website.

We have become fast friends with our neighbors in the "new neighborhood" of our Moshav.  Most of the Moshavim and Kibbutzim on the Golan Heights have been here since the Yom Kippur War, 1973.  Recently, the National Government instituted a plan to "settle" more people in the Golan, so the existing "Villages" were required to open new neighborhoods.  We settled in one of those neighborhoods.  Basically, we are not part of the "collective" farming businesses and we do not share in any of the Moshav profits or expenses.  We pay a monthly "upkeep" fee for the common areas, such as the community parks, and for security.  The neighbors on our street do the same.  They are all Sabras, who work at businesses unrelated to the Moshav, some in Haifa, and even one who commutes all the way to Tel Aviv, one week a month.

We interact with everyone in the Moshav, but we do have closer ties to the people in our "new" neighborhood.

In this post, I will say that the process of building a new home in Israel, cost us about 30% more than we had budgeted.  In saying that, we have decided to work a couple of extra years at our jobs in the USA.  It has not been easy, but it is possible and almost a requirement for us.  Because we are not in the IT or software business, our earning potential in the USA is much greater.  So we go back to make a living and prepare for our retirement in Israel, which G_d willing, will be sooner than later.

When you move here, keep in mind that you may need more money than you budgeted for buying an apartment or building a house here.  Be prepared for cost overruns.  We have several American/Israeli friends, who have all shared similar experiences as us, as far as cost overruns on building their houses.  From replacing leaky windows and roofs, to additional charges by sub-contractors, and remodeling woes, our friends have all spent much more on their homes, than they had originally budgeted for when they made Aliyah.  I believe that you should add about 20% to any final number you come up with, and pad your savings account with that cushion so you can be prepared when it comes time to buy your new home here in Israel.  Additionally, aim lower at a more modest apartment or building plan and then save up a cushion for the additional expenses because they will come, we can almost guarantee it!

Last but not least, invest in friendships here in Israel.  Your friendships will sustain you through the Aliyah process and for many years afterward.  We could not have completed the Aliyah process without the help of friends we made in Israel, it is that simple.

We wish you all the joy and Spiritual benefits of doing the greatest Mitzvah- Aliyah!

Shalom Alechem!

Our home in the Golan Heights is completed!

Our house was built by Erickson Construction of Kidmat Zvi, Golan Heights, Israel.  Their email address is:  Erickson_con@hotmail.com



Hi Folks!   I have not updated this blog in many months, but as you will see, we were busy with the process of building our house in the Golan Heights.  While we officially made Aliyah in Sept. 2011, we encountered many difficulties in finding the right Contractor to build our home to USA standards.   During the intervening time we lived in rental houses in En Zivan and Katzrin, Golan Heights.  The experience of living in standard concrete homes during the Winter months made us even more determined to find a builder who would build a well insulated, modern wood frame construction house.  Ultimately, Baruch Hashem, we found a great Contractor on our own.  This despite most everyone in the Golan Heights construction business telling us that concrete construction was the only viable choice.

If you are interested in living in Northern Israel, and are considering new construction, do yourself a favor and contact Erickson Construction, based in the Golan Heights.   The owner, Aaron, speaks fluent English and Hebrew.  He and his brothers do most of the home-building work and they are craftsmen, par excellence!

This is a photo of our completed home in a Winter snow storm on the Golan Heights.  Our house has been through two years of some of the biggest snow storms in the last 30 years and has come through it, unscathed.  Also, our home made it through the recent (Sept. 2015) 3 day sandstorm, and there was almost no dust inside our home, due to the quality build and the tight seal of the "Marvin-Integrity" brand windows, used in the house.  By the way, Marvin windows has a Tel Aviv distributor for their windows, so you can get these windows serviced by local contractors!

One year out

We are coming up on our one year Anniversary of Aliyah.  Most of what we learned, has been consolidated in the previous posts.

But, here is an important philosophical point. Many people in the USA have asked us how can we live in Israel, surrounded by enemies that call for our annihilation.   We simply explain that in order to live in Israel, peacefully, one must trust that G_d will defend and protect HIS people during the first flowering of the redemption.  This is a simple point, but to grasp it and live it makes all the difference.

