Personalised Aliyah Support and Assistance For You!

Are you making Aliyah? Have you just arrived in Eretz Yisrael?

Are you having difficulty understanding the various letters, documents, accounts etc. that come in the mail - all in Hebrew? Are you overwhelmed with the details to be organized and sorted out when you make Aliyah and when you arrive in Eretz Yisrael? Do you need more assistance than you feel you are receiving from your Aliyah counselor / Shaliach or coach? Did you know that you are not the only one feeling overwhelmed?
Is the thought of all that has to be taken care of once you arrive keeping you from making Aliyah?

No need to despair! No need to feel alone! Did you know that we offer a personalized service to assist you with your Aliyah process? If you are a native English speaker, here is what we offer you:

• Before making Aliyah, we can assist you with preparation. This is done through a consultation via Skype with webcam. We are here for you - to answer all your questions and brief you with vital day to day living and tasks in Israel (including all items listed below)
• Regular telephone / email correspondence, even before you arrive, while you go through the process
• Assistance to understand the mail that you receive in Hebrew
• Assistance in basic computer / administrative tasks
• Choosing a cell phone plan and opening your account for you
• Choosing your internet provider and opening your account for you
• Choosing your bank and being with you when you open your account
• Assisting you set up your internet banking, showing you how it works and teaching you how to do it yourself. (Further personal assistance available if required at times convenient to you)
• Choosing your Kupat Cholim (medical aid system) and getting to understand the system
• Assistance with shopping and costing of items (helping you economize your shopping list)

We can assist you to complete all the myriad of tasks that are so crucial but can be very overwhelming when coming to a new country, and especially when that new country means having to navigate the system in a foreign language.

Advantages to our service include:

• Personal service according to your unique needs
• Service from a couple who have been through the struggles that you may find yourself in
• Advice is real, no propaganda.
• We'll hold your hand through the process - you are really no longer alone!
• If you are elderly, have special needs, a disability or have a child or family member with a special need, we can help you too.

Please note: We specialise and focus in the Jerusalem area.
 
We'd love to help you make a success of your Aliyah. Please email us for a quote and for more info. 

Eliyahu and Shoshanah

Welcome Home From Israel to ALL Jews

Yesterday I posted in a social network group asking if anyone had questions related to making Aliyah. I had little response. One person stated she had so many questions, too many to ask. The next person came up with a link to an article of 10 reasons why not to make Aliyah.

Having moved 42 times in my life so far, lived in 5 different countries, 9 different cities and a whole bunch of neighbourhoods, my response is, there is no place like home. Where is home? Well the video below gives a little insight, or a lot. 

If you are Jewish and considering making Aliyah, Israel is our home. Don't be put off my negative talk or problematic politics or any other issue that might be standing in your way.

We invite you to post your comment or question below. We'd love to hear from you and would be happy to address your issues, concerns, thoughts, ideas in future blog posts. If you have a valuable or inspiring story to share, do be in touch to submit a guest post. 

When it comes to Aliyah, we are all in this together. Together we CAN build up the country that Hashem gave to us! Together we can make it happen. 

Have a blessed day

Shoshanah Shear

Chessed Ve'Emet

Will Young Couples (and Others Without Their Own Homes) Ever Be Able to Own Their Own Homes in Israel? (Guest Post)

F.N.B - a friend on Facebook had the following to share regarding a new law that has just gone into effect in Israel. The law stipulates an increase in the purchase tax for real estate investors to 8%. Here's what F.N.B had to say:

Real estate purchase taxes for investors were supposed to go up to 8-10% on July 1st - but then suddenly two days ago the treasury dept changed the effective date to today causing havoc in the real estate market.

This whole tax increase thing is such BS because many of the apartments the treasury is trying to save for young couples are still not affordable to young couples making 10-15,000 ILS a month between two people.

If the goal is to help young people afford an apt then isolate apartments that suit younger people and offer incentives like 0% VAT on new projects and 0% Purchase Tax on first homes up to a reasonable threshold like 2,000,000 Shekel - better yet the government can release land for development at discounted prices and regulate the price a developer can charge on those specific projects.

