Dual citizen

Since my last post, I’ve completed the process of making aliyah and am now a dual American-Israeli citizen. It’s something I never imagined doing, but I’m so glad I did.

I’ve gotten a lot of questions about both why I decided to make aliyah and what the process was like.

Why did I make aliyah instead of just getting a temporary resident or work permit? Am I planning on living in Israel forever?

The short answer is: it makes life easier and probably not.

Living in Israel without being a citizen – or having an A1 temporary resident permit – is more difficult. You don’t have a teudat zehut, or Israeli ID number, which is required (or, again, makes things easier) for everything from tax forms to ordering food online. I was surprised at how often I needed this mysterious number that I didn’t possess.

I was also asked, time and again, why I wouldn’t make aliyah, from everyone – potential employers, Israelis I’d just met, bankers. I realized that by not making aliyah, it seemed like I wasn’t committing to living here and that I was planning to leave at any moment.

The third reason I made aliyah is for the benefits. The Israeli government actively recruits olim chadashim – new immigrants – and entices us with benefits. Some are part of a “welcome basket” (sadly not given in a basket), and include money to help you in the first months here, breaks on income taxes taken out of your paycheck, ulpan (Hebrew classes – which I desperately need and are NOT cheap if you have to pay out of pocket), 70-90% discounts on Arnona (property taxes), free health care if you don’t have a job and discounted health care even if you do, and more. Honestly, it’s incredibly helpful, especially living in a city with a cost of living that matches that of New York City but salaries on par with Detroit’s (check out this great 1-minute Nas Daily video for more on that).

And as for whether I’ll stay here forever: probably not, but who knows? I’m trying to embrace a more Israeli go-with-the-flow attitude; as long as I’m happy here, I plan to stay here. We’ll see how hard – and when – homesickness truly sets in.

What’s the process like?

There’s a lot about the process of making aliyah that’s tedious and frustrating and time consuming. Nonetheless, I realize that it’s much easier to gain citizenship in Israel as an American Jew than it is for many others in other countries.

The entire process took about a month. American Jews have the added benefit of help from Nefesh B’Nefesh, an agency that speeds up and simplifies the process. The main steps:

• Fill out a whole lotta forms for Misrad Hapnim – the Ministry of the Interior – including basic information in addition to family history and Jewish history
• Get a hold of my original birth certificate and an original letter from my rabbi back in the US stating that I’m Jewish and born to a Jewish mother (this meant I had to have my sister bring them over from the US – luckily, she was visiting when I needed them!)
• Find an Israeli lawyer willing to watch me sign, then co-sign, a document stating that I’m not a criminal in the US and haven’t perpetrated any crimes against Jews or the State of Israel
• Take a day off work to go to Jerusalem to actually complete the process with Nefesh B’Nefesh, where Misrad Hapnim was on-site to give me my teudat zehut

And with that, I was an Israeli citizen. Easy, right? No, there were more steps after that to get my teudat oleh – my immigrant ID – that would get me the benefits.

• Go to the bank, make a deposit with the teller (for which there’s a fee – there’s a fee to ever interact with the teller) so that I could get a deposit slip to present to Misrad Haklita (Ministry of Absorption). Also meet with a private banker to transfer my bank account to being connected to my US passport to my teudat zehut. (1 hour)
• Go in to Misrad Haklita, all forms in hand, to fill out another form (1 hour)
• Wait for a call from Misrad Haklita to make an appointment to set up my benefits (a couple of days)
• Go back to Misrad Haklita for my appointment to set up my benefits and payments (and the adviser didn’t speak English, so we had to have the receptionist translate) (30 minutes)
• Take forms from Misrad Haklita to Bituach Leumi (National Insurance Institute) to decide on which health insurance company to go with and sign up (and hopefully I’ll get my card in the mail someday soon) (30 minutes)
• Go back yet again to Misrad Haklita because I didn’t realize I needed to have decided which Ulpan to take at my last meeting in order to get the voucher (30 minutes)
• Go back to Misrad Haklita a third (and hopefully last) time, three weeks later (because Passover), to meet with an adviser to go over my benefits more and ask any questions (1 hour… I hope. Not yet completed)
• Go to the municipality to set up my arnona discounts (who knows how long that will take)

After all this is done, I’ll start the process of converting my US driver’s license to an Israeli one, which I have until August 23 to do (one year after my arrival date).

It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it. I can’t believe I’m still on this adventure. Every day is a new challenge, but each time I accomplish something, it’s a great feeling.

I’m going back to the states at the end of the week for a short one-week visit, and I can’t wait – plus, I’ll get to come back through customs in Israel as a resident!

Looking back on the first five months

Tomorrow marks the end of my five-month program. At 9:30 a.m., we’ll be out on the streets – some of us staying here in Israel, others heading home.

In some ways, I can’t believe how long ago the first few days feel. The first day I walked in, sweaty and out of breath after lugging my way-too-heavy suitcases up the stairs in 90+-degree heat, to find some of my new roommates and our madrich (program adviser) sitting in the kitchen. I was immediately overwhelmed by the new personalities, the apartment, the realization that this was the setting for the next five months of my life.

