Connections and Aliyah Tips - Helping One Another

I have so many thoughts racing round my head right now. I have some posts to put on Aliyah tips but while preparing those, our life was interrupted by a horrible, horrible tragedy. What do those two topics have to do with the image at the start of this post? Well the image is of a large group, gathered together. Different heights, different sizes, different clothing but together in a group.

On Tuesday of this week, I received an email to please Daven for two of the injured from a horrible attack.  They were the first two names she had heard of. Having worked in poly trauma in a large teaching hospital, I asked how they were. The question lead to some discussion at the end of which she showed interest in our Bayit Chadash Gemach, assisting orphans at the time of getting married. Not much time transpired when she emailed back that the wife of one of the injured whose names she'd given me requested for donations to be made to Hachnasat Kallah in the merit of a Refuah for her husband. I was awaiting some final info on our latest two orphans but set to work for an hour, dedicating that time to the Refuah of those injured.

The next morning I received a phone call from someone who lives in my area. He is a friend of the man and asked to make a small donation. We spoke a bit and a little later I went over to his home to meet his wife and explain about the work we do. She explained that they had a double interest, 1) merit for her husband's friend of 25 years and 2) for success in assisting a friend's son who is coming to Chuppah. We spoke a little and I found myself asking "is your friends son in x part of the Gush and marrying the beginning of Chanukah?"

Lo and behold, she is the best friend of the Chatan's late mother and is able to help us obtain the final information to assist him with items for his new home. Touched by the connection she was very grateful to be participating in what we are doing.

This morning I received an email from someone with a new item to donate. It turns out she is a co-worker of the wife of the same man, fighting for his life in a hospital in Jerusalem. 

With each interaction, another piece of the puzzle comes together. Another member of the group. Another reminder that the Jewish Nation is ONE big family. It is time for us to unite. It is time for us to drop our disagreements and stick together because when Am Yisrael is united, nothing can touch us. Not only are we strong together but our united merit was strong enough to enable us to receive the Torah and will be the key factor to help us merit Moshiach. 

So let us link this post to my series I was going to post and begin by saying, if you are in the process of making Aliyah, if you have already made Aliyah or if you are considering doing so, my first tip is remember Am Yisrael is one big family. If you come on your own, you are not alone, you are coming to your big family. If anyone upsets you, remember they are your relatives and smile, be kind to them and you will be surprised how the kindness leads to another kindness and another connection. And if you have not yet considered making Aliyah, come home. We need you. We need every Jew united together in ONE huge family portrait.

Please Daven for a Refuah for the following, injured in the attack.

Eytan Ben Sarah
Avraham Shmuel Ben Shaina
Shmuel Yerucham Ben Baila (I think this is Rebbetzin Heller's son-in-law)
Chayim Yechiel Ben Malka (in a medically induced coma with severe injuries. His wife requests donating to Hachnasat Kallah in his merit and listed our Gemach as one to give to)
Yakir ben Galit
Yitzchak ben Chaya
Moshe ben Sara

For those wanting to contribute to our latest two orphans, please be in touch ASAP. 

Disabilities, Israel and Olim

Being an Occupational Therapist, I am used to working with the disabled population. Did you know it is not so easy to get information as to the rights of disabled Yidden to make Aliyah? Well, if you know someone who has a disability and has made Aliyah, you stand more of a chance of obtaining the information you require. For me, I tried emailing certain offices that I would think should provide this information only to discover after several emails I still had no reply. The one reply I did receive was a Shaliach admitting that probably the offices are avoiding the question in order not to have to take responsibility. 

Is that acceptable? Is that how we as Yidden treat those who have a more difficult path in this life? Surely if they are Jewish with a Jewish mother, then they have a right to live in Eretz Yisrael?

If you do know someone who is disabled and made Aliyah, please do write in. We would like to know how your Aliyah is going, what your process had been like and any other tips you can offer to other disabled Yidden who want to make Aliyah.

Of course, we would prefer that we have Moshiach and all Yidden are fit and healthy, but in the meantime, do send in any useful info or comments.