Real estate is huge business for the government - 18% VAT on every new apartment sold plus 18% VAT on the cost of materials and services to build the buildings and on consulting fees like attorneys, agents, mortgages etc - plus Purchase Taxes and who pays the most in Purchase Taxes? INVESTORS - I highly doubt they think this will solve the housing crisis as much as they're hoping to gain higher tax revenues from investors.

At the end of the day - this change hurts everyone - especially young couples who can't afford to buy an apt on a 10,000-15,000 ILS a month household income - it's not enough to pay for life and save money for a 30% down payment plus expenses - and now that they still can't buy apartments, investors will pay more for these apartments and charge higher rents or not buy at all causing a rental crisis.

The winner in this game is the tax collector because once the dust settles, investors will buy and the taxes will be paid and rents will go up and nothing will change for the young people desperately trying to make ends meet.

The full article regarding the new tax can be read here: Treasury seeks instant investment property tax hike.

Welcoming Olim: Indeed, the housing crisis has become impossible to deal with for those earning minimum wage amounts, coming to Israel with no money at all, and for those just trying to get any start of life in Israel

Taxes areon the rise. Service providers (for real estate) are on the rise. Those selling are asking for more and are being able to invest further, however those who cannot make the start are left stranded. When will changes be made to assist those who have committed themselves to living in Israel and trying to make a start with limited funds? Are we encouraging others to come to Israel for the sake of convenience (everyone is doing it - you'll be okay - come on!) or are we serious enough to assist those in need of proper absorption? Where will help come from if not from those who have the ability to make real positive changes?

Making Aliyah? Here are Some Financial and Other Realities: Problems and Possible Solutions (Guest Post)

Biggest Issue for Those in Need of Gainful Employment

The biggest issue for those in their 30's to 60's is jobs - being employed in a job that uses their skills and pays a living wage.

Biggest Obstacles

• The biggest obstacle is not having a high level of Hebrew, written (both block and cursive), comprehension, and speaking.
• The second biggest obstacle is the illegal ageism which gets worse as the person ages.
• The third biggest obstacle is having skills that were in demand in another region of the world but are not in demand in Israel.

Possible Solutions

• Online Ulpan starting a year before Aliyah.
• Once in Israel having a buddy who you can teach your primary language and they can help you with Hebrew.
• Lobby the government to enforce current laws, educate employers.
• Have NBN, JAFI and other organizations produce skills matrixes so people can retrain before Aliyah.

Other Obstacles

• The biggest obstacle for a portion of Olim and most Israelis - the cost of housing, the cost of living in general. 
• A large issue for those who come in their 50 and 60's - who have no family in Israel - don't have the issue now but can have the issue in another 10 to 20 years is the dearth of native language assisted living, nursing home, and hospice facilities around the country. Continuing Care Communities (active to death) are expensive and out of reach to most of us. As you age, and if dementia happens you revert to your native language - most places don't have staff that speak different languages. Look at how the elderly Holocaust survivors are treated then look at the world baby boomer population.
• General language barriers - when you are sick, infirm, disabled, it is hard enough - not having personnel available to aid someone when they need it, be it clinics or the hospital needs to be rectified. Personally, Maccabi does have many people where I live that speak enough English for me to get by - and almost all the signs are in Russian along with Hebrew so people do get by but it's not optimal. The French and Ladino communities are still small but growing and they too need help in the health care related functions.

So here are 3 - I've heard many others - problems? Possible solutions?

Please feel free to share your own difficulties, challenges and solutions you have come across in your journey in making Aliyah by emailing us. We would be happy to include your own experiences and stories on our page.

~ With thanks to Stevie Sacks for this clear and direct post giving an insight into some of the challenges, difficulties and problems encountered in making Aliyah, and offering some possible solutions.

Stevie Sacks made Aliyah just over 11 months ago - in July 2014. She is the founder of the Lone Seniors Landing Pad Aliyah for 50+ solitary people making Aliyah - an information sharing and support group on Facebook.

