Nefesh BNefesh

Wednesday, May 23rd

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The NBN Employment Department sent me the links from their job board. I sent my resume to positions that I thought were relevant and gave my specific information to the NBN Employment Department. A month later I get a reply from someone who got my resume from the NBN Employment Department. I was thrilled!

-Amy, NBN 2010

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I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for all of your assistance yesterday. I walked into your office not quite knowing what to expect and was amazed by the type of assistance that you were able to provide.

-Nir

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I made an appointment at the NBN office to review my new resume tailored for the Israeli market.  The advice they give one is advice anyone who is job hunting knows - network, network, network.  What NBN gave me was a built-in network that I could immediately start to connect with.  However the most important thing I received was the belief that I had a great team behind me and that I am not alone!

-Ayala, NBN 2010

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The NBN Employment Department gave us realistic expectations and helped us prepare a game plan - who to meet, which sectors are looking, how to make and approach potential contacts. Throughout the process, it was evident how the NBN staff care and do their utmost to help new Olim transition successfully. I found a wonderful job (that matches 100% what I desired in a position) because the NBN Employment Counselor saw a position and cared enough to send my resume in to the company. I received a phone call not too long after, and a few interviews later I am happily employed!

-Amy, NBN 2010

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Thank you for your smile! I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate the talk we had after the linked-in session. Thank you for listening. I will be in touch. From my heart, thank you for everything!

-Polly, NBN 2008

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I wanted to thank the NBN team for setting me up with my first job in Israel! I couldn't have found this position without you! I am so glad I turned to NBN for help.

--Taire, NBN 2011

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I would like to say that the employment department for Nefesh b'Nefesh has been unflagging in its dedication to finding jobs for new olim - following through and helping at every stage, responsive to all inquiries, and always on the lookout for what is best for the oleh.

-Kim, NBN 2005

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To start me off, NBN gave me all the necessary tools and resources to begin the search. And the best part about this all was that they themselves were looking out for me, and sending my resume to any fitting positions they found. With their help, I landed my first job in Israel in a very reasonable about of time. A big thank you to the NBN Employment Department!

-Donna, NBN 2010

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I started looking for a job on my own as soon as I arrived in Israel and after three months without a decent break, I reached out to NBN for help. NBN told me that they would start sending out my resume which I thought would be a nice, extra outlet. I was feeling hopeless, but now I am now very happily employed thanks to NBN who connected me with my current employer! Thank you NBN

-Tamar, NBN 2011

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Accountancy

Finding Employment | Obtaining Israeli CPA License | Opening a File | Requesting Exemptions | Registering for Exams | Taking Exams | Obtaining a License PreAliyah

See Also: Running Your Own Business: Interview with an Accountant

North American accountants in Israel find jobs in a variety of work places. Large accounting firms like DeLoitte (Brightman Almagor Zohar & Co) http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_IL/il/index.htm, KPMG (Somekh Chaikin) http://www.kpmg.co.il/index.asp, Ernst & Young (Kost Forer Gabbay & Kasierer)  www.ey.com/il, and PricewaterhouseCoopers (Kesselman&Kesselman) http://www.pwc.com/il/en/index.jhtml hire CPA's with experience in relevant fields of taxation such as international tax, audit, etc. There are jobs in small accounting firms, as well,  and in Israeli companies where they can work as controllers. In addition, some accountants developed businesses filing U.S. tax returns for American Olim and acting as tax consultants.  

Most North American accountants do not take the Israeli CPA exam. The exam is time consuming and challenging, and there are jobs available for North American accountants without an Israeli CPA. However, if you do take the exam, it will open doors professionally and enable you to climb the corporate ladder more easily. 

Finding Employment

Most employment opportunities are to be found in the central region of the country, primarily Tel Aviv and the surrounding smaller cities. Other options exist to a lesser extent in the Haifa and Jerusalem areas, and some positions are available in other parts of the country.

Be prepared to go down a level before coming up, in order to learn the operation of local systems and the economy. A qualified accountant could thus initially find a position as an assistant chief accountant in industry or as a staff accountant in private practice.

The Institute of Certified Public Accountants (Lishkat Ro'ei Heshbon B'Yisrael), a voluntary body incorporated for the advancement of the accounting profession, provides information for accountants who are seeking work. For more information, see: http://www.icpas.org.il/

Obtaining an Israeli CPA License

Obtaining an Israeli CPA license involves four steps:

  1. Opening a file at the Mo'etset Roeh Cheshbon.
  2. Requesting exemptions from the accounting exams.
  3. Registering for the exams that you are required to take.
  4. Taking the exams.