In this series of posts, we hope to post information about Disability Grants, information on disabilities in Israel.

Tour Israel

When considering making Aliyah, it is easy to get caught up in day to day difficulties, problems, complaints and more and to lose sight of just how special Eretz Yisrael is.

If you are Jewish and are not sure whether to live in Eretz Yisrael, here is a video to help you see how special our precious land is.

If you have already made Aliyah and need a little Chizuk, here is a video to do just that.

We hope that by taking a virtual tour with Rabbi Shalom Gold of the Old City of Jerusalem, you will be able to alter the perception that the Spies lead us to believe. Don't focus on the negative, don't get pulled down by the struggles. Our Land is beautiful, special and spending time touring Israel can be all it needs to revive your Bitachon and remind you why we blong here.

Enjoy, and remember to stop by and make a comment, let us know which posts are helping you and what you would like to learn or see more of.

Learning Hebrew 2

I was looking for a YouTube video of the Aleph Bet song that is Tzenua as in sung by a man and not a woman. What a treat to find a friend of mine had made a cute video clip.

Rabbi Shalom Gold of the Old City is so much fun. His shiurim are wonderful and one of his expertise is DikDuk, Hebrew grammar.

This YouTube video will teach you all about the Hebrew Alphabet, for English speakers. 

So here is a treat, I really hope you enjoy.

It's Raining!!

It's been a beautiful few days in Eretz Yirsael. Warm winter sun, not too bright, lovely for getting out and about, seeing the country and completing necessary tasks, chores or errands. But winter in Israel is a time for much needed rain and today we are blessed with rain. Yay!!!

Am I becoming a weather bureaux? NO, but weather and more importantly adequate rainfall in the correct season is part and parcel of life in Israel.

So what's doing with the Kineret. Well the level has fallen over the last few days. It had reached -213. 65 m a few days ago. Today it measures at -213.67 m. The level is higher than it was this time last year by 24 cm, but we need lots more rain. We don''t want the level to fall, we want it to rise, up to the water level that is safe for us here in Israel.

I hope you dont get bored with our weather report. What else is there to life in Eretz Yisrael?

Well I asked some friends what they liked most about Eretz Yisrael. 

The answer was:

"The kedusha. You can feel it in the air- before you even land at Ben Gurion."

"I LOVE the old city - I LOVE tzefat, I love the ramat hagolan I love chevron , I LOVE THE KOTEL, I LOVE THE HOLY LAND !!!

"I LOVE SDEREOT I LOVE ITAMAR , I love maale adumim I love nachalot, shall I keep going ??? My love is unending !!"

"I become highly aware of my neshoma, when I have the zechut to be in E"Y. I feel a deeper bond with HKB"HU when I am there"  

We'd like to hear from you, our fellow Jew and fellow Oleh or Olah. What do YOU like most about Eretz Yisrael? How are YOUR Aliyah plans coming along? If YOU are already here, how are YOU settling in?

 

Kineret / Sea of Galilea

The Kineret at night photographed in 2005 by Bantosh

Isn't the image above stunning? 

The Kineret otherwise known as the Sea of Galilea is an important part of Eretz Yisrael. It is the largest freshwater lake in Eretz Yisrael and provides 25% of the main water supply for the country. 

The Kineret is 53 km in circumference, about 21 km long, and 13 km wide. Of greatest importance is how full is the Kineret.

As of Friday, 4 November 2011, the Level of the Kineret was listed as being -213.64 m. Although there has been rainfall, the water level has remained constant. While that might sound good on one hand as it has not dropped further, we need the level to rise. We need to bring that water level up to a level that is appropriate for the area and for fish to return. If the Level of the Kineret rises too high it will flood Tiveria which is also not good for Eretz Yisrael.

Davening for rain has begun in Eretz Yisrael and we ask you to keep on davening. Stay tuned to the level of the Kineret and keep davening till the appropriate level is reached and maintained.

Important Medical Information

There are some pieces of information that are very important to know and have easily available in any home. 

