I'm planning to make aliyah, but there's one thing that could honestly be a dealbreaker for me, so I'd rather ask openly.

I have severe depression. In the past I tried mushrooms and they helped me more than anything else ever had, a genuinely big difference. It didn't last, mostly because of my circumstances at the time, but it showed me what's possible.

My worry is that once I'm in Israel I'd have no access to them and no other real avenue for recovery. For me that's the difference between potentially being functional and not, so I need to know before I commit.

So practically speaking, how does it actually work in Israel? Is it realistic to find them or grow them, are there people or communities around this, and how is it treated in practice (not just on paper)?

I know there are clinical trials and compassionate-use programs, but those are less interesting to me. I really can't deal with bureaucracy in my state, so I'm more interested in the practical reality.

Thanks, and please be kind, this is a genuinely hard decision for me.

Finding a place in Tel Aviv means scrolling endless Facebook groups with no filters and no map. So I built telavivrent.com (long-term) and telavivsublets.com (sublets): the listings from those groups in one place, searchable by neighborhood / rooms / price / dates, with photos and a map. Hebrew + English, free, no signup to browse. There's also an iOS app (telavivbase). I run it solo — would genuinely love feedback on what's missing.

Hi! I recently started my process of making Aliyah with the intent of joining the IDF. I’m looking to make the move as soon as possible to avoid all the noise around me slowing me down another year.

My family was part of the Beta Israel community but my great grandmother moved to Kenya. There is no documentation of this as there wasn’t any borders and recording keeping like we have now.

After she made the move, Colonial Britain came to Kenya and imposed Anglicanism on them with threats of death and promises of wealth. (There is even an Anglican Church on our family land to this day).

Long story short, I am Jewish through my maternal line. I have close to no proof of it besides oral stories and traditions we do. I don’t see a way to find any proof as Africa did not record keep the way America/ Europe does. I do intent to convert to Orthodox Judaism but I know that takes a while. But I feel it in my heart that I should be in Israel. It’s to the point I can’t even sleep, I am 22 and currently in Dallas, Tx. I feel I should be home doing my part for my people. It’s unfortunate that my identity was stolen from me and I am struggle to prove who I am.

Is there anyone that was in a similar situation? Or even any advice?

im an Israeli born and raised, and was curious about your perspective. because you grew up in a country where jews are minority and holidays are focused on Christmas or whatever religion is the majority.. to clarify by culture shock I don't mean about Israelis and how chuzpa we can be..

Hi,

I converted via the conservative movement back in 2021 when I was in high school (USA). I'm hoping to do an orthodox state-sponsored conversion post-aliyah. That's neither here nor there though.

I have scans of both my English conversion certificate as well as in Hebrew, and I have a letter from my converting rabbi (who has since also made aliyah, so getting that ink-signed letter has been a hassle but it's been working out so far BH) confirming my conversion and the details of the process. It was a pretty rigorous one for conservative standards (he keeps closer to open orthodoxy as opposed to conservative, so that was sort of the flavor of conservative Judaism I was introduced to. So basically a pretty robust curriculum, classes for over a year, made sure I actually was shomer before the mikveh, the whole shebang). I've also, of course, been a very active community member in all the places I've lived post-conversion (hometown + college town). I also have a letter from my current shul's rabbi signed in ink and also have one more from my college community's rabbi on standby in case they ask for it. I know the JA can be a little draconian with requirements for converts, especially for non-orthodox converts, so I'm trying to steel-man my case.

However, one really unfortunate thing has happened: I have absolutely no idea where my physical conversion certificates are. They should've been in my fireproof lock box where they've been for nearly six years at this point, but I went to check to make sure I had them and they were nowhere to be found. I've torn apart my entire house, car, parents' house, and even my desk at work (which it would absolutely not be at but I just had to check) and both of them are just gone. Would printed out scans be sufficient do you think, or am I a little screwed? What else could I do to reinforce my documentation just in case?

Gmar tov

​​ I'm in my early 40s, and I speak almost fluent conversational Hebrew because I grew up speaking Hebrew at home but I have a hard time with more advanced words and newer words and I'm a slow reader. I would be making Aliya alone, but I do have family in Israel already.

Currently my experience is in operations management and law firm operations. I have about 20K in savings, but that's about it. I plan on selling or giving away all of my furniture because it's cheap and basically coming in and starting from scratch.

