Working in Israel – What are the realities? Results of our Employment Survey

We often spend many agonizing moments planning our careers and employment in Israel in an attempt to find the perfect job that suits our needs and meets our expectations.  What actually happens when we get here? What are the realities for English speaking olim?  Are you working in your chosen field or have you been forced to change your career path because of a lack of Hebrew language or other skills?  Are you being exploited or discriminated against? These are just some of the questions we asked in November 2014, and here are the results:

• What does living comfortably in Israel mean to you?
• Shopping habits of the Anglo community in Israel
• Health Funds
• Housing
• Vehicle Ownership
• Driver’s License

A Selection of Respondent’s Comments Came expecting to be housewife. Being an agunah and then a divorce changed the reality and I reentered the workforce after a 25 year hiatus. Sort of skews things. Employed full time, but working as atzmai due to lack of “positions” Working for an American company which requires me to be both an employee for the US and an “esek patur” for Israel. I have a small business and also work  part time. Due to Protekzia, I had a job  before I arrived, but only started about 6 months after arrival. Found my first job through a friend who was already living in Israel, within a month of aliyah. B”H, I’ve been working ever since. I was sent to learn English teaching by my Kibbutz and the rest is history I am working part time as a metapelet. When I first came, I got a job working at the Matnas giving music lessons and directing the orchestra. This was a full school year and I was still in Ulpan. At the end of the year, I was told that my Hebrew was not adequate to be rehired for the following year. Besides my metapelet work, I have a small biz and teach music privately. My current job is with an institution with whom I formerly did a Masa internship many years prior. My pay is “bubkis”. Varies wildly depending on how I feel or whether I have to make up time for Yom Tovim as I have no vacation or sick leave. The US isn’t as progressive as Israel and doesn’t actually require it so my boss won’t give it. Can take any time I want but unpaid. The income from my job is less than 5000. The good monthly income is from my Israeli husband

Grateful thanks to all the respondents.