When one moves countries, it is not easy to know where to turn in time of emergency. 

We hope you never have the need, but if you do or someone you know needs, here is a valuable piece of information. 

If someone swallows a problematic substance, Israel has a Centre for Poisons which is situated in Haifa. 

The contact information is as follows:  

   Israel Poisons Information Centre Rambam Medical Centre 

   PO Box 9602 Haifa 31096 

   Director: Dr Y. Bentur 

   Telephone: +972 4 854 2725 

   Emergency telephone: +972 4 854 1900 

   Fax: +972 4 854 2092 

   E-mail: ipic@rambam.health.gov.il 

In the event you or someone you know needs to contact this centre, have ready:

• the name of the person who swallowed something, 
• age of the person, 
• how long ago, ie how much time has lapsed between swallowing the substance and calling the centre
• what was swallowed. 

The Centre for Poisons will then provde instructions as to what to do, where to go to for treatment or if the person can be treated at home. When acting speedily, there are times the problem can be resolved just by calling to the centre. We hope you never have the need for this information, but keep it close at hand. 

When someone does a First Aide course in Israel, one of the first pieces of information provided is this telephone number to call and what information to provide. 

Keep well, stay healthy and enjoy being in Eretz Yisrael.

Magen David Adom and United Hatzola

Recently I came to learn of an interesting service now offered through a connection made between Magen David Adom and United Hatzola. If one calls Magen David Adom for an ambulance, especially when it is after hours and the ambulance fee is higher, they first send a paramedic from Hatzola. The Pareamedic is often able to assist the person at the place they were called from thus saving the ambulance fee. 

The Hatzola paramedic arrives within minutes and in a caring, professional manner will do whatever first aid can be provided. In the event an ambulance is needed, the Hatzola paramedic will inform Magen David Adom and an ambulance is sent.

However, when they are able to administer assistance immediately and an ambulance is no longer needed, the family is then saved the cost of the ambulance which can be a saving of 800 Shekkels.

Both United Hatzola and Magen David Adom provided very necessary services. I am not sure enough of the behind the scenes work, but it was brought to my attention that United Hatzola is in need of funds to keep up with all the life-saving costs involved in the work they are doing.

If you are able to make a donation to assist, please do so here and inidcate that the donation is for assisting in the important work they do for so many in our country.

Of course we daven daily for the Final Geulah, but in the meantime, there are times medical attention and first aide is required.

If you are able to assist please do so now and we will be happy to pass on a group donation.

Update

Wondered where we went to? Been missing posts on this blog? 

We have not forgotten about our blog to Welcome and Encourage Olim Chadashim. It happens in Israel that every so often things get so busy that before you know it another Chag has passed, a few months are behind us and where did the time go?

We have many ideas and much to share but right now we want to hear from you. Yes YOU.

What are your thoughts on Aliya. Have you made Aliya yet? Still planning, what information do you still need?

How is your Aliya process going?

Is there any specific information, guidance or Chizzuk that you need or would like to read, hear and share?

Please let us know, send in your questions or any positive stories of your Aliyah.

We look forward to hearing from you.

New Customer Service at Misrad HaBriyut - 2

In a previous post we began to share the exciting news that Misrad HaBriyut, the Ministry of Health now has a Customer Service.

I am pleasantly surprised that the new customer service actually calls to follow up. At least they have so far.

Once again the customer service can be reached on *5400.

The hours for this service are 8 am - 6 pm Sunday to Thursday and 8 am - 1 pm on Fridays.

There is a new fax number too, which is 02 - 5655997

Try them and enjoy.

Actually, this time they even spoke to me in English and were happy to help me with the spelling of something I needed to prepare a cover letter for a fax in Hebrew.

Let us know how you progress. If you enjoyed good customer service, please let us know to encourage other Professional Olim.

Tip for Professional Olim

When sending in forms to the various governmental offices, from time to time we are suddenly requested to update a certificate. An example is a few years ago, a new law was passed necessitating certain health professionals to submit their certificate / license and obtain a new one.