How Well Are You Integrating Into Life in Israel?

Do you ever stop to wonder if your Aliyah is successful? What kind of indicators do you have or have you thought of as to whether you have integrated into life in Israel?

For some it might be, did they manage to purchase a house. Well that is something pretty major. Yes, that could be a sign that you have made it living in Israel. However, there are some who manage to purchase an apartment or house in Israel and yet hardly ever live here. Hm, what else can we use as a measure as to whether you are integrating successfully into life in Israel?

Last night I had an inkling into what being accepted here is about. For a while now I have wanted to have a group of women in my home learning together, reciting Brachot and Amen together, giving each other some Chizuk. On two occassions, I did manage to invite some kids in the area on a Shabbat day to recite Tehillim and them some Brachot. But it's not quite the same as women your age with whom you can interact. I had tried inviting English speakers and somehow it did not quite happen.

Then a few days ago I was speaking to a neighbour a few buildings away and she offered to bring some of her friends around. Here we had the start of what I wanted, not with English speakers though but with Hebrew speakers.

The time arrived, I had prepared what was necessary and the women slowly arrived. While those who arrived early and I sat waiting, we chatted a bit to get to know each other. Suddenly I pinched myself. Here I was with 6 other women of my age, chatting away and planning the evening together all in Hebrew. They had accepted me enough to chat like a friend and I was understanding what they said and answering sometimes in a manner like an Israel, such as the way I answered "כן, כן" as in "yes, certainly."

If you would like one tip as to how to make your integration into living in Israel successful it would be learn Hebrew and get to know the Israeli's. While it is good to interact with English speakers, get to know your Israeli neighbours. When you can chat with a group of Israeli's in Hebrew just as easily as you would with English speakers, then you have mastered something great.

For some reason they say, "when in Rome do as the Romans do!" Well, I say when in Israel, speak Hebrew with the Israeli's. 

What do you do to help your integration to be successful? Have you taken time to learn Hebrew? Have you met your neighbours? Have you invited them over for tea, coffee or any other time to chat and have some nosh?

Try it, you might be pleasantly surprised as to how friendly and welcoming they can be.

 This post is prepared for you by Shoshanah Shear of Chessed Ve'Emet

Establishing Financial Stability in Israel

A topic we hear mentioned a lot, especially regarding living in Israel is that of whether it is possible to obtain or establish financial stability in Israel. Yesterday we had the good fortune to meet with Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft the Traveling Rabbi of Southern Africa. In our discussion, Rabbi Silberhaft mentioned that many are becoming stuck in the country they find themselves due to financial commitments, obligations or reaching an age that they are no longer part of the work force.

What can one do to help to establish financial stability? What can one do to be able to live the dream that is within the heart of every Jew, that of living in the land of Israel?

Usually, when one thinks of earning, working and financial stability, the main trend of thought is obtain a job, work 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. or even work a few jobs, earn a salary and there is your financial stability. The truth is that life is not so simple. Many events happen in life that take one off on another direction or will challenge your belief that working a salaried job is the final and only answer to financial stability. 

If this topic is one that bothers you, we invited you to join us in a series of blog posts where we will touch on our experience, the different varied choices we have made and options we have tried. We aim to include the lessons learned both the good and the problematic with a view to giving you insight that can assist you to be more successful. If finance is the reason you have not yet made Aliyah, here is a challenge for you:

 Though we all have to put in our effort, our income is set for us from Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur by the Director of All. The One who has His eye on Israel throughout the entire year. He can certainly help you to find and to make a suitable income wherever you are, so why not in 

Israel?

This blog post is prepared for you by Shoshanah Shear

Occupational Therapist, Healing Facilitator

Certified Infant Massage Instructor

Certified Kallah Teacher

Artist, Photographer and Author

Stay tuned for the next post on establishing your financial stability and living your dream in the

 Holy Land of Eretz Yisrael.

