The State of Israel lies on 4 bodies of water; The Mediterranean Sea on the West, the Red Sea near Eilat, the Sea of Galilee in Northern Israel and the Dead Sea in Southern Israel. Known for their clear water, some of Israel’s 137 beaches, provide the best bathing opportunities in the Middle East.
Gather the kids, the buckets and spades, the sunscreen and water and head out to enjoy the sun, sand and surf.
Israel’s best museums house amazing collections of art, archeology, Judaica, history and culture. Whether you are into science and nature, world cultures or numismatics, a museum is a wonderful outing for the whole family.
It is said that Israel has more museums per capita, than any other country in the world.
The Israel Museum, The Tower of David and Yad VaShem in Jerusalem, The Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv, Tikotin Japanese museum, MadaTech in Haifa (great for kids) and the Airforce Museum in Beer Sheva are just a handful of the Israeli museums we love best. With over 1,000 different exhibitions; permanent and temporary, you are sure to find something that excites you.
Budget around 50NIS per adult
Students – 40NIS
Children – 30NIS
Entry fees vary from museum to museum and there are discounts for soldiers, seniors and the disabled. Multiple entry tickets are also available.
There are many reasons for lighting candles on Shabbat, and our Sages implemented the lighting of them for several reasons:
We are told that the basic purpose of the Shabbat candles is to bring increased light, peace and calm into our homes. We light our home so that we should not stumble in the darkness, something which would create an un-peaceful effect.
Honoring the Day: We add light to the home to honor the Shabbat Queen.
For pleasure: to fully enjoy the Shabbat delicacies, we must be able to see our food
The Midrash tells us that G‑d says, “If you kindle the Shabbat lights, I will show you the marvelous radiance that will shine upon Jerusalem at the final redemption.”
In the Torah, Exodus 20:8 tells us to “Remember the Sabbat day and keep it holy” and in Deuteronomy 5:12 tells us to “Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you.” For this reason we light two candles.
Before they are married, women and girls are only required to light one candle. After they are married, women light at least two candles. Some add an additional candle for each child: e.g., a woman with four children lights six candles.
If no woman (i.e. over the age of bat mitzvah) is present in the home, a man should light the candles.
According to Jewish traditions, our Matriarch Sarah. the wife of Abraham, would light the candles in her home, on the eve of the Shabbat. The candles miraculously burned all week, from one Friday to the next.
Abraham was known for his hospitality and so the light of Sarah’s candles lit their home and welcomed the guests that visited them throughout the week.
When Sarah died, her Shabbat candles were extinguished. Years later, Isaac, the son of Sarah and Abraham, noticed that the Shabbat candles of his prospective wife, Rebecca, also burned for an entire week, from one Shabbat to another. When he saw this he understood that Rebecca was Sarah’s righteous successor, and so he married her.
In Israel, on Thursday, you will already hear people wishing each other a ‘Shabbat Shalom’
Shabbat Shalom – שבת שלום – A peaceful Sabbath
When the Sabbath comes to an end on Saturday after sunset, it is customary to wish each other ‘Shavua Tov’
Shavua Tov – שבוע טוב – Have a good week
By: Zelda
There was no Nefesh B’Nefesh when I made Aliyah in 1997 at the age of 65. I didn’t need it. I had an embarrassingly smooth absorption, thanks to my daughter and son-in-law. It took some time but they found me a lovely apartment a five minute walk from their home, and supervised the renovations – “shipootz” in Hebrew – while I assembled my Lift back in Houston. They smoothed my way through the tangle of bureaucracy, advised and encouraged me and they still do.
From my first visit in 1982, when my daughter was here on Young Judaea’s Year Course, I was struck by the physical beauty of the country, the energy and love of life exhibited by the Israelis and their incredible variety.
I soon found activities and friends. AACI (Americans and Canadians in Israel) had an office a bus ride away, where there were activities and meetings. I wasn’t interested in their Bridge club, but I found friends anyway. People told me about the English Language bookstore in Hadar, and Shuk Talpiot, which reminded me of the market street in the Bronx where my mother took her shopping cart and me when I was a child. I found a community center with a great pool, where I could swim laps and exercise.
