Later Aliya Planning

• Schools
  
  
• Shipping
  
  
• Finding a Place to Live
  
  
• Bringing Your Pet
  
  
• Bring a Car on Aliya
  
  
• Finding a Job

Aliya: Split Aliya, Special Needs

Sometimes it is necessary for spouses to make Aliya at different times, due to employment needs, or other personal reasons.

While it is not usually preferable, it is possible.

It is very important that all people or companies involved in your Aliya Process (The Jewish Agency, NBN, your Shipping Company, your accountant) be aware that you are making a split Aliya, so that there are no problems or delays once you are in Israel.

Special Needs

If you or one of your family members have special needs, be sure to let the Jewish Agency, NBN, and any other organization you are working with know about them in advance.

Sometimes it makes sense to hire a private agency to help with your pre and post-Aliya plans.

For more information contact:

• Aliya121
  www.aliyah121.com

Commercial Shipments – Air or Sea – When Starting a Business

If you are in a hurry to get your product, you will consider air cargo.
While very expensive, it is also very quick. 
With light weight and compact products, this may be the most economical way to ship.  
When considering small air shipments, courier (such as DHL, UPS or Fedex) is often the best way to ship as they will provide door to door service.

If the shipment is larger, then you will probably ship via air cargo. 
When considering air cargo, you must verify the maximum size of a pallet. 
Different planes have different loading capacities. 
You don’t want your shipment delayed until the plane with the right size cargo hold, flies on your lane. 

Air shipment charges are based on weight with a minimum charge of 10 lbs to the cubic foot (or 167 kg to the cubic meter.)   
This means a bulky light weight item will be very expensive to ship via air. 
The only exception is the post office which charges by weight and does not consider volume. This can change and you should check the current terms and conditions.

Ocean shipments take longer and are significantly cheaper than air shipments. 
An ocean shipment can be via an exclusive container, called an FCL (Full Container Load).  FCLs come in three sizes – 20 foot, 40 foot and 40 foot “High Cube” which is one foot higher.

If you have less than a full container, you will probably ship your goods as an LCL (Less than Container Load). 
In this case you will pay by volume – either per cubic foot or per cubic meter. 
In rare cases where you ship heavy items such as printed goods or stone, your charge will be weight at the rate of 1 ton being charged at the rate of 1 cubic meter.

Your forwarder will handle all shipping arrangements.

In both cases, air or sea shipment, you will need a licensed Customs Broker to clear your goods through Customs. 
Most brokers have representatives at the airport (Ben Gurion) and the sea ports (Ashdod, Eilat and Haifa). 
Once cleared, you or your forwarder will arrange delivery of the goods from the port to your warehouse. 
You will want to do this as quickly as possible to avoid or at least limit expensive port storage fees.

This brief outline gives you a few pointers to help make your business a success, but obviously there is much more to learn and check before making the decision to start an import business. You must prepare a cash flow projection (don’t forget the VAT payment required to clear your goods through Customs – an outlay long before you have any income) and a profit and loss projection.

These projections will include all your operating expenses. 
Remember, your salary is one of those important expenses as well.

With a lot of hard work, long hours, much luck, you can make a business succeed in Israel.

Aliya: Learning Hebrew

Learning Hebrew is one of the most difficult and also important parts of a successful Klita (absorption) into Israeli society.

While many Olim have succeeded without spoken Hebrew, this is the exception and not the rule.

Plan on needing at least spoken Hebrew within your first two to three years.
Reading will be a major benefit.
Writing in Hebrew (for those of us that don’t learn this as children) is not nearly as important, and many Olim succeed without ever reaching this level.

All new Olim are entitled (and expected) to take a course in Ulpan. These are special classes designed specifically for new Olim to learn Hebrew, and the best are full-time (5-6 hours a day, during the morning and early afternoon) courses which run 5-6 months.

Don’t think that you can come to Israel knowing little or no Hebrew, and walk out of Ulpan 6 months later being fluent! The basic courses (Aleph and Bet) will teach you the basics (The Aleph-Bet, the structure of words, the tenses and genders) however learning vocabulary is mostly up to you.