When applying for the new certificate, many will advise you to just send it in and that it is not necessary to keep a copy. 

TIP: Make a copy anyway. If you can have it notorised too, so much the better. 

Recently there was a fire in the Misrad HaBriyut in Jerusalem and a number of files have been burned. In order to put files together, if yours was one of those burned, Misrad HaBriyut will ask you to submit a photocopy of all previous certificates. Having this copy will become invaluable to rememdy an unforeseen difficulty.

Come and Meet Other Jewish Women

If you are coming to Eretz Yisrael on a Pilot Trip during the month of December or have recently made Aliya, come and join our Full Day Seminar for Women. At this event you will meet other women who already live in Israel. We have some wonderful speakers lined up.

Each of these speakers is very worth getting to know and each have guests for Shabbat.

So come and join us. One of the keys to settling in Israel successfully is increasing your network. What better way than through a full day that is geared to increasing Unity with Jewish Women.

If you can't make this event, please be in touch anyway. We are working on making this kind of event a regular happening. So come along another time.

Advert going into the RBS Views

"Wow, what a list of speakers" Comment sent by friend on FaceBook

"Your event sounds fantastic" Comment sent by friend on twitter

Advert going into the Shechunaton in Har Nof

Our Upcoming Women's Event, scheduled to take place, G-d willing, on 8th Dec 2009 at the Dati Leumi Shul Hall, 22 Rehov Chai Taib, Har Nof.

"It looks like terrific program!" One of our presenters in response to confirming details of the time for her slot.

As you can see, responses coming in are positive. We have wonderful and inspiring speakers and a varied program.

Come and join us for a day of Torah, Tehillim, Tzeddakah, Simchah and Unity. Further details can be seen on our website

Prior Booking is essential. Payment to attend can be made either via PayPal or direct deposit to our Bank Account.

To book your places, please email Shoshanah
Book for a friend too and receive a free raffle ticket.

₪250 per person.

Selecting Your Ulpan

In a previous post we mentioned the benefits of learning Hebrew. Actually, an area highlighted was on a personal side, in terms of relationships with future generations and enjoying everything Israel has to offer. In this post, we turn our attention to how to select your Ulpan.

The word Ulpan אולפן literally means studio. It comes from the word aleph or head, representing the place that you go to begin learning or improving your Hebrew.

When learning any new language, there are a number of factors that are important to keep in mind.

1) What is your level or knowledge of Hebrew at present. Do you know the Hebrew Alphabet. Do you know any phrases. Can you read, write, speak. It does not matter where you are beginning, just that you know where you are starting from.

2) What are your needs when learning Hebrew. Someone who spends his or her time learning Torah for example, will probably be able to read and translate Chumash Hebrew but modern and spoken Hebrew could be a big challenge. Someone who is a health professional, if they are going to practice their profession in Israel, will require a good level of Hebrew. Someone who will be studying at school, college, university also requires good Hebrew. Someone who will be working in sales will require a different kind of Hebrew.

3) Keep in mind that the Ulpan you select will have an impact on the kinds of vocabulary you will learn.

4) What kind of learner are you? Do you need a lot of repetition, high pressure of homework? Do you want a teacher who will take the time to mark extra work you do and give you feedback? Are you good with languages or do you need a lot of encouragement

5) For those who have a profession such as medicine, law, computers; once completing your 5 months of ulpan you have the opportunity for an additional אולפן מקצועי Professional Ulpan. Olim who are occupational therapists, physio therapists, nurses, doctors, speech therapists all benefit from a medical ulpan which lasts for 3 months. You will not necessarily be told about this, so ask your aliya counsellor. It is very well worth taking. Although you will not learn nearly enough, you will begin to gain and grasp the medical terminology, anatomy etc in Hebrew.

Many terms are a variation of English and it does take a bit of practice to read an English word written in Hebrew. So if you don't recognize a word, sound it out letter by letter. It could be the word is actually English or another language, written in Hebrew and incorporated into modern Hebrew.

