Is Shana Rishona in Israel possible w/o financial support

notshanarishona

Mon, Apr 20 2015, 12:32 pm

coming for a year is much harder financially than coming for 3-4 years.
to buy furniture and kitchen stuff and everything just to get by is a lot of $ going to the garbage.
getting a job can also take months.

it is financially doable to live her without financial support but u need some money to start off until u get settled.

amother

Mint

Mon, Apr 20 2015, 12:35 pm

notshanarishona wrote:

This is true. However, if you really try, you can find used or free furniture, which makes a huge difference. In our first apartment, the beds and table were included. When we moved, we got a couch and table for free from people who were going to throw them out (happen to be in great condition). Our beds were the floor models that we got quite cheap. But yes, you are right, that having a little money at least for the initial costs of setting up your place would definitely be helpful.

Shuly

Mon, Apr 20 2015, 1:02 pm

If her husband will be on a student visa, she will be on an A4 visa (family of a student) and the new law is that people on A4 visas can get an "ishur la'avod" stamped on their visa. I have that.

It's relatively easy to get it, they just need to remember to bring a signed letter from a rabbi in America, written on his letterhead, stating that both husband and wife are Jewish and were born to Jewish mothers. It should have their birthdays and passport numbers on it, as well.

They will definitely need to come with some savings for initial rent, furniture (even if 2nd hand). If she is willing to work hard, she can try to get a job in City Book or Parameds.
Does she have a degree?

amother

Crimson

Mon, Apr 20 2015, 1:23 pm

Shuly wrote:

Isn't a student visa only for college/yeshiva students? He's neither.

And no, she doesn't have a degree. She took a couple of courses including EMT, but no degree in anything.

DrMom

Mon, Apr 20 2015, 3:35 pm

Why don't they draw up a budget, based on current rental prices, the cost-of-living index, etc. Then compare to his salary and see if it's feasible.

Yerushalayim is an expensive city, so be aware that rent may be high.

Shuly

Mon, Apr 20 2015, 4:23 pm

amother wrote:

Work

He just got back from yeshiva and is planning on working without any training or degree?

I don't think he will be able to get a working visa and I think he would have to do army service before being allowed to work in Israel.
Unless they both have jobs lined up from American companies, it doesn't seem to me like they can make it.

Frumdoc

Mon, Apr 20 2015, 6:08 pm

Being young, newly married and willing to do anything is the perfect time to try out living anywhere in the world!

As long as you are prepared to live in less than ideal conditions, and cope without any security, then go try out Israel, travel round the world, live in a far flung community or on an island, and have adventures!

Plenty of time for serious naval gazing when you have children and commitments, right now go make some memories!

Some of my best memories and life lessons are from many months living in Yerushalayim, sleeping on different people's floors/ mirpesets/ Heritage house/ hostels, working in random jobs and just experiencing life, or similar in SE Asia, where I volunteered as a med student for 6 months, slept in a hammock, tramped through rainforests and met the most wonderful people.

I'm not suggesting such craziness, but maybe they can just go and see, live in a makeshift rented one room dira (my siblings did this too, and now are happily settled across Israel with many children kah).

Go appreciate the amazing world gifted to us!

amother

Crimson

Mon, Apr 20 2015, 7:01 pm

Frumdoc wrote:

I would have loved to do this! Now that we have kids, it's impossible. We lost out on such a great opportunity! That's why I feel so strongly about them going. This is their chance!

Shuly

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 1:52 am

amother wrote:

So what everyone is saying is, unless he's being a student or they have jobs lined up before going, they cannot work there legally?

So how do many couples do it? Are most kollel families?

The couples that I know are either working for American companies, on student visas with working papers (because the husband is in yeshiva/school) or they made aliyah.
Some couples come while the wife finishes school online and the husband gets a kollel stipend.

I honestly don't know of anyone who came to Israel without making aliyah for both spouses to work.

What kind of job would he/she look for if they didn't come?

DrMom

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 2:08 am

I certainly think it's doable to live in Israel for a year.

But no matter where they decide to live -- Yerushalayim, Be'er Sheva, Manhattan, Tokyo, Timbuktu -- and no matter what year of their marriage -- first, second, or fortieth -- they should earn at least as much as they plan to spend, and they should have a plan for how to accomplish that.

Perhaps you can suggest that they take a class (or look up basic info) about how to plan and manage a budget, etc?

amother

Khaki

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 7:03 am

My personal experience is as follows-
Got married in the middle of the winter and worked as a teacher's assistant for the few months until we moved to Israel after pesach. It took a few months until I got my working visa and found a Hebrew speaking job. My husband's kollel pays well. We are getting supported throughout but are curently putting most of the support into saving as our job+kollel covers almost all of our expenses. If we didn't have support, we could still manage, but would have to live more frugally, although during those first few months we were totally dependent on support and even borrowed from our wedding gifts to buy furniture.
I think if someone is just going for one year, on the one hand that makes it more doable cuz it's short term, but on the other hand it can take a few months to settle in.

amother

Crimson

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 8:52 am

Shuly wrote:

What kind of job would he/she look for if they didn't come?

She's looking for an office job, but she'd make a great morah in a gan too. He would take either a construction or office job.