In short, it’s a good idea to learn some Hebrew before you come, and expect to continue learning Hebrew past your Ulpan experience.

Sonigo (Israel) International Transports 9 Generators to Cyprus

Sonigo Shipping, specialists in international shipping, personal effects shipping and customs brokerage, transported 9 generators to Cyprus’s Electric Company. As published in the press, a fire broke out in a navy base causing the explosion of ammunition and arms confiscated in 2009 from a vessel en route from Iran to Syria. 12 people were killed and over 60 injured from the explosions. The explosions also destroyed Limassol’s largest power station, effectively blacking out the Cypriot capital city.

David Sonigo, General Manager of Sonigo, reported the entire logistical operation of trucking, loading and lashing was executed with eight hours notice. In an emergency situation like this, Sonigo said this shipment received top priority to ensure it loaded on the next vessel to Limassol.

There may be additional shipments of generators to help the Cypriot power company replace the capacity destroyed by the explosion in the naval base. If so, Sonigo said he will be ready to help out again if necessary.

Sonigo International Shipping, established in 1986 is a licensed forwarder, customs broker and specializes in shipping personal effects, fine arts, exhibitions and concerts.

Aliya: Online email lists or websites

Many communities in Israel have email lists for English Speakers living in their community, and there are several email lists for English Speakers in Israel in general.

Listed here is a partial list of the more useful/active lists.

There are also similar lists (not listed here) which are either dedicated to a very specific group/purpose, or where the list is designed to benefit a specific business (even if it isn’t apparent).

Some lists are standard Yahoo! Groups, and some have been set up on an independent website or email server.

All of the lists here are free to join:

• Tachlis
  A general email list for new and old Olim in Israel.
  http://www.jafi.org.il/JewishAgency/English/Aliyah/Aliyah+Info/Aliyah+Information/General+Information/Tachlis/Tachlis.htm

• Janglo and Tanglo
  One of the oldest email lists for English Speakers in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
  www.janglo.net

• InHaSharon
  For English Speakers in Ra’Anana, Herzilia, Netanya, Kfar Saba, Hod HaSharon, and the Sharon region.
  www.inhasharon.co.il/

• RBS List Serve
  For English Speakers in the Ramat Bet Shemesh area.
  http://shemesh.co.il/mailman/listinfo/list

• Modi’in
  For English Speakers in the Modi’in area.
  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Modiin/

• Taanglo
  A Yahoo! Group for English Speakers in Jerusalem.
  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/taanglo/

• IsraEmploy
  This list is free to join, however there is a subscription fee to receive full contact information for available jobs.
  This is specifically for job postings in Israel:
  http://www.israemploy.net/

Aliya: Israeli Groups for New Olim

Groups and Organizations

There are many groups, both abroad and here in Israel, which can help with pre- or post-Aliya needs. This is a partial list, with an outline of what they do:

• AACI (Americans and Canadians in Israel)
  AACI is a great resource, offering help with Job Placement, assistance on arrival, social activities, Financial planning, discounts at many Israeli Businesses for members, and all sorts of advice related to making Aliya and living in Israel.
  www.aaci.org.il

• ESRA
  (English Speaking Residents Association)
  ESRA offers assistance with absorption, Job Placement, and many other need for (English Speaking) people who have just make Aliya.
  www.esra.org.il

• TELFED
  TELFED is the South African Zionist Federation assistance organization. Offering the same types of help as AACI, and other issues specific to people who are, or have, made Aliya from South Africa.
  www.telfed.org.il

• VOLEH
  A group offering legal advice for new Olim.
  www.voleh.org

• MATI
  The Jerusalem Business Development Center is designed to help Israelis (both Native and Olim) set up small businesses and expand existing ones.
  www.mati.org.il/eng/

• Cyrus Foundation
  A non-profit organization which offers grants for new immigrants from the US to ship their goods to Israel (when making Aliya).
  www.restorationisrael.org

• Israel Business Connection
  A business offering free advice for Olim setting up small business and understanding the more intricate aspects of specific business models in Israel.
  www.infoisrael.co.il

• Jacob Richmond’s Aliya Pages
  Jacob is an amazing person, and a computer pro. His pages are filled with all sorts of information from Job Search (specific to people in computers and high tech), learning Hebrew, and all types of current events in Israel.
  www.jr.co.il

Aliya Organizations to Contact

There are basically two organizations involved in the pre-Aliya process.