With these few tips in mind, we can begin to select an Ulpan. There are ulpan programs for students, for religious Jews, for those wanting to focus on speaking, for those who want a combination. Do check out that the ulpan you are interested falls under those that the Misrad haKlita will subsidize for you. There are some programs that are private and will expect you to pay. These you can put aside for later if still needed. It is worthwhile to take an ulpan course with an ulpan that Misrad HaKlita will sponsor.

Mercaz Klita has an Ulpan program for the beginning levels. If the ulpan at the mercaz klita (absorption centre) is not suitable for you. You are permitted to change to another one. It just takes finding a more suitable one and bringing a letter from the absorption centre as to what level you are at. Speak to your aliya counselor as to what to do or you can send me a message through this blog. You do not have to get stuck in an ulpan that is not suitable for you.

Aside from the absorption centre, when deciding of other ulpan programs, the first question will be what level you are. If you need a high level, it will not help to attend an ulpan that only offers the first two levels. Likewise, if you do not yet have any Hebrew, start with basics and work your way up, don't try to enter at a level higher or lower than you are as it will only frustrate you and waste your precious time.

I would highly recommend sitting in on one or two classes or a weeks worth of classes at a few ulpanim to decide which one best suits you. This will give you the added advantage of knowing that the style of teaching, the level and the students will all be conducive to your learning as much as you can. Keep in mind the mix of countries that the other Olim are from. If the class if filled with Russian and you are the only English Speaker, you will hear a lot of Russian as the teacher translates for them. This can be confusing as you might not know whether the teacher is translating or it is something in Hebrew you need to learn. If you are good at languages you might pick up some Russian and benefit from this. If you get overwhelmed by hearing a language that is unrelated to Hebrew and your home language, try to find an ulpan where the other Olim are from countries that speak your home language.

In addition to this, there are certain teaching styles tailor made to different countries. Russian Olim need a lot more pressure and strictness. European or English Speaking countries might not enjoy this style.

For those who have selected an ulpan, I do recommend doing the homework and using your Hebrew as much as possible. In another post we will look at some tips to improve your Hebrew.

I hope this information has been useful. If you have more questions, please post to this blog or email Shoshanah directly.

Introduction

Moving in general is one of the greatest stressors in the list. Moving cities adds an additional dimension. When it comes to moving countries, a whole new aspect comes into play. No longer is it the same mentality, the same kinds of shops or stores, the same politics, the same language and culture, but everything is different.

Making Aliya is different and yet has a very high component of stress and change. When a Jew moves from the diaspora to Israel, this is regarded as making Aliya. Here, as with a move to another country, everything is different. The language, the types of buildings, stores, post office, everything changes. Yet, there is an aspect that is key and central. An aspect of culture that is the same and uniting.

Suddenly, when it comes to Purim, Pesach, Sukkot, any of the Jewish festivals, suddenly there is an incredible sense of belonging. Here, not only is the Yom Tov observed by most, but it is also a time of "National Holiday".

It is here in Israel that one unites on all sorts of levels. Walking through the streets of Israel or going on a tour, it is easy and common to come across the very same places that our Matriarchs, Patriarchs and our Sages visited. The very places spoken of in our Torah.

Even with the richness of our heritage, Aliya is hard. Though some welcome Olim with open arms and are very excited to hear of another Jew returning, there are others who do all that they can to help you to go through the same difficulties they did. Olim will often come across obstacles and hurdles, closed doors and difficulties.

This blog is to share experiences and useful tips in an effort to pave the way towards a greater Welcome for Olim. To ease the road for other Jews coming home, so that we can all be a part of the awesome process of building Israel and readying ourselves for the ultimate goal, of Moshiach and our Final Temple.

If you have made Aliya or are considering doing so, please send in your comments. Let us know what helped you to be successful here in Israel. Let us know what helps you to stay here. Why have you chosen to return to Israel, now at this time. What can you share that will offer hope and inspiration to other Olim and to those considering returning to the Land of Israel. The Land promised to the descendants of Avraham, Yitzhak and Yaakov.