I just got back from a 10 day pilot trip, I learned a great many things while on this trip.
1. Secular Israelis will give you the same puzzled look as orthodox american jews and ask "why?" when told you are planning to move to Israel.

2.All banking transactions require a masters in finance to understand. Most Israelis just shrug and say "eh, that's why there's overdraft" when asked how they survive such a system.

3. there's no such thing as privacy or personal space, unless you live in the negev.

4. Israel must have the highest bakery per capita rate in the world, yet they are all skinnier than me, I don't get it.

5. It doesn't matter what kupah you use for health insurance, they are all the same. No Israeli knows why there are 4 different ones.

6. The chareidim drive up prices of property, despite the fact that nobody but other chareidim want to live near them.

7. A broker has earned their commision after showing you an apartment that you would like to rent. After that they do nothing else.

8. Things that may not be included when you rent an apartment: screens, heating(baseboard, radiator, furnace), top kitchen cabinets.

9. Things that will certainly not be included when you rent an apartment: closets, medicine cabinets, appliances.

10. Nobody likes the government, yet somebody must have voted for them.

11. Israel is home.

Israeli bread is SO delicous...

justajew - You hit the mark on every point.

I think Israelis stay thin by walking up and down all the hills here.

Hatzlachah on your Aliyah - you'll love it here!

I just got back from a 10 day pilot trip, I learned a great many things while on this trip.
1. Secular Israelis will give you the same puzzled look as orthodox american jews and ask "why?" when told you are planning to move to Israel.

True, but people will respect you for it.

2.All banking transactions require a masters in finance to understand. Most Israelis just shrug and say "eh, that's why there's overdraft" when asked how they survive such a system.

Banking is a real pain in Israel

3. there's no such thing as privacy or personal space, unless you live in the negev.

Agreed. Don't you love how when Israelis wait on line (IF they wait on line, that is), they stand pressed up against each other? Love that old lady's ###### resting on my back

4. Israel must have the highest bakery per capita rate in the world, yet they are all skinnier than me, I don't get it.

Because they're not anal about food. They live and enjoy life, in a healthy way.

5. It doesn't matter what kupah you use for health insurance, they are all the same. No Israeli knows why there are 4 different ones.

I used Maccabee. There are some good doctors in that kupah.

6. The chareidim drive up prices of property, despite the fact that nobody but other chareidim want to live near them.

7. A broker has earned their commision after showing you an apartment that you would like to rent. After that they do nothing else.

Never used a broker. Never had a need to.

8. Things that may not be included when you rent an apartment: screens, heating(baseboard, radiator, furnace), top kitchen cabinets.

There are no window screens in Israel. Heating is very iffy, even in Jerusalem, where it's very necessary. Get yourself a good radiator plug-in heater - expensive but worth it.

9. Things that will certainly not be included when you rent an apartment: closets, medicine cabinets, appliances.

I rented a few apartments in Jerualem - both had appliances.

10. Nobody likes the government, yet somebody must have voted for them.

11. Israel is home.

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Shoshi - My Rechavia apartment came complete with window screens. (They are old but they keep the bugs out.)

Also perhaps Israelis eat healthier because the fruits and vegetables are so much better here.

It's amazing how things taste when they are made without chemicals or preservatives. The downside is you have exactly 48 hours to eat the pitas or they will spoil....

Put them in the freezer ?

Exactly. Freeze 'em and pop em in the toaster oven. They taste fresh for up to two weeks that way! Just make sure you seal them in plastic properly. I get 30 pita for 13NIS (used to be less even) at the shuk and do this.

Not all kupot are the same. If you ever, G-d forbid, need serious attention and can cough up the money privately, there was one, now I think two, that you could use to get Private Medical Service at Hadassah Ein Karem. I'd ask Rav Benny Fisher...

We do the frozen pita bit all the time. Try to freeze them as early in the day they were made as possible.

I remember being told that which kupah is "good" depends on where you live, because they vary from place to place, and in smaller towns and settlements you won't get all 4. And when I was thinking about aliya back in college, one was pretty consistently given the thumbs down on aliya discussion boards--but it was several years ago so things may have changed.

The Kupot are definitely NOT the same....

Klalit sucks, you are better of going to a veterinarian.

Meuchedet is GREAT if you live in an area where they serve (mainly J'lem and other religious centers), if not you are out of luck.

Don't know much about Leumit, but they also have sporadic coverage in some places but I have never heard any bad reports about them.

Maccabe is generally good (has lots of extra coverage if you want to pay) and allows you free access to Hadasa Ein Karem which is why I decided to go with them (my doctors all accept multiple kupot anyway so it really didn't matter to me)

Ditto on everything but I use Leumit because it is here. It used to be mainly in yishuvim, it is now big in Yerushalayim. Maybe they are afraid we will be torn down and they will have to close. I would have stayed in Meuchedet if it was here. They are good everywhere they are. Maccabi is the one I said was for snobs as its members tend to think all the others are useless. As to Klalit - not the vet, the butcher shop.

Funny, I was told that in Efrat, Klalit is the way to go, especially if you plan on having more children.

Anything baked there is just amazin! And geulah popcorn, but when youre in Israel you just eat and eat and eat and eat, its amazin, and it doesnt help that my uncle is considered important in the shuk so i get a taste of everyhting when I visit them. Oy I miss Israel with all its Israeli and their attitudes and personalities and arm hospitality and bluntness... you just dont find that here.

Geulah popcorn? As in Geulah next to Meah She'arim? <shudder>

Good thing Angels Bakery ships out of J'salem.

Fruits and vegetables in Israel taste better than anywhere else in the world.

I didnt meantion ANgels!!! I thought it but i didnt....bad bad bad

Folks - we're getting letters - Let's keep it clean-ish.

What wasn't clean? did it get deleted?

I miss the popcorn from Geulah (the store) on the left side (entering from "town") of Kikor Shabbos.

Yeah...we used to run to Abadi to get fresh pitas....yum!



We were right across the street from the factory...

That's a tough challenge. 24 hours 6 days a week of the aroma of tempting baked goods!

P'ninim?