• The Jewish Agency (JAFI in English, Keren Kayemit L’Yisrael in Hebrew):
  This is the group which is responsible for outreach throughout the world. In many countries, the Jewish Agency is solely responsible for Aliya, and in every country the Jewish Agency is integrally involved in the application process.
  
  Once you decide you might want to make Aliya, it is a good idea to contact them.
  www.jafi.org.il

• Nefesh B’Nefesh
  Nefesh B’Nefesh (NBN for short) is deeply involved in the Aliya process for people coming from North America, the UK, and other English Speaking Countries.
  
  Nefesh B’Nefesh provides pre- and post-Aliya support, and tremendous help with the Aliya process.
  
  In some instances, Nefesh B’Nefesh offers grants for people or families making Aliya.
  
  In any instance, if you are making Aliya from North America, or the UK, you should be in touch with Nefesh B’Nefesh as soon as you think you might want to make Aliya.
  
  www.nbn.org.il

Aliya- First step

Here is a simple checklist (in no specific order) for the first things to do:

• Contact Nefesh B’Nefesh or the Jewish Agency (more information below) about starting the application.

• Place your home on the market, or at least calculate how long your home will take to sell (contact a real estate agent).

• Review your Hebrew skills, and determine your skill level.
  If it is low, consider taking a class in Hebrew.

• Budget your finances – both for the time before you will make Aliya, as well as the fist six months to one year after you arrive.
  (It’s a good idea to assume you will need at least six months to find employment).

• Review your (and your families) medical history and get a check up.

• Make contact with some Israeli based Aliya groups (AACI, for example).

• Pay off or pay down any debts.

• Review your decision to make Aliya with all family members, especially children who will be coming with you.

• If you have pets, find out the needed procedures for bringing them to Israel (this can take a few months).

• Try to cut back on your day to day expenses – reduce what you spend on things like entertainment, dining out, and other luxuries.
  The money will come in handy later, and you’ll start to get used to a more Israeli lifestyle (where recreation is usually done in a less expensive manner).

• Start to review your possessions – what you might ship or might not.
  Shipping is expensive, so there is no reason to ship goods that should go to Tzedaka or the trash.

• Consider any special needs you or your family might have, and see what resources are available in Israel.

This is not a complete list, as each individual or family will likely have something important to them.
However, the idea is that you will be changing everything in your life, so review everything you can, as early as possible.

Early Aliya Planning

When is the time to start planning your Aliya?
As soon as possible! As soon as you think you might want to make Aliya, it makes sense to review what is involved, and what you can do now, rather than later.

At a minimum, it’s a good idea to start six months before.
However it is very normal for people to start over a year in advance.

Starting could be as simple as reading this (or other) guides, taking a course in Hebrew, squaring away your finances (and putting some money aside), or visiting Israel on a pilot trip (not a touring trip – see below).

Here are some basic things you should review during your early Aliya planning.

Aliya to Israel (1)

Making Aliya is an exciting and challenging move.
Not only do you need to consider all of the normal changes involved with a move (finding a home, schools, learning your way around the new city); or the normal considerations in moving to a new country (new languages, laws, governmental procedures); you will also be returning to the home of your ancestors, as well as a modern country in all respects.

The Israel you will be moving to most likely won’t be the Israel in your imagination, however every year thousands of Jews make Aliya and settle in happily.

This brief guide will hopefully help make your Aliya to Israel a little easier.
Of course, no guide is comprehensive – instead, it is designed to help you both plan properly, and to point you to references which will also help.

May your Aliya and Klita (absorption) be smooth and easy!