During our trip in Israel we decided to stop at Soramelo for Belgian waffles for the following reasons: 1. We read a piece in Ami Magazine about how awesome the experience was, 2. TripAdvisor reviewers were touting the location and…
***Note: this trip was made mid-May. I’m only publishing it now due to the fact that it took a while to put together. ~Rafi*** Israel is a land which many consider to be historic if not holy. The Jewish…
Close to a year ago I wrote about an amazing Israeli invention that would revolutionize bicycle riding: the cardboard bike. Costing only $9 in materials that would support weights up to 180 kilos, it was supposed to retail for the…
1. Turn signals will give away your next move. A real Israeli driver never uses them. 2. Under no circumstance should you leave a safe distance between you and the car in front of you, or the space will be filled in by…
Recently it has snowed in Jerusalem. As of this posting Israel is still under snow, and it’s amazing how a country ceases to function when not prepared for something like this. That said, I would like to thank my wonderful…
A recent study has shown that, while Canada is the number one nation in the world in terms of the percentage of adults with the equivalent of a college degree (51%), Israel ranks 2nd (46%). This data was reported by…
Being that most of my relatives live in Israel, and that I have been to Israel numerous times as a child, I naturally have toyed with the idea of eventually making Aliyah. However, now B”H raising a family of my own, other considerations come into play. Aside from getting all parties to agree to move (most of my wifes’ family lives here in Toronto), another issue is financial.
No, I’m not that worried about whether nor not I will find a job. Thank Gd I feel skilled enough as a web programmer/developer and Search Engine Optimizer to land a job anywhere. That’s not my issue. My issue is whether or not the money earned (which is a lot less) will be enough to sustain my current lifestyle.
I have been warned by friends who are recent Olim, and family, that I should expect to earn about half what I earn in Canada. In some cases people had to go as low as taking a 75% cut. And the prices are not all relative. The only savings are in rent and education (at $300/month per child).
In Israel, everything with regards to pricing is negotiable. Unlike the United States or Canada where the price is set, everyone overcharges. Therefore, in the game of survival of the fittest, one needs to be tough and one of the…
In Israel, one of the hottest items that’s stolen is the cell phone. Stories have been told about how someone would place ones cell phone on a table and some 9 year old would nonchalantly walk by and pocket it.…