There are many agencies and people here to help you make your move to Israel, fairly painless.  Once you have moved there are a myriad of hurdles to overcome.  But your relationship with G_d will allow you to live here, successfully.  Secondly, make friends here.  Because your neighbors and friends will help you in innumerable ways.  That is the general consensus of the Olim that I know, here in the Ramat Golan.  YMMV.

Never forget that the general Rabbinical consensus is that there is no greater mitzvah than to make Aliyah to Eretz Israel.  Shalom!

Synopsis of our first two months of Aliyah to Israel

RECAP OF IMPORTANT ITEMS:


Hi Folks.  Here is a recounting of the things in our blog that we think are the most important for you to remember when you make Aliyah.  I've just cut and pasted the lines from my blog, so if they seem out of context, well, they are!  But they should be helpful, nonetheless.

GPS AND CELL PHONE SERVICE:
Speaking of cell phone service, I cannot recommend enough that you buy a "smart phone" here and sign up for an internet package so you can use, "WAZE" in Israel.  If you do not know your way around the country and need to find the local government offices, this service is invaluable to people who do not speak fluent Hebrew.  DO NOT buy the cell phone company's GPS service, (for example: Orange GPS) BECAUSE the maps are all in Hebrew, which doesn't do you any good as an English speaker.  You may think it might be fairly easy to follow a map in Hebrew, but when you are stressed by heavy traffic, time constraints, and looking at a small video screen for directions, believe me, it will become very hard to read Hebrew map directions, unless you are completely fluent.  MOST OF THE Israel MAPS FOR STAND ALONE GPS SYSTEMS, LIKE GARMIN, AREN'T WORTH A DARN, IMHO. 


Also, REMEMBER to ask the salesperson, when you buy your phone, how to retrieve your voicemail.  The directions are in Hebrew on the phone menu and "she" speaks quite rapidly, so there is no understanding how to do it after you leave the cell phone store.

DRIVER LICENSE:

Olim can only convert their American licenses to Israeli licenses at certain offices, which in our case was, Haifa!

 Note that the "DMV" offices have late afternoon hours BUT Olim cannot convert their licenses in the afternoon only during the morning hours.  So while the Aliyah websites list afternoon hours, I'd recommend going in the morning.

A few tips.  Take your lessons from an instructor in the town that the "DMV" testing office is located in so your instructor can show you the "usual" routes that the official examiner may have you drive.  The experience beforehand is invaluable.  Second PLEASE, PLEASE ask for recommendations for instructors in your area.  NBN provided us with a reference to a great and honest instructor in Tiberias.  We are SO HAPPY that we asked for a referral before we picked an instructor.


ULPAN:
Contrary to what some websites tell you about Ulpan, this course expects that you already know the modern Hebrew cursive writing.  LEARN TO WRITE HEBREW CURSIVE BEFORE YOU COME! 
Ulpan is 6 months long, five days a week.  Be prepared to commit yourself full-time, if you take the Ulpan classes.


BUY APPLIANCES IN ISRAEL:

After reading many suggestions about bringing appliances, if you don’t want to bother with trying to find 220v stuff in the USA, I’d suggest that you shop in Israel for items like this, the prices aren’t that much different.  And buying the appliance here insures you have a valid warranty with repair options.
UPDATE:
We purchased a washer, dryer, refrigerator, combo stove/oven, and dishwasher, here in Israel.  The pricing for these items fluctuated greatly from store to store.  I did my homework by checking on "ZAP.co.il" which has consumer reviews of the appliances and also posts prices from various stores.  This helped immensely when it came time to deal on the final prices.   In this Country, the stores expect haggling, and if you do not ask for a better price, you are considered gullible.  Believe me, by the time you buy an apartment, or build a house, you will become an expert at negotiating!


THE SHIPPING PROCESS:
 When you choose to make Aliyah, please, please, remember your obligations to your spouse and uphold them.  Treat your spouse with kindness and respect, especially during this time frame!  AND most importantly, respect the sanctity of Shabbat.  You will NEED the peace and shelter of the Shabbat to re-calibrate your life during the move.