My Ulpan was an uphill walk away. I took different routes, including one on a landscaped promenade above the harbor where I could enjoy the view of Haifa bay and beyond. Learning Hebrew from scratch also was uphill. Pensioners like me were only entitled to three mornings a week of classes, which really wasn’t enough. Besides, I was the only Anglophone, and sometimes it felt like I was learning almost as much Russian as Hebrew. And I found Hebrew much more difficult to learn than the French I learned in school or the Dutch I had picked up so easily the year I spent in Amsterdam as a bride. Finding vowels and nikud – those visual Braille-style points that indicate pronunciation – would have helped, but they stop being used after kitah gimel.
Once, I think it was in 1998, I tried to find a particular shop in Hadar. I asked directions of a shopkeeper in my brand-new Hebrew, and he answered in Russian. When I said I didn’t speak it, he said, in Hebrew, “… with a face like that you should speak Russian!” I replied that my face came from my grandmother, who came from Odessa, but my tongue came from the USA. He laughed and pointed me in the right direction.
Another time I proffered my half-price bus pass to the driver who expressed a flattering refusal to believe that I was old enough for the pensioner’s discount. Then he qualified the compliment by suggesting that I would look even younger if were to lose ten or twenty kilos. Somehow I did, simply because of all the walking and swimming and carrying, and the great Israeli diet I have learned to enjoy.
I found a chorus to sing with, a writing group and then another, and new friends in all of them. It has been wonderful to watch my Israeli grandchildren grow, and, thanks to Internet and Skype, I can stay close to their American cousins as well. And as a friend once said, “how boring it must be to live in only one country all your life.” She began in Switzerland, moved to England, and, finally, to Israel.
There are still things I miss about America, and I’m still struggling with Hebrew. But I haven’t regretted coming here for a minute, despite tensions and rockets and bombings. Making Aliyah in the autumn of my life was the right decision for me.
Very sadly, in the prime of their lives, due to illness, both Zelda’s daughter and her son-in-law passed away a few years after she wrote this piece.
28 August 2021
It’s official! No lockdown or curfew over Rosh Hashanah.
23 August 2021
22 August 2021
Leather and upholstery cleaning
Haifa Israel
A Univers Transit Ltd: Worldwide & Aliyah Shipping – Quality International Movers
Ashdod Israel
AACI Association of Americans & Canadians in Israel – Serving the English Speaking Community in Israel
AACI, a non-profit membership organization, was established in 1951 to help North American immigrants acclimate to Israeli society. AACI’s services today are available to all English speakers who reside or are planning to reside in Israel. New and veteran immigrants, students, tourists and returning residents are among those who utilize our services. Our members pay a nominal fee and receive free informational and counseling services regarding immigrant rights, housing, status changes, Social Security and more.
AACI runs national programming on zoom as well as local programs, day trips and travel in Israel and abroad. There’s also the AACI Ebook Library! – http://www.aaci.org.il/articlenav.phpid=598 which is open to AACI members .
Subscribe to the National AACI enewsletter to find out more – https://madmimi.com/signups/150926/join .
Website: http://www.aaci.org.il Email: info@aaci.org.il Hotline: 02 5661181 Mon. – Thurs. 12 – 13:00.
AACI Branches in Israel
Netanya
Tel Aviv
Haifa
Beer Sheva
Haifa Israel
Aboulafia Avital Shrensky: Israel & International Tax
We are an accounting firm with experience in dealing with Israel and international taxation and compliance matters affecting Olim and English speakers. We can also help you to report your UK income.
Offices in Jerusalem & Tel Aviv
Kanfei Nesharim 15 Jerusalem Israel
We are pleased to introduce you to the firm of Ben-Tzvi, Schwartz & Associates. Our firm is committed to the practice of law at the highest level.
Avraham Ben-Tzvi, an attorney admitted to the practice of law in Israel since 2009, has vast experience in representing and advising corporations. He has guided many companies through the process of “going public,” and has handled literally hundreds of commercial transactions on behalf of his clients. Prior to studying law, Mr. Ben-Tzvi worked for over ten years in the finance trades, in 2004 he began studying law, and was admitted to the bar in 2009, after completing his articled clerkship at a leading Israel law firm, where he worked for five years.
Daniel Schwartz, an attorney admitted to the practice of law in New York in 1995, enjoyed a distinguished career as a litigation attorney in New York, prior to relocating to Israel in 2016. He completed the Israeli bar exams and his articled clerkship at a prestigious Rehovot law firm, and was admitted to the bar in Israel in August, 2018. Mr. Schwartz has extensive trial and appellate experience. As part of his litigation practice, he negotiated literally hundreds of agreements, often complex agreements. He is also a certified mediator in New York and Israel.
