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Forum -> Inquiries & Offers -> Israel related Inquiries & Aliyah Questions
No money for pilot trip



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amother
Magenta


 

Post Sun, Nov 20 2016, 5:53 pm
Is a pilot trip necessary? We have no money for it at this time but we are set on aliyah regardless.
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amother
Cerulean


 

Post Sun, Nov 20 2016, 5:56 pm
Have you and your husband been in Israel already for a significant amount of time in the past? Do you know where you want to settle and have you been there before?

Pilot trips are very important, but I do know people who have made aliyah successfully without having made one. They're the exception to the rule however.

Side point - If you dont have money for a pilot trip, do you have enough money for all the miscellaneous expenses that come with moving to a new country? Do you have enough money to cushion you through the first few months as you settle in and look for a job?
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amother
Magenta


 

Post Sun, Nov 20 2016, 6:07 pm
Have friends and family but no, have not been. Working on savings which is why no extra money for a pilot trip.
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amother
Cerulean


 

Post Sun, Nov 20 2016, 6:16 pm
If you have never been to Israel, I would strongly suggest you take a pilot trip. Sign up to Dan Deals, look out for cheap tickets .

If you have children who will be going to school here, there is nothing like checking out schools in person. Finding the right school will make things so much easier for them.

Even if you don't, just seeing the different neighborhoods so you can see where you would feel the most comfortable, rather than relying on secondhand information.

This is just my opinion. I do know someone who had never been to Israel before, neither had her husband, and they moved here without a pilot trip and are very happy. But there were hardships they could have likely avoided had they made a pilot trip...
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oliveoil




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 20 2016, 8:14 pm
Making Aliya without ever having even visited Israel sounds like a recipe for disaster.
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shabbatiscoming




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 21 2016, 3:17 am
oliveoil wrote:
Making Aliya without ever having even visited Israel sounds like a recipe for disaster.
I actually know a few different people who have done it that way.
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SacN




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 21 2016, 3:32 am
We made aliyah without a real pilot trip (one of us came for job interviews, but didn't look into communities at all).
We had both been here for seminary/yeshiva for 1/2 years and knew very specifically what we didn't want in a community and we knew the generally location (needed to be near Tel Aviv for a job).

We are very very happy here, and I don't think a pilot trip would have made such a difference for us.

But we knew what we were getting into, and we didn't have kids in school then. Those two are huge.

If you don't, speak to every single person you can about each community. Have a picture in your head, and then clarify it with current residents. Ask about local/community politics, ask what the neighborhood looks like, make sure you have a very specific idea of what to expect in terms of budget for that area---you can only know these things by talking to A LOT of people.
Ask a few someones to walk you though, verbally, what it would be like if you spent a shabbos there. Make sure the picture lines up, and clarify any holes.

Ask lots and lots of questions.

We came and ended up straight in the right community. Can't see leaving. It doesn't happen to everyone, and I really credit the insane amount of networking I did with how we came with no pilot trip and had it work out.
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essie14




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 21 2016, 5:09 am
oliveoil wrote:
Making Aliya without ever having even visited Israel sounds like a recipe for disaster.

I know of at least 3 families that made aliyah without a pilot trip and all returned back to the US. I also know some people who succeeded without a pilot trip.
However, IMO, if you want to give yourself the best chance for success, you should come on a pilot trip. Even if only one spouse comes alone, it's very important to see communities and schools.
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naomi2




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 21 2016, 11:02 pm
amother wrote:
Have you and your husband been in Israel already for a significant amount of time in the past? Do you know where you want to settle and have you been there before?

Pilot trips are very important, but I do know people who have made aliyah successfully without having made one. They're the exception to the rule however.

Side point - If you dont have money for a pilot trip, do you have enough money for all the miscellaneous expenses that come with moving to a new country? Do you have enough money to cushion you through the first few months as you settle in and look for a job?

This side point should be the main point.
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 22 2016, 12:55 am
You can do about 75% of your research online first, and narrow things down. Save up for your pilot trip once you have a couple of towns in mind. Go slow, and don't rush into it.

I hated how long it took me to finally make Aliyah, but I am so incredibly happy that I used that time to research. It saved us from making a huge mistake. We almost moved to a town that we would not have ultimately been happy in. Your dream town might look good at first, until you take everything into consideration.

Cost of housing
Quality and choices of schools
Level of observance in community
Diversity, or lack thereof
How close to public transportation
Weather (was a big one for me)
Proximity to employment

PM me if you want more advice!
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