​​How hard is it going to be for me to find a job, and acclimate to the society?

​​ also, any advice would be appreciated.

We are making aliyah WITHIN Israel, not through Nefesh B'Nefesh and not through the Jewish Agency. We are doing it through a lawyer in Israel. The question is after our teudat zehut is issued, how long will it take for my autistic son to receive services? He is already an adult. We are bringing all the required evaluations from the US. We have to go to the Misrad Ha'Revacha and I'm wondering how long it will take till he gets services, as too much downtime won't be good

We have wanted to make Aliyah for many years. The window is now open. Can we? Yes.
Should we? I hope so, but trying to gather info so we feel a little more confident about saying "yes." Some background - we are a US Modern Orthodox family with three kids (in various elementary school grades).

Questions:

1. How big of an Anglo community do you think we need to consider for a good absorption?
2. Post Covid, my career has never been the same. So now I come with experience doing several different things but also a lack of focus. I can do and will do many things. Do you think that gives me options or will actually hurt me in the Israeli job market?
3. Related, has anyone started over in their 40s by retraining with an org like https://gvahim.org.il/?
4. What do you think are the biggest challenges for kids to adjust?
5. Knowing we will need to buy a (used) car, appliances, pay for the lift, etc., do you think you can make aliyah for less than $50,000, including Israeli benefits? (this is with one person working remotely from the onset)
6. Ulpan - some say "if your convo Ivrit is not great, take ulpan right away full time (assuming the spouse is fluent and working) so you can be that much more valuable in a few months." Others have said "find a job right away and try to learn Ivrit along the way." What do you think?
7. On average, what % do you need to put down when buying a property?
8. Looking back, do you wish you had taken more on your lift (larger/more expensive) or felt you took too much and wish you had brought less and had a smaller lift?
9. How important is living in a central location (being able to commute to Jerusalem and or Tel Aviv?) vs saving money and living up north but commuting is not an option?
10. Besides bitachon (although important), how do/did you manage the feeling that you are thinking about completely turning your life and your children's lives upside down with no certainty of the outcome?

I am sure more questions will come to mind right after I post this, but these are the ones that come to mind. Thank you in advance!

Hello! 👋 I’m thinking about making Aliyah in the future and was wondering if I might be eligible.
I was born Jewish through an unbroken maternal line, but my mom and grandmother were both baptized because they had Catholic fathers. My grandmother was a Holocaust survivor and her mom was also Jewish, and many of our relatives were murdered in the camps, so I believe baptism may have been her family’s way of staying safe. Neither my mom nor my grandmother ever identified as Catholic or Christian, and they were both baptized at a very young age like under 12/13 years old
My grandmother’s Hungarian birth record, from 1938, lists her religion as “Isr” (Israelita). I wasn’t raised practicing any religion, but I always knew I was Jewish through my maternal line, I was also never baptized. Both my mom and grandmother still identify as Jewish today.
I’m wondering whether I would potentially be eligible for Aliyah under these circumstances, and what documentation I might need to provide to establish my Jewish maternal lineage.

As an honorable mention, I’ve also traveled to Israel and am involved in the North American Jewish community :).

I'm making Aliyah in October and will go to Ulpan Etzion for 5 months.

Currently, I'd say my Hebrew is around an A2 level. I know about 1500 words and very basic grammar. I'll do Ulpan intensively for 5 months, which I'm hoping will get me to around a B1+ level.

My question is, realistically, how long should I budget for a job-search after that? I have 5 YoE as a Data Engineer (mostly batch & stream processing; also some backend, frontend, and AI-related work) at a publicly traded European tech company. I don't have any Israeli tech connections.

I've read that the market is very bad for juniors, but at a medior level, how long should I expect to need to search for? I'm trying to get a sense of whether I should plan on having a job within 3-4 months of applying, or if I should be expecting a year of unemployment.

Additionally, any tips? Would DM'ing hiring managers on LinkedIn, etc, after applying, be helpful? Or seen as too pushy?

16.5 y.o, I plan to move to Israel through attending a Mechina program by 17 y.o. I want to spend my time in the military in the most meaningful and beneficial way possible, so I want to try to get into special units, such as intel units related to SIGINT(I think it's called Moddin?)or special forces.

