Travel information from Sheila’s Klitah Corner

This was last updated on June 2010

Passports/Travel Documents

Israel from the sky (by Deena)

Keep your Israeli passports or travel documents and American/Canadian passports up to date.

If you are not yet an Israeli citizen, you may travel abroad using your foreign passport for the first three months from your date of aliyah.

Once you become an Israeli citizen (three months after your aliyah date) you need to arrange your first Israeli Travel Document, a Teudat Ma’avar. It takes about two weeks to receive it from the Ministry of Interior (Misrad HaPnim).  The Teudat Ma’avar is valid for up to two years. When leaving and entering Israel, you must show your valid foreign passport and your Teudat Ma’avar.

Once you have physically resided in Israel for one year from your aliyah date, you may apply for an Israeli passport – darkon.  Keep it up to date.

Permanent Residents must have a visa stamp in their foreign passport confirming their status. This stamp is obtainable at Misrad HaPnim.

Army Exit Permit

New Olim and vatikim no longer need to obtain an exit permit from the Army Draft Board (Lishkat HaGiyus) before traveling abroad.  However, if you have a call up date (tzav giyus), you must return to Israel 3 days before that date.  Olim should make sure that their mailing address in their Teudat Zehut is up to date so that they are aware of any order sent by the army.  If one wishes to check with the army for clarifications, please contact your local Lishkat HaGiyus:

Jerusalem	103 Rechov Rashi, Jlm 94391	02-5007000
Tel Aviv & Center	Tel HaShomer	03-7376869
Haifa	12 Rechov Omar Kayam, Haifa 33093	04-8600700
Beer Sheva	22 Rechov Yad VaShem, Beer Sheva 84419	08-6650060

Travel Agent

A good, trustworthy travel agent is a must.  AACI suggests Ophir Tours, AACI Travel Experience.  Travel insurance is recommended.

Foreign Currency

Israelis are permitted to have foreign currency accounts in Israel and abroad and to buy, sell and own property abroad.  There are no longer any restrictions on taking foreign currency out of the country.  It is also permitted to transfer money from Israel to an account abroad.

Miscellaneous

Keep old expired passports and all documents, including photocopies of them, as proof of exits and entrances to Israel.  If you leave Israel for an extended period of time, this information will be needed to freeze your rights.

AACI counselors are available to discuss travel issues.

Have a nice trip! Nesia Tova!

Some info for Jerusalem residents from Sheila’s Klitah Corner

Sheila’s Klitah Corner is available in full in the printed AACI The Voice magazine, issued every two months. Members of the AACI can also make an appointment to see her, can come in during drop-in hours or reach her by phone during “Hot Line,” Sun.-Thurs. 12:15-1:15pm. 02-566-1181.

Sheila Bauman says:

The Jerusalem Municipality comlex is an attraction in itself (photo by Deena)

Have you checked out the Jerusalem Municipality website? www.jerusalem.muni.il

Yes, you can view it in English, and there is an enormous amount of great information pertaining to Jerusalem – including events, community information, history, arnona, parking, elderly services and contact information for offices within the municipality -  the list seems endless! Definitely worth a look!

Also, have you received your Jerusalem Card? It offers holders great discounts for museums, theatre, and special events.  To obtain yours please contact: www.yerushalmi.org.il or 1 700 53 00 02.

Egged bus info from Sheila’s Klitah Corner

Taking the bus in Israel can be a real experience. (Photo by Deena)

Sheila’s Klitah Corner is available in full in the printed AACI The Voice magazine, issued every two months. Members of the AACI can also make an appointment to see her, can come in during drop-in hours or reach her by phone during “Hot Line,” Sun.-Thurs. 12:15-1:15pm. 02-566-1181.

Sheila says:

Please check out the Egged website for information regarding “Day Passes” in Jerusalem and special parking privileges for those passengers on bus #60.

Sheila says that Egged’s website and phone line are very helpful resources when figuring out how to get anywhere in Israel using Egged’s extensive bus lines.

www.egged.co.il/eng or call Egged at *2800. Yes, you can talk to them in English!