Opening a File

The first step an accountant must take is to open a file, or Tik, at the
Mo'etset Roeh Cheshbon (Israel CPA Council) located at:

The Ministry of Justice
22 Rehov Beit Hadfus, Floor 4
POB 34357
Jerusalem 91342
Phone: 02-6549333

To open a Tik, you must submit the following documents:

  • For CPAs: Your original CPA license. Alternatively, you may provide a copy of the license certified by an Israeli lawyer (not necessarily a notary), or certified or notarized abroad according to local laws and authenticated by the Israeli Consul in the country of certification or notarization.
  • A photocopy of the license.
  • For non-license holders: An official university transcript and (if possible) a syllabus of relevant courses.
  • A letter from the licensing board in your country stating that you are a member in good standing (with the exception of payment of annual fees).
  • Letters from previous employers. Bring a separate letter from each place of employment. Note: You will need to prove that you have at least two years of experience in order to receive an exemption from 11 of the 15 accountancy exams.

In addition to providing these documents, you will be required to fill out a form with general background information.

Note: If you have an accounting degree from a recognized institution overseas but you are not a CPA, it is recommended that you to submit your degree for evaluation to the Department of Evaluation of Foreign Degrees of the Ministry of Education. However, there is no problem with opening a file at the Mo'etset Roeh Cheshbon before your degree is evaluated.

Requesting Exemptions from Accounting Exams

The Mo'etset Roeh Cheshbon requires you to take 15 exams in order to obtain an Israeli CPA license. CPAs from the USA with at least two years of work experience are exempt from most of the exams, with the exception of the following four:

  • Business law 
  • Corporate and commercial law 
  • Tax law (two exams)

If you do not hold a CPA or Chartered Accountant license, you may need to take additional exams. Exemptions are determined on the basis of the material that you studied in your accounting course.

To request exemptions: You must fill out a separate exemption request for each exam. There is a charge for each exemption request - 105 NIS per request, up to a maximum of 735 NIS. Any number of requests beyond 7 is free of charge. Payment is made through the Postal Bank. Note: If you have a CPA and 2 years of work experience, you do not need to pay this charge.

Registering for the Exams

Exams are held twice a year, in December/January and in May/June. Registration takes place a few months beforehand. To find out when registration begins, contact Mo'etset Roeh Cheshbon, or keep an eye out for advertisements in the Israeli papers.

The December/January exams are offered in both Hebrew and English, except for a portion of the taxation exam, which is only offered in Hebrew. When you register, you must submit a request to take the multiple choice part of the exams in English.

The May/June exams are only offered in Hebrew.

To register for the exams, send a letter to the Mo'etsah with your Teudat Zehut number, your address and phone number. You will receive a letter from the Mo'etsah indicating that you have been registered.

Taking the Exams

Some of the exams are multiple-choice. Major topics such as taxation, financial accounting, and auditing require written answers.

Often, preparatory courses for the exam are offered to olim by the Employment Division of the Ministry of Absorption. In addition, a living stipend may be available for the duration of the course. If you are fluent in Hebrew, Erez Cohen offers a two month course in Tel Aviv to prepare for the exams. See: http://www.erezc.co.il/

Examinees are encouraged to contact the Mo'etset Roeh Cheshbon to clarify which types of legal material may be brought in for use during the exams. Examinees may also bring a dictionary or electronic dictionary to the exams.

Obtaining a License Before Making Aliyah

You can obtain an Israeli CPA license before actually making Aliyah. The process f is the same, with the following additions:

  1. Opening a file: You can open a file at the Mo'etset Roeh Cheshbon by mail. Instead of submitting original documents, you can submit notarized copies. You may provide a copy of the license certified by an Israeli lawyer (not necessarily a notary), or certified or notarized abroad according to local laws and authenticated by the Israeli Consul in the country of certification or notarization.
  2. Requesting exemptions: You will need to pay for exemption requests at an Israeli post office. This is the only part of the licensing process that cannot be done by mail, however, if you have a friend or relative in Israel, they can do this on your behalf.
  3. Registering for exams: When you register for exams, use your U.S. or Canadian passport number instead of a Teudat Zehut number.
  4. Taking exams: You may take the exams while visiting Israel, before you declare Aliyah.