 So the process is: the local moving company will come one day and prepare/pack all your household goods for transport.  The next day they will arrive with a truck and actually move your items to their warehouse for storage until the shipping container becomes available for them to pack.  It is possible for you to have goods shipped directly to the moving company's warehouse, if you buy large items, like furniture, before you leave.  We did that with a couch and chair.  Hopefully, it worked out.  We will see in 8-13 weeks when we get our goods in Israel.  Seriously, we had no time to check that the shipment arrived from the furniture store to the shipping warehouse, in good condition.  We are hoping it did.  UPDATE:  We received the furniture with the rest of our shipment, so sending items directly to the shipper seems to work fine.

Make sure that you have an additional sum of money on hand to pay the shipping company OVER and ABOVE what they quoted you in your contract.  They speak of additional fees in the contract, but we were shocked when the additional "fees and taxes" amounted to $600.USD!  We recommend that you do not pay in NIS (shekels) if you are dealing with a USA owned company.  We made this mistake and were charged a hefty sum for the "conversion fees."  Also, if you can help it, don't use a credit card because they charge a 3% fee for using that method as well.   We recommend that you arrange a wire transfer of money to the shipping company.  That way you only get charged what your bank gets for wiring the money.

UPDATE:   After our house was built we sent a second shipment of furniture and furnishings for our new house.   Even though we picked a different shipping agent, we still ended up paying MUCH MORE than the advertised prices. Also, the second time, the Shipper did not deliver all of our items.  We were missing a bedframe and some new blankets.  Nothing expensive, but we miss the queen bed frame sorely because they are unavailable here in Israel.   So I have no helpful advice here.   Most of my friends who made Aliyah concur, no one has had a positive shipping experience!


BANKING:
Ensure that you choose a bank that is nearby your new home.  If you are moving to someplace outside the big cities, be sure to see if the local branch has English speaking employees that can assist you.  In the first few weeks of living in Israel, you will be visiting their office frequently.  It takes over one week to get checks printed to your new account, and unlike the USA, they don't issue "temporary" checks.
UPDATE:   After two years, we still use our English speaking banker every time we have to transfer money between accounts, or need updates on our account.  Financial matters often involve advanced Hebrew which is way beyond Ulpan Hebrew, so go with a bank that offers good English language customer service.



USE THE BEN GURION AIRPORT MINISTRY OFFICES SIGN-UP PROGRAM:
 First off, let me say, that the process of getting your Teudot Oleh at the Ben Gurion airport- Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, is well worth your time and effort.  It was the easiest government entity we have dealt with so far. That being said, I would suggest you get some sleep on the plane, because you will need to have your wits about you when you complete this process.


Two important things to prepare for; First, spell out your American name in Hebrew BEFORE you get to Israel.  Make sure it is spelled the way you want it because IF you let the government employee try to convert your name into Hebrew, you might be saddled with a permanent mistake in pronunciation of your name.  They just do it phonetically, so they might not spell it correctly.  As an example, if your name is "Diane", you might end up with "Diana" because it is a very common Israeli name.  

Second, be sure to research the state health insurance programs and pick one that has services near your new hometown, BEFORE you arrive in Israel.  If you do not pick one at the airport, you will have to pay a fee later and seek out a location to enroll for the health insurance.  If you can't speak or read Hebrew, it can be difficult to find government offices in Israel. 


Be sure to apply for your Teudot Zehut at the Interior Ministry office closest to your new hometown, as they may not let you complete the process at an office far away from where you intend to live.  As an example, we assumed that the Interior Ministry office in Tiberias, was the closest office to our hometown in the Golan, but in actuality, we were supposed to make the application at the office in Zefat.  We didn't even know there was an office in Zefat, and the people at our Moshav said that the Tiberias office was the correct location to apply.  Fortunately, the clerk in Tiberias took pity on us, and issued us our T.Z. I.D. cards.

Internet and phone service:

I don't know if it is a particular problem in the Golan, but when we moved here, it took us almost one year to get a landline phone and DSL internet service, via the only provider, Bezeq.  When we moved to another location, for weeks Bezeq customer service told us on the phone that it was impossible to get service in our neighborhood, despite the fact that our neighbors had phones and internet service.   Eventually, a friend of a friend, who worked at Bezeq, straightened out a minor computer glitch in our billing information, and we had phone service and internet within an hour!  

