What Can you not get in Israel that people ask u to bring ?

chanchy123

Thu, Jan 23 2020, 12:33 am

I live in Israel DH travels to the US a few times a year for work.
I usually buy cheap clothes at Target and Kohl's online for the kids and sometimes stuff for too.
Chocolate - you can get Hershey and Mars products here but he brings in flavors they don't sell here.
Oh and cured meat products.
You can really get almost everything here, ziplock bags, precut tin foil, Reynolds brand foil even Hersheys and Reases and M&Ms and Skippy things that my Savta would bring in back in the 80s and 90s.

amother

Chocolate

Thu, Jan 23 2020, 12:39 am

You can get pretty much everything here now.
And Amazon delivers free to Israel on orders over $49 (just make sure not to go over $75 or you will pay tax).
Amazon doesnt ship EVERYTHING to Iarael, but there is a huge selection.
Unless there is a specific brand not in Israel and not on Amazon, there is no point in lugging things over in a suitcase.

essie14

Thu, Jan 23 2020, 1:12 am

littleprincess wrote:

We usually take along nurofen painkiller (they dont sell those in israel ???) And Nescafe gold coffee .

They absolutely sell neurophen, I buy it all the time. The generic version in America is definitely cheaper though.

My friends bring in coffee beans for some reason although you totally can get them here.
Baby food pouches - much more variety online. For some reason they only sell fruit here, not veggies.

Tooth brushes are more expensive here so I bring them in if I have an opportunity. Now I can get them from Amazon.

Iymnok

Thu, Jan 23 2020, 1:23 am

I recently realized that the school supplies from the US are worth it. Big glue sticks, crayons, markers, colored pencils and gel pens with more than 12 colors. Crayola on Amazon is soooo cheap compared to the stores here.
Makeup.
Good moisturizers and hand creams

amother

Mistyrose

Thu, Jan 23 2020, 1:26 am

I assume that Amazon now delivering to Israel has made it a lot easier for many to consider aliyah.

(I wish we could! We are doing a klei kodesh community service job in the US and it would be selfish to leave.)

chanchy123

Thu, Jan 23 2020, 1:40 am

abound wrote:

american sliced cheese, the cheese in EY is a different texture and very pricey.

I'm not sure about cheese prices in America but sliced cheese is pretty cheap if you buy imported store brands ( Rami Levi Osher Ad Supersal). Don't fall into the trap of buying Tnuva or Tara. That's one item I never get at the makolet or small chains because the brand name cheese (gvina tzehuba) can be like four times the price of store brands.

Elfrida

Thu, Jan 23 2020, 1:47 am

amother [ Mistyrose ] wrote:

I assume that Amazon now delivering to Israel has made it a lot easier for many to consider aliyah.

I don't think so. Making aliyah means being prepared to embrace a whole new lifestyle. Ordering items from Amazon is hardly the biggest consideration. Especially when you realize that you can't just order and have things turn up the next day. They take time to arrive and then have to be picked up from the post office. In my case that means that if an item arrives on Sunday, it will probably sit at the post office until Friday when I have time to collect it.

The most an Amazon delivery can do is grease the wheels somewhat. It's a nice luxury, but I can't see the option to order school supplies or whatever as the decisive factor in making aliyah. Eretz Yisrael is much greater than that.

Iymnok

Thu, Jan 23 2020, 2:04 am

Amazon actually delivered to my door yesterday. Usually I pick up at the pet store up the hill or the post office.
Amazon is a minor convenience. Many many items don’t ship here.

chanchy123

Thu, Jan 23 2020, 2:13 am

Amazon is certainly not a reason to make Aliyah and Amazon Prime is not a reason to not make Aliyah. That is an odd thing to say.

Anyhow Amazon is not the only service that sells things online and ships to Israel. Most Israelis shop on Aliexpress and increasingly more Israeli stores have very efficient online platforms that deliver to your door or you can pick up at a store or locker.

Teomima

Thu, Jan 23 2020, 2:15 am

Iymnok wrote:

Amazon actually delivered to my door yesterday. Usually I pick up at the pet store up the hill or the post office.
Amazon is a minor convenience. Many many items don’t ship here.

Everything I order from Amazon gets delivered right to my door, it's awesome! Everything else (Next, etc) I have to go pick up.

But yes, it's certainly not a reason to make Aliyah. And people need to keep in mind that most Israelis don't depend on international deliveries to get them through life. Everything one needs IS available here. Fine, so you get used to Israeli yellow cheese instead of American (can you even call that stuff "cheese", anyways??) I remember back when there were only two kinds of cheese available in Israel: yellow cheese and white cheese. The fact that I can go to my local Rami Levy and buy chedder is mind-blowing!

amother

Mistyrose

Thu, Jan 23 2020, 2:33 am

The REASON to make aliyah is that it is a country with kedusha, a Jewish country, and where all Yidden will end up very soon.

But convenience and lifestyle are some of the barriers that prevent people from making aliyah. Things like Amazon in Israel help smooth that bump and make it easier to imagine being able to transition to a new country and a new culture.

LovesHashem

Thu, Jan 23 2020, 2:53 am

Makeup. Many brands don't ship to Israel yet and aren't available here at all.
In particular I have a hard time getting Too Faced and Fenty and some drugstore brands who will only have things in drugstores or walmart.

It's possible to get some Too Faced shipped but none of the newer items really.

blessedflower

Thu, Jan 23 2020, 2:59 am

The only thing I have a hard time with is food. I can't find keel, good sausages and some specific vegetables. I recently wanted Chinese cabbage (the pointy one) it's impossible to get.
But moving was so worth it even if the tomato sauce has a different taste (I tried so many different types even the ones from USA, but I come from Europe) and the meat and cheese is different. Oh right I still buy my gouda cheese in Europe 😉
The cottage cheese is better here.
Oh and I miss the bakery back home...
True is many things I thought I couldn't find and in the end I did. It's just something that takes time figuring out

israelmama

Thu, Jan 23 2020, 3:04 am

The only thing I ask for is onion powder- the Israeli onion powder is clumpy... and I asked for everything but the bagel spice even though I could technically make my own.... but you can really find everything here

jkw

Thu, Jan 23 2020, 4:20 am

Trader Joe's 21 salute spice I put it in my cholent. Bob's Red Mill regular steel cut oats you can get the quick cooking but not this. Plan to bring Nescafe Gold next time. Used to bring Costco bags of Starbucks French Roast Coffee Beans but am finally weaned off of them. Now use dark roast beans from Power Coffeeworks on Agrippas (next to Natural Choice bakery) in Jlem. Yes more costly per pound but no shlepping and so fresh and delicious!

rivkam

Thu, Jan 23 2020, 4:57 am

blessedflower wrote:

I found chinese cabbage in rami levy! I was so happy to see it

shabbatiscoming

Thu, Jan 23 2020, 5:06 am

Sigh, so many of the things people wrote are very much sold in israel. You just have to know where to look.
Ive been here a long time and have no family back in america (everyone has since made aliyah) but I dont remember ever asking for anything from america, other than a random food that is not sold here (years ago it was hershy's kisses - my favorite chocolate) but other than that? Nothing.

I actually love some israeli product more than what I grew up with. I love Israeli cheese (never grew up with american cheese - always fresh growing up as well) and its not expensive if you go to the cheese counter and get it by the weight) and some vegetables are better than any I remember growing up with.

I know im going to be yelled at for this, but I feel this way so strongly, I feel that if people want things from home that remind them of home, great, emotional things, but for things like ziploc bags and other practical things, they are all sold here, no need. Israel is so much better than it was even 30 years ago. We really do have everything.
Sorry, but thats my opinion.