Transitions and Decisions in Making Aliyah

Making Aliyah is a tremendous change. There are many transitions that have to be made and much work in order to ensure a successful integration into your new home and community. Where does one begin? How do you know if Israel is right for you?

With most things in life, the best place to begin is by sitting down and deciding what your life goals are. Do you have goals for your life? Have you considered how to set about achieving them?

What are some factors that might help you decide whether moving to Israel would help you to achieve your goals or be moving in a totally different direction?

That would depend in part on what your goals are, if you have set them yet and where you are in the life cycle. If you are single, your goals and needs will be different to whether you are newly married, which will differ to whether you have children and what their ages are or whether you are older than that and nearing retirement.

Do you have responsibilities? This is another big question to ask.

If you are in need of assistance in identifying your life goals or in deciding whether Israel will be a land that helps you meet your life goals, Chessed Ve'Emet can assist you to identify each of these and devise a plan to meet your goals and ease the transition.

Aliyah Tips - Maintaining Your Committment to the Land

Next in the series of Aliyah tips, we have a few ideas to keep you committed to the Land of Israel. When things get tough, as they do for all at some point, what keeps you motivated? What gives you the drive to stick it out and make Israel your home?

We have ideas of what keeps us committed but we took this again to a FaceBook group and had some amazing responses. 

Once again attitude and ones motivation for coming in the first place play a part. For some, Hashem is what keeps them committed to being here. 

Regarding the current situation, a few mentioned

"Even with (G´D forbid) Piguim and a new Intifada, this is the safest place for Jews to be." (J) 

We had quite a few comments that it is not safe in other parts of the world. A few pointed out that one never knows what will happen anywhere. To a certain extent, if it is ones time to go, then it is time. You could get stabbed in many parts of the world for your wallet or valuables. There could be an array of natural disasters. Anything could happen anywhere. But somehow, most agree that one just feels safe in Israel. 

One Olah shared that she lives in Ashdod. During the summer there were rockets there. It was scary but one knows it will pass. The situation will improve. Keeping this in mind helps us to handle the tough times.

At the end of the day, everyone who is here, living in Israel, agrees that Israel is our home. 

One very special response as to what keeps us committed to being in the land of Israel, was posted as an image and hence we post it here. 

The Beis HaMikdash, our Holy Temple will be rebuilt. By being in the Land of Israel, you get to be here when the change happens and our Temple stands once more.

Please visit again for more Aliyah tips. We have more on the topic of staying committed to being here. We have many other tips too. 

What topic is of interest to you?

If you need some guidance in being here in Israel, do be in touch with Chessed Ve'Emet. We'd love to hear from you and discuss which of our services can assist you in your path to be successful in the land where we belong.

Aliyah Tips Continued

Last week, we began a series of posts on Aliyah tips. I have a number of great tips and yes, we will cover what keeps Yidden committed to being here even when life get's difficult. Before we get to those, our next tip from a few Olim is, ATTITUDE. 

You need to come with a positive attitude and a dedication to stay here no matter what. Some spoke of making a complete break so that you have no option to return. Keep focused on being here and look for the positive no matter what happens. 

It might sound like a simple tip, but it is one that most who are here are tested with from time to time or often. If you are committed to staying in the land where we belong, you can start right now by looking for the good in every situation and looking for the good in Eretz Yisrael. Remember, as we posted in the previous post, we might fight and argue but Am Yisrael is one big family. So if someone upsets you, remember they might have a tough outer skin, but inside, Israelis have a heart of gold. Mostly the dedication to each other is very inspiring to witness and to be a part of. 

So when someone tells you, you can't make it in Israel, think Positive and remember, as one Olah reminded us, except for a few who remained throughout the years, most of us are all Olim in it together. Whether it is this generation or one's parents or grandparents, somewhere is an Oleh or Olah who gave up their other life to come and help to settle the land. Many have succeeded to remain here for decades. If those of us here can do it, so can you.

If you need some guidance in being here in Israel, do be in touch with Chessed Ve'Emet. We'd love to hear from you and discuss which of our services can assist you in your path to be successful in the land where we belong.