The firm of Ben-Tzvi, Schwartz & Associates is thus uniquely poised to handle your commercial needs. We have both the technical knowledge as well as the practical hands on negotiation experience to tackle your corporate matters. We can:
We look forward to providing you excellent legal services.
15 Yad Harutsim Street Jerusalem Israel
Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine
Haifa United States
Adelas Guest House Ness Ziona
Ness Ziona Israel
Adili Engineering Ltd
Holon Israel
For 20 years the office of Advocate Boaz E Gork has been specializing in Family Law & are experts in this field. An ex-South African & graduate of Bar Ilan University, the offices of Boaz Gork provide legal services in English & Hebrew
We are readily available to all our clients & handle their issues with an unequaled level of patience, tolerance, speed & efficiency. We offer warmth & personal service to all our clients. We are extremely conscious of the various issues relating to Family Law all requiring great sensitivity. We specialize in all aspects of divorce, domestic & family law.
Adv. Gork lectures in forums for men and women relating to legal rights in divorce situations and in advisory capacity to committees of various organizations in matters of personal rights.
4 Berkovich Modi’in Makabim-Re’ut Israel
Zichron Yaakov Israel
# # Haifa 3676011 Israel
# # Maalot Israel
Aliyah2Binyamin: Aliyah Advice
A community-style yishuv, with a community and absorption coordinator, a youth coordinator, and other official positions who can help you when necessary.
The regional council is also involved with the different segments of the population – children, adolescents, young families and senior citizens in the community.
Over the course of the year, there are special events designated for Olim – professional lectures on various topics, employment guidance, tours of the country, and more.
Binyamin Metudela Mateh Binyamin Israel
American Embassy in Jerusalem, Israel
David Flusser St 14 Jerusalem Israel
Start your day in Israel with us. The Anglo-List is an Israel Aliyah and relocation guide. An international website filled with practical information and advice based on the collective experiences of seasoned immigrants and expats. It’s a complete and practical guide offering you everything you need to know about Israel and the Israeli lifestyle. This site is all about bridging social and cultural gaps, easing your integration, understanding the locals their customs and diverse cultures. English translations and word sheets, community information, professional services, employment and general information, facts, tips and social. We welcome you to Israel.
Haifa Israel
Arriba – Mexican Bar & Restaurant Haifa – Kosher
HaMarganit Nesher 1 Nesher Israel
23 Yehuda Halevi Tel Aviv Israel
Bank HaPoalim Beer Sheva
Jerusalem Boulevard 42 Beer Sheva Israel
15 Horev Haifa Israel
For those that do not know, a unicorn is not just a legendary creature that has been described since antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its head. In financial terms unicorns are defined as businesses which are independently owned and valued at over $1 billion. Known as ‘unicorns’ for their rarity, there are currently only 750 such businesses in the world according to cbinsights.com – a technology insights platform including many Israeli unicorns.
Recently Money.co.uk set out to find out which countries, and sectors, produce the start-ups that reach a $1 billion valuation fastest by analyzing every unicorn company’s start date and the date of its $1 billion valuation.
Naturally the USA and China have the most unicorn companies with 378 and 155 respectively. It takes an average of 6 years and 11 months to reach unicorn status in the USA but China leads the way in this regard – taking an average of only 5 years and 10 months to become unicorns.
In terms of time to reach unicorn status, it’s fastest to become a unicorn in the auto and transportation sector wherein takes just under 4.5 years on average.
If you are in the AI sector, it will take you about 5.5 years to reach unicorn status.
Cybersecurity, one of Israel’s fast advancing sectors and it takes almost 7 years while Fintech companies take just over 7 years.
Stats revealed that Israel is the seventh best country in the world for unicorn start-ups. With 17 businesses currently valued at over $1 billion, it has taken Israel’s unicorn an average of 7 years and 3 months to reach the valuation of $1 billion.
Israeli company, Transmit Security in the cybersecurity field, which is currently valued at a little under $3 billion dollars, took 6.9 years to become an unicorn while Earnix (Fintech) took 19.5 years to get a $1 billion valuation.
It took Gett, the taxi transport service, 5.5 years to become an unicorn.