SO THAT'S ABOUT IT FOR NOW.  As we gain additional experience, I'll post more tips in the future.
Shalom!

From Ushpazim to Friends

The Kotel in Jerusalem during Sukkot-5772

In the Ramat Golan, where we live, there are only a few villages that follow what Americans would call the Orthodox way of life.  However, we have come to find out that most of the other villages, observe the high holidays and festivals with as much fervor as their Orthodox brothers and sisters.

We were invited to dine in the Sukkahs of serveral of our neighbors and acquaintances.  Our first experience was in the Orthodox community of Hispin where we dined with our friends from Ulpan and their parents.  We enjoyed some great laughs and a wonderful dinner.  We had much to share with one another as we are all from the Southern California area.  I believe that we have become fast friends with these folks from our "neck of the woods."

Next, we dined with our Landlord and his family, on Shabbat.  We only stayed in the Sukkah for a short while as it was about 15 degrees C. outside and the little ones were quite cold.  We enjoyed a wonderful dinner and conversation.

On another evening, we visited over nana tea with our Architect and his family, in their Sukkah.  His family is from France and Algiers, and they settled in the highest Moshav in Israel- Neve Ativ.  We enjoyed fascinating stories of life in France for Jews, before and after WWII.  I am sad to report that the Jews in France today, feel as if they are prisoners in their own homes, as they are afraid to be out in the evenings due to the rampant antisemitism in France.

We also hosted neighbors and friends in our first Sukkah in Israel.  During the festival, we traveled to Jerusalem, as in ancient times.   The Torah commanded all Jews to make a pilgrimage to the Temple Mount 3 times a year.  We have decided to make the trip 3 times a year, in honor of Pesach, Shavout, and Sukkot. Of course Jerusalem was very busy and bustling with people trying to get to the Kotel to wave their own 4 species.  It was very heartening to see how many people from all over Israel and the world were in Jerusalem for the festival of Sukkot.

The parents of our friends from Ulpan were meeting friends from So. Cal. in Jerusalem the same day we were making our pilgrimage, so we had company for the long ride down south.  We decided to take the West Bank road to Jerusalem and it was quite the experience.  We saw a herd of a dozen camels roaming about, goat herds, sheep herds, and many date palm farms.  We stopped at a Kosher restaurant in the middle of no where and enjoyed a delightful breakfast.

All this to say that here, we came as strangers, but in the course of a month or so, we have been accepted as friends by many people, here.  I commented to my wife, the other day, coming back from Jerusalem, that I now feel completely comfortable in Israel.  I don't feel like an outsider, and I know that I can navigate around, despite my lack of Hebrew.

The Haftora reading for Sukkot mentioned that G_d bore the Israelites, "on Eagle's wings" throughout the wandering in the desert and many teachings say that we build Sukkahs because we commemorate G_d's divine glory protecting our people from the harsh environment.  We truly feel that G_d has done the same for us.  The whirlwind process of making Aliyah, the provision of this fine rental home, in a neighborhood full of kind and generous people, has instilled us with a sense of belonging and awe, over how quickly it all occurred.

We had many interesting conversations about the release of Sgt. Giliad Shalit.  Many Israelis believe that his release, on the day that Joseph assumed power over all of Egypt, has prophetic undertones.  Our neighbor and my wife also noted that the Haftara reading for last week spoke of releasing captives from the darkness....  There were other opinions as well, but we will leave them for the talk shows and debates raging now.

Shabbat Shalom!

Update: 03Feb12
So, we have experienced our first Ramat Golan winter.  And we can tell you that it is cold here from late November to February.  The temps at night go down to freezing and during the day it is about 40 degrees, but windy.  I'd guess the windchill factor would make it around 35 degrees F. during most days.  We received snow a couple of days in our Kibbutz.  Of course Har Hermon is covered with snow.

 
My wife has tried her first few months of "commuting" back to the USA for work.  Although we miss each other terribly for a month at a time, we see now that it will be doable for the foreseeable future.

We have made some friends in Ulpan and have continued getting together outside class.  We also have made a few friends in the community, so we can always count on invites to Shabbat dinners and informal get togethers.  Our nephew from the states visited us for two weeks so we did some sightseeing in the North.  Here are a few photos from our trips.  Shabbat Shalom!