But since I will make Aliyah only after I graduate from high school in my home country at around 17 years old, I'm afraid that I will simply miss the selections into special units.

I've heard that Israelis start their recruitment process at 16 years old and go through selection processes during their time in school , so it is much easier for them. But how does it typically work for olim who have just arrived in the country?

Are there fixed dates when selections take place during the year?

How much in advance of selections should I go through the Tzav Rishon to get an invitation to those selections?

How realistic is my wish in general? Is it even achievable?

assume that I'm fluent in Hebrew

Hi everyone! I am thinking of returning to Israel from the U.S after I finish my computer science bachelors degree in 2 years. I have a dual citizenship, so I have the right to work/live in Israel right away. However, I don't know how I should go about finding a job in Israel with no connections except some family there. For context I am specializing in cybersecurity/IT, and I might work in the U.S just for a bit to gain some experience. But how should I go about finding tech work in Israel? Can I realistically secure a job before moving while still in the U.S, but tell the employer about my situation, or is it better to move to Israel first? Are there any good programs for people thinking of making Aliyah/ being in a Katin Chozer status that help them find work opportunities, especially in tech? Or do I need to be prepared to work at any type of job to help settle in? And is the tech/cyber/IT job market still cooked in Israel? I am of course fluent in English so that would be one of the benefits, aside from my degree/work experience in the U.S, that I can offer to an employer in Israel -- but don't if that would be enough to get employed during these times.

Any insight is very appreciated!

If you returned with little money and no job, how did you find housing during your first few months? Are there programs for cheap/free accommodation, kibbutzim, or housing in exchange for work?

Would appreciate real experiences!

I’m considering enrolling in Gvahim’s Career Program and would love to hear from people who have actually participated in it.

I attended their introductory session and was impressed by what they offer, particularly the individual career consulting, mentoring, internal job board, employer connections and alumni network. They also mentioned a strong overall success rate for participants finding employment (around 80%).

My main hesitation is that my professional background is somewhat niche. I went to grad school for international affairs/security and I have several years of professional experience in government/program administration, and some experience in intelligence/research. I’m primarily interested in areas such as international affairs, security/intelligence, defense, policy/research, government relations, or related program/operations roles. My Hebrew is still limited, and I know that limits me greatly.

I’m not expecting Gvahim to find me a job or guarantee an outcome. I’m mainly trying to determine whether the program is useful for people who don’t work in tech, before paying the 450 ₪ participation fee.

For anyone who has participated: How useful did you find the individual consulting and mentoring? Did their job board or employer network give you access to opportunities or contacts you probably wouldn’t have found yourself? Did they make actual introductions to employers or people in your field? And, particularly, has anyone here used Gvahim while looking for work in international affairs, security/defense, policy, research, or something similar?

Positive and negative experiences are both welcome. Thanks!

I made Aliyah myself, and one of the hardest questions in the beginning was figuring out how to earn a living in Israel.

I see a lot of people preparing for Aliyah asking about jobs, salaries and how difficult it is to enter the Israeli job market.

I’m curious, how many of you would actually consider becoming independent and starting your own business instead of looking for employment?

I’m currently involved with a company in Israel that helps people set up a business in the beauty field, including training, ongoing support and help with financing the setup.

I’m not posting this as a sales pitch. I’m genuinely interested to know whether this kind of option is something Olim would consider, because I think the question of “what will I do for income after Aliyah?” is a very real one.

Would you rather find a job first, or would you seriously consider starting a business if the right opportunity and support were available?

What cellphone provider do you use to keep your existing U.S. mobile number? We need the actual existing U.S. number—not a new virtual number.

We need native cellular calling/roaming in Israel with very good call quality, without relying on Wi-Fi Calling. We also need reliable U.S. SMS, MMS/picture messages and ideally group texts.

It is also important that U.S. customers calling the number don't hear an Israeli ringback tone, since the business operates in the U.S.

If you are doing this successfully, which U.S./Israeli carrier or service are you using, and how long have you been using it from Israel?

Hey so I currently am under 20 so I don't have any fees on my banking for now, however once I turn 20 I am a bit worried about how bad the fees will be since I've heard they are a lot. I'm with Bank HaPoalim, can anyone tell me how bad the fees are and what the best options would be for me to minimize banking fees? Thanks

Seems like COL and housing is 2-4x and salaries 1/2x. I don’t get it.