Over the ears other Israeli companies you may be familiar with, have become unicorns and gone public; Taboola, OrCam, WalkMe, Insightec, Lemonade, SimilarWeb and others.
If you’re a new oleh, these unicorns could be on your list of desirable places to work. Check out their website job boards for the latest openings.
It’s no surprise, because of corona, if you’re a nurse, in the medical profession or in healthcare support, you can expect to be snapped up really fast.
LinkedIn says that frontline ecommerce workers are in top demand. Digital marketers, content creators, developers and AI practitioners are too.
Get your CV or resume up-to-date or hone your entrepreneurial skills – you never know where your latest idea will take you – you could be the next Israeli unicorn.
By Adv. Jay Hait
Mazel Tov! You’re engaged! The search for your soulmate is over. You and your fiancé are flying high on love, trust and the promise of your shared future. The plans for your special day are coming together. You’ve chosen a venue, picked the flowers and decided on the cuisine. But what is an even greater expression of love between you and your fiancé than all these carefully made plans? A prenup is more romantic than the wedding! Because it means you’ve decided to face the most challenging parts of life, together.
We enter into legal contracts all the time. When you buy a house there is endless paperwork. You’re signing purchasing documents, mortgages, and statements attesting to your understanding of what you’re committing to. Opening a bank account means signing volumes of text that you probably don’t even read. Even setting up a cell phone plan is a long drawn-out process, overflowing with fine print.
But a marriage contract becomes official with one quick signature. A Jewish couple in Israel is only required to sign one document (the Ketubah), written in a language they don’t speak (Aramaic), detailing directives they often don’t understand, or think are irrelevant. There are no mandatory manuals for marriage. No volumes of fine print. No proof needed that you understand what you’re signing. Smart couples will choose to attend marriage preparation workshops and read some of the thousands of books on the subject. Jewish resources abound, to help new couples form a strong and lasting emotional bond.
Where is the legal guidance? Many couples are completely unaware that they’re entering into the most significant legal contract of their lives. Money worries are one of the biggest reasons for marriages ending. So, talking about your finances is an extremely important conversation to have before the wedding. There are huge benefits to speaking openly about money before you begin your lives together. Being honest and clear will help you plan resolutions for the inevitable conflicts that come up throughout life.
The discussions during a prenup will answer the hard questions. Does an asset that you bring into the marriage become jointly owned after the wedding? Are you responsible for the debts the other already has? How do you divide the assets if, G-d Forbid, your marriage ends?
Rami* and Avital* (*not their real names) were married for 35 years. Unfortunately, their relationship had been falling apart for years and after counselling, they decided to get a divorce. They had raised their children together in the apartment they shared for the duration of their marriage. And over the course of their lives they jointly invested money for repairs and improvements.
Israeli law dictates certain circumstances when ownership of an asset will be attributed to only one spouse. And consequently, when a couple ends their marriage, the asset would not be subject to a 50/50 split in the divorce settlement. So, when Rami brought a suit for half the value of the apartment, Avital wasn’t worried. Her parents had purchased it for her before she married him and had put it in her name only. She argued in court that the home was not marital property. She brought all the documents in her name only.
But the judge in this case ruled on the two reasons Avital could not consider the apartment her asset exclusively. He said the home a family lives in is the crux of the partnership between the two spouses. And the fact that they each contributed to the apartment’s repairs and upkeep during their lives together, further solidified that partnership. In regard to an asset acquired before marriage, the onus was on Avital to prove she had notified Rami in advance of her intention to retain exclusive ownership of the apartment. Unfortunately, she hadn’t done that. And previous to the divorce, the subject was never broached. So, with no prenup, and the history of each contributing to the home’s maintenance, the judge ruled it would be considered a shared asset and subject to equitable distribution.
Avital was heartbroken. The gift she had received from her beloved parents, who intended to make her life easier, would now have to be divided with her soon to be ex-husband. She was forced to sell her home, split the sale price with Rami and try to find a place to live that she could afford.
You’re excited about your future together. You and your fiancé are both good, smart people. You’re in love and you would do anything to make your new partner happy. The two of you are still getting to know each other but you share a desire to build a solid and trusting foundation.
Now, I know. You’re asking yourself, is it really true that a prenup is more romantic than a wedding? The last thing you want to do is sit down and write a legal document designating exclusive ownership of the assets you’re bringing into the marriage. Or deciding how you would divide anything you acquired during your years together, in the case of divorce. Talking about it might mean you think it could happen. And you’re sure it won’t. And you may be right.