Those first few days, I genuinely didn’t know if I was going to make it. I knew only a couple of people in Tel Aviv outside of my program. I felt way too old to be on the program at all, let alone to be in an apartment with seven other people, sharing a room. I was beyond grossed out by our bathroom and shower situation (my hair phobia didn’t help matters). Our power went out the first night, yielding a sleepless, sweaty night. I was tired, anxious and scared. I started looking for a sublet.

Goodbye, tiny bedroom

When I realized I wasn’t actually going to move out, I tried to make the best of my apartment situation. I barely (read: never) cooked because our kitchen grossed me out so much. Our eight personalities clashed in sometimes ugly ways. Our apartment became so moldy with the winter rain that three people actually moved out. But hey – I made it. I was lucky to get along well with my roommate (truly the most important), and I only fell out of my twin-sized bed once. I didn’t overcome my hair phobia, but I’m alive and didn’t inhale so much mold that I have brain damage (that I know of, anyway).

I quickly came into my own on the program. I reassured myself that age is just a number, and that I can survive five months anywhere. And thankfully, I was right.

I made friendships I know will last a lifetime. I’m excited to know people all around the world – Argentina, Brazil, France, Hungary, Russia, Germany… even Canada! Though I didn’t meet nearly as many Israelis as I might have liked or expected, I know that’s partially on me, and I’m making a strong effort now that I’m staying.

My internship was a fantastic experience. I learned about the world of public relations, and met some truly wonderful people along the way. I also got to interact with Israel’s high-tech startup scene (and I now know more about cybersecurity than I ever expected!).

I finally feel like a local in Tel Aviv (maybe not Israel, but at least Tel Aviv) as opposed to a tourist. I can figure out the buses and have yelled “Rega! Nahag!” (“Wait! Driver!”) when the bus doors closed before I could shove my way to the doors. I know my favorite restaurants and how to order shawarma. I don’t expect to get water at a restaurant unless I ask a few times.

Most of all, I feel confident in my decision to stay in Tel Aviv longer. I’ve started the process of making Aliyah (becoming an Israeli citizen) instead of only applying for a work visa. I opened a bank account (after four attempts…), rented an apartment with a lovely Israeli roommate and am going through job interviews.

I miss home; most of all, I miss my friends, family and cat. But I’ll be back to visit, and someday to live, I’m sure… and in the meantime, this is everyone’s excuse to come visit Israel!

Thank you to everyone I’ve met – in one way or another, you have all had a positive impact on my experience here, and I hope we stay in touch.

 

 

Should I stay or should I go?

When I arrived in Israel in late August, I did so with an open mind: I didn’t have a clue whether I’d stay past the program end in January. I told myself that I’d go with the flow and give myself time to make up my mind. The goal, ultimately, was to make this decision by the end of December, so that if I decided to return to the U.S. I could begin my job search (and, conversely, if I were to stay in Israel, start finding a job/housing here).

Now, It’s the second week of December, and I don’t feel any closer to a decision than I did before. I had days when I was sure I would stay, and days that I’ve wanted nothing more than to return home in 2017.

I’ve tried pro/con lists, which have helped to an extent, but have certainly not been definitive. Below I’ll share some of my reasons – just a few of the selected, more publicly-appropriate ones, of course. Over the next few weeks I’ll be doing some serious soul-searching to hopefully come to a decision.

PRO: STAY IN ISRAEL!

• More time to explore Tel Aviv and the whole of Israel
• Easier (and cheaper) to travel to other European countries
• It’s an adventure
• Learning opportunities
• Pushing myself out of my comfort zone
• I don’t have to figure out a new job and new city back in the U.S.
• No need for a car
• I really love this city.
• The Mediterranean and the beach

• The weather (and not returning to the U.S. in the dead of winter)

CON: GO BACK TO THE US!

• If I stay, I need to put in a lot more effort to learn Hebrew. If I go home, it’s back to my first language.
• I really miss my friends and family – and my cat, Leinie.

Look at that cat. How could you not miss him??

• The eight-hour time difference makes it hard to stay connected to those back home.
• I’d surely make more money.
• Cost of living in Tel Aviv is really high – groceries, bills, especially housing
• Summer in Israel is brutal.
• Living in the U.S. is just EASIER. It’s easier to do things like go to a clinic, deal with customer service representatives and get things fixed (like my phone, which is barely functioning) – and not just because of the language barrier.
• I could afford to join a gym and start working out again. I’d probably eat more healthily, too (probably… not definitely).
• A majority of the people I know here are on this program and leaving at the end of January. That said, I’m pushing myself this next month to get to more events and meet more people, especially Israelis.

Advice? I’ll take it. Affordable apartments in Tel Aviv? Any jobs back in the U.S. that would tempt me to come back even more? Oh, I’ll definitely take those.