Old and new immigrants

B"H

Making Aliyah (immigration) to Israel is and was a hard decision for all of us. It is not easy moving to a new country and getting adjusted.

Nowadays there are organizations like Nefesh Be' Nefesh who bring new immigrants to Israel. Doing all the paper work for them, giving them a place to live and maybe a job. In any case, the most important thing is learning Hebrew.

Many English speakers think that they get around with English anywhere in the world. Everybody just knows it. In Israel it is not always the case, as you will see when you have to deal with buerocracy. Lots of government employees are of sephardi or Russian origin and simply don't know any English. Already going to the Jerusalem municipality can be a whole desaster. First they start stuttering in English or whatever you can call English, and then they might start yelling at you. Just be cool and let them yell at you. Then start telling your case again.

Everything works a little different in Israel and, unfortunately, lots of new immigrants do forget that. They come and expect exactly the same life as in their former countries. Even the same food. Well, you can still go to Mac Donald's (which in Jerusalem isn't kosher !!!).

After a while some immigrants start returning to their former countries. In Israel it is hard to find a job and people simply run out of their savings. Another important reason why people go back is that they couldn't get used to the Israeli mentality. Israelis are too rude for us, that's what especially Americans said who went back to the States.

However, just an hour ago, I had s surprising experience. I met Igor, a Russian immigrant who had gone back to Russia about two years ago. He had been here a while and worked as a guard in front of a bank but wasn't happy with his life. Then he decided to go back to Russia and claimed that there everything is better and people are nicer.

It looks like it is not true anymore. Sometimes you even miss the crazy Israeli life and rude mentality. It's probably too boring in your home countries. :-)