But what if I told you there is a 30% chance that when you leave your house tomorrow morning, lightning will strike and a tree will fall on you. You might think twice about walking out the door. Or at the very least you’ll look up and wonder how to protect yourself. The overall divorce rate in Israel hovers around 30%. So entering into marriage takes forethought and planning.
A prenup will help you define fairness at the beginning of your relationship while you’re in love and caring for each other’s needs. It’s an act of love to give the person you love, what they deserve and need.
A prenup forces you to think ahead and plan. To have the ‘money’ conversation. To share very important things about yourself and learn more about your partner. You’ll each have to disclose all your financial details: bank accounts; inheritances; debts; trust funds; property. In the process of detailing your assets and liabilities you’ll have an opportunity to discuss how you want to deal with the conflicts that all happily married couples have. It’s good planning to learn how to disagree before you’re in the middle of an argument.
And if your marriage ends, G-d Forbid, you won’t be deciding on the division of assets in the middle of a divorce. People always think they’ll be calm and caring but their vindictive feelings surprise them. One’s definition of ‘equitable’ at the end of a marriage may be completely opposite to that of their spouse’s.
A prenup is a financial contract two people make before their wedding. They can also make a postnup if they are already married or living together in a common law relationship. Both include (among other things) the division of assets and liabilities during the marriage and in the case of divorce. For example, will each party exclusively own the assets (property, stocks, pensions, inheritance) and liabilities (debts, loans etc.) they had before the marriage or will they share them with each other?
You might want to think about adding a social media clause. This states that neither one of you can post videos and pictures you’ve taken during your marriage without permission from the other. There will be punitive damages if they are.
If you’re entering into a second marriage there are so many financial aspects of your previous lives you have to address, especially if you both have children.
Your attorney will handle the discussions and negotiations between you and your partner. He or she will draft the agreement itself, making sure to prepare it according to all the legal specifications. And then he or she will accompany you both to the court appearance for signing. You could do this in front of a notary but I always recommend that a judge officiate it in the Family court. In Israel the two legal systems often don’t work together. Take the extra steps to make your prenup air tight in case someone challenges it down the road.
An agunah is (literally) a chained woman whose husband has refused to give her a Get or Jewish divorce. This prevents her from marrying anyone else and having children. An agun, is a man whose wife refuses to accept a Get. It’s emotionally just as damaging although much less restrictive. Rabbi Mordechai Willig developed the Halachic Prenup more than 25 years ago to address these problems. The Tzohar organization in Israel has a complete guide for couples who wish to sign a halachic agreement.
It’s important to note that the Halachic prenup only covers the issue of agunot and agunim. It doesn’t address asset division at all. So, a couple must go through the Family court to manage the financial side of their prenup.
I realize people don’t like to make financial agreements at the outset of a marriage. But doing so, demonstrates your love and respect for each other by showing your intention in writing, never to hurt one another.
So, a prenup is more romantic than a wedding. Because it means you’ve decided to face the most challenging parts of life, together.
| English | Transliteration | Hebrew |
| Halachnic prenuptial agreement | Hesken Kavod Hadadi - Halachti | הסכם כבוד הדדי - הלכתי |
| Prenuptial agreement (civil) | Heskem Trom Nisuin - Ezrachi | הסכם טרום נישואין - אזרחי |
| Jewish marriage contract | Ketuba | כתובה |
| Jewish law | Halacha | הלכה |
| Jewish divorce | Get | גט |
| Spouse who is refused a Get | Agun/Aguna | עגונה |
| Marriage | Nisuin | נישואין |
| Divorce | Girushin | גירושין |
31 August 2021
30 August 2021
Good news for all!
But…
25 August 2021
24 August 2021
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19 August 2021
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9 August 2021
8 August, 2021
5 August, 2021
At last night’s corona cabinet meeting:
4 August, 2021
Following the rise in the number of newly infected coronavirus cases and in an attempt to prevent another lockdown, a special meeting of the Corona Cabinet on Tuesday, resulted in the following restrictions which are to come into effect on Sunday, 8th August, 2021, unless otherwise stated:
The list of red countries is under review and an additional 18 countries are expected to be added to this list. The full list will be published on Sunday, August 8th.
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