 

A unique and diverse Life

This week, Israel is celebrating the pilgrimage festival of Sukkot.  Part of the commandment is to wave the four species.  Well, in most parts of the Diaspora, you buy the Lulav and Etrog, pre-packaged.  At least we did, in the Los Angeles area.

                                          Collecting "Willow" twigs along the Syrian border

On Erev Sukkot, my landlord invited me to ride with him to cut fresh branches from a "willow" tree, which is one of the four species.  So, I rode with him out to the Syrian border with Israel, in the Golan Heights.  There is a long, deep trench that has been cut into the ground, which serves as an anti-tank barricade.  The trench is partially filled with water, so it is much like a moat around a castle.  Along this modern day "moat" grows the exact species of "willow" tree we needed for our fourth species.  We cut a few small, leafy twigs off the tree and turned around to drive back to our Kibbutz.  I was fascinated by the imagery of the nearby U.N. military base, the Israeli and Syrian flags flying along the border fences, miles of apple orchards on the Israel side of the fence, and two, middle aged Jews cutting twigs off a tree for Sukkot!   It is no small wonder that the "willow" tree species needed for Sukkot grows in such a precarious place.  As my landlord pointed out, our Lulav sets were very unique.  To say the least.

To add to the surreal nature of life here, let me say that Israel is composed of a very diverse population, at least here in the Golan.  Our neighbors are from: Ethiopia, Yemen, Ireland, Russia, England, France, Argentina, and the USA.  We also have Ulpan classmates from Australia and Columbia.  The village we live in is small, so everyone knows one another, and so far, everyone seems to get along very well.  I would suppose that the underlying Jewish belief system, has a great deal to do with the harmony of life here.  Doubtless, that many folks would disagree with that assumption, but human harmony in a close knit group is a very hard place to reach, normally.  Take it from a student of humanity at it's worst; as I worked in Law Enforcement for a few decades.

                                           Golan Heights agriculture

                                          Nimrod Fortress with Mt. Hermon in the background

During Sukkot, we invite our neighbors, friends, and occasionally strangers, into our little outdoor living areas that we usually construct next to our homes.  We were privileged to host a wonderful young friend, who was instrumental in helping us with our Aliyah.  We were so blessed to have her as our first guest on our Sukkah, here in the Golan.  We had a wonderful time and also visited some of the local historical sites.

Chag Sameach!

Wheels of life

Yom Kippur is rolling our way fast!  People in Eretz Israel continue to wish each other a Good New Year, this week and wishes for an easy fast.
As Olim, we have felt our lives come full circle by moving to Israel.  Where once in U.S., we felt established, settled in- comfortable in our positions at work and in our home; here we have "only just begun, to live" to borrow a line from the famous wedding song.  Our wedding Anniversary falls on Yom Kippur and H" has us playing the newlyweds once more.

The invention of the wheel surely must have been an "einfall" precipitated by H" to teach us how to model the concepts of life and the universe's secrets.  Each year we come full circle in our Torah readings, to finish Mose's admonitions to the generation going into Eretz Israel, and we begin anew with H" 's creation of the world.  We also ask for a renewed lease on life and forgiveness for our failings from the past year's mistakes.  These circular patterns are plain to see, yet I know we miss the connections that these patterns have, that complete the circle.  If we learn from our mistakes and fix what we have broken, and receive forgiveness from those we have hurt, then we can go forward in the new year, armed with the knowledge of how not to break anything more in this world.  Instead we can actually spiritually and physically build in the world, Tikkun Olam.

So, my wife and I are learning to build a new life for ourselves here, with plenty of help and support from H" and the wonderful people of Israel.  We lived the majority of our lives around the other side of the Earth, so this circular journey to Eretz Israel has completed another "revolution" in our lives.
If you are considering Aliyah, consider that this circular time of reconciliation, understanding, and renewal, is the perfect opportunity to ask H" for the strength and guidance to begin a new life in the land that H" gave to you, so many years ago.  Ask for the gift and He will get you rolling on your way home!

May we all be inscribed in the Book of Life and have an easy fast, this year-5772.