Things to keep in mind when visiting an Israeli office – from Sheila’s Klitah Corner

Sheila’s Klitah Corner is available in full in the printed AACI The Voice magazine, issued every two months. Members of the AACI can also make an appointment to see her, can come in during drop-in hours or reach her by phone during “Hot Line,” Sun.-Thurs. 12:15-1:15pm. 02-566-1181.

1. Always bring your teudat oleh and/or teuda zeut with you.
2. Bring original documents and photocopies. Never give originals.
3. Have cash on you. You never know so best to be prepared.
4. Call ahead of time to determine the office hours, which documents you need to bring, who should you speak to, etc. And then still bring a drink and a book.
5. Make sure your information is complete. Try to find out what else you need to know.
6. Get the names of the clerks that help you and their phone extensions.
7. Be patient and calm. A friendly smile and attitude will go a long way!
8. For discounts & benefits, don’t forget to carry your AACI membership card at all times.

Binyamin Bauman’s photo of view after exiting Yad Vashem

This was the header on the blog over the last week:

Curious what the full photograph looks like?

Photo by Binyamin Bauman in Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum

This photograph is of visitors contemplating the mind-blowing experience they just had while taking in the incredible view from the platform immediately after emerging from Yad Vashem Holocaust museum.

During the day, Binyamin Bauman, the photographer, is Director of Operations for IDT Telecom’s Net2Phone division. He is also the founder of Elegant Hippo (an iPhone app and web development business), and a very amateur photographer. His personal website is here. Binyamin and his wife Rivka can’t wait to join their parents in Israel.

Thank you so much, Binyamin, for sharing your beautiful photograph with the AACI blog.

And to everyone else, please send in your photographs and they might be displayed for a week as our header with a short blurb about you/the picture right here. Email aaci@aaci.org.il. Thanks!

OFANAYIM! MISHKAFAYIM! A story by Esther Malka Fein

This story is by Esther Malka Fein who made aliya three years ago from California. She is an English tutor, living in Yerushalayim. This story happened about two years ago.

You say glasses...

On one of my crowded bus trips, a passenger unknowingly dropped his glasses. Without noticing the incident, the crowd was rushing to get off at the bus stop.  Being a new Olah [immigrant to Israel], struggling with my new language,  I couldn’t think of the word “eyeglasses” in Hebrew.  So before the crowd had a chance to step on the glasses, I wanted to alert someone to pick them up.   I stood up from my seat (in the back), pointed to the floor of the bus and screamed out repetitiously, “OFANAYIM, OFANAYIM.”

...I say bicycle.

Everyone turned around to look at me.  Ofanayim means bicycle, while mishkafayim (eyeglasses) is what I meant to say.  Nonetheless, to my relief, my urgent sounding message prompted someone to bend down, retrieve the glasses and hand them to the person who had already exited from the autobus.

Glasses photo by LWY on flickr.

Bike photo by xddorox on flickr.

The cabbie from the airport by Ruth Cohn

Ruth and Moshe jeeping it up, down in Eilat

Ruth Cohn, a life member of the AACI, shared this touching story about the day her and her husband Moshe landed in Israel after making aliyah. The story, told by Ruth, and their aliyah, takes place in March of 1997.

As is usual when making aliyah, we were offered a free taxi ride to our destination (in our case, Jerusalem). We had loads of luggage and the long haired young taxi driver didn’t mind all the pekelech [packages] we had brought. We were worried about how we would get all our belongings up into the flat at our destination (there was no elevator). We agreed a price with him for him to help us with our luggage.

When we arrived at our destination, true to his word, our taxi driver helped us carry up our belongings to the apartment.  We relaxed as he brought up the cases and pekelech. Moshe handed him an envelope – the price we had agreed on.  He firmly returned it.

“Did you think I would take money for doing this Mitzvah, helping a couple who have just made aliyah?  Wishing you an easy klitah [absorption],” and with that he firmly closed the door and left, our young secular taxi driver.

What an amazing start to life in Israel.

(Although this is not strictly an AACI aliyah story – going on AACI Study Tours certainly helped us get to know our wonderful country. These tours were very well planned giving us the opportunity to meet such wonderful people.)