Oleh Chadashot

NBN Business Directory
Searching for an English speaking handyman? Need to rent a cell phone? Looking for a speech therapist for your child? Check out the updated BUSINESSES OF NBN OLIM for a full listing of services offered by Nefesh B'Nefesh Olim. The directory includes almost 100 ads and is constantly growing. Discounts for NBNers are routinely offered by many of our business owners. To post an advertisement in the directory, please send your name, contact details and a short description of your business to employment@nbn.org.il. This service is for only available to NBN Olim.

Employment Services
If you are looking for a job or have questions about licensing and re-training, please contact Daniella Slasky, Robin Berman, Rachel Berger, Kim Ephrat or Aliza Israel. If you are currently employed and are aware of any potential job openings, please let us know! Email the Employment Department at employment@nbn.org.il.

Become an Aliyah Buddy!
Nefesh B'Nefesh is expecting an unprecedented number of Olim this summer, and we need your help. By sharing your personal experience and Aliyah know-how, you can directly help new Olim acclimate to their Israeli surroundings. We are looking for volunteers to be community and/or employment buddies.
• Community buddies: Be in touch with Olim before and after their arrival and provide them with a warm welcome, offering guidance about local resources and introducing them to other people in the community. To register, please go to: www.nbn.org.il/buddy
• Employment buddies: Help Olim learn about employment opportunities in their fields by speaking to them prior to Aliyah and helping them identify job openings after their arrival. To volunteer, please email: employment@nbn.org.il and include your profession and contact information.

Unemployment Benefits in the First Year
If you have been in Israel for at least 6 months and neither you nor your spouse is employed, you are entitled to a monthly living allowance through Misrad Haklita, which continues until a year after your Aliyah date. To begin receiving this living allowance, please contact your Misrad HaKlitah counselor.

Nefesh B’Nefesh Singles
If you’re an NBN Single who has made Aliyah (or is about to make Aliyah), the Nefesh B’Nefesh Singles YahooGroups listserv is an invaluable resource, allowing you to network and connect to others going through the process. Sign on and participate! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nbnsingles/

Stay Connected
NBN Yahoo NewsGroups is an online community of Nefesh B’Nefesh Olim and potential Olim. Share advice, tips, experience and encouragement by following and responding to the posts on the listserv. Go to: www.groups.yahoo.com/group/nefeshbnefesh

Submissions
The Nefesh B’Nefesh Newsletter is always looking for your submissions. Please send us your personal announcements and smachot, Aliyah-related observations, frustrations, anecdotes, tips, tricks and discoveries! We invite you to share your thoughts and reflections. To friends and family of NBN Olim who live abroad, this means you as well! If your friends and family abroad would like to receive future editions of this newsletter via email, please submit their names and email addresses to newsletter@nbn.org.il or call 02 659 5706.

Where are you?
Have you moved? And then moved again? Keep us in the know so we can keep you in the loop. Please send all updated email/home/mailing addresses and telephone/cell numbers to updatenbn@nbn.org.il or call 02 659 5700.


	Online Resources for Students: NBN's New Higher Education Database
	The Nefesh B'Nefesh website now includes a Higher Education Database designed to assist students who are planning Aliyah and need information about academic programs in Israel. The database involves an internal search engine that can pull up information about Israeli university programs offering academic tracks in selected fields. Contact information for each of the university programs is provided. The Higher Education Database is a powerful tool for students who want to make Aliyah but don't know if they can continue their chosen course of study in Israel. The database makes this information easily accessible and empowers students to make informed decisions about their academic options. The decision to develop this database was made after observing a growing trend among young Olim to study in university in Israel. Increasingly, young Olim are realizing that studying in Israel is a great way to get a foot in the door, establishing professional contacts in Israel and acquiring a higher level of Hebrew. Experience shows that a degree from an Israeli institution provides both the experience and the networking opportunities that make a significant difference in the ability to procure employment afterwards. You can view the Higher Education Database at: https://apps.nbn.org.il/cgi-bin/Education/SearchEdu.pl


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	OU Dinner to Honor Rabbi Yehoshua Fass
	The 4th annual OU Dinner, taking place Tuesday May 15th (Yom Yerushalaim), will be honoring Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and the accomplishments of Nefesh B'Nefesh. Several pages of the Dinner Ad Book are being reserved for Nefesh B'Nefesh Olim to contribute their greetings and best wishes. The pages will be arranged by region. All Nefesh B'Nefesh Olim are invited to send a greeting or photograph that reflects "life on Aliyah" (there is no charge). Please send your submissions to dstarck@nbn.org.il.
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Olim Spotlight Stories and anecdotes shared by NBNers
	Veteran Nefesh B'Nefesh Olim offer advice to all newcomers:
	Robin Schreiber, NBN '02: Due to the influx of holiday tourists, make an effort to go on tiyulim at opening time or near closing time. Don't do any touristy attractions from 11am - 4pm over Chol Hamoed. Aim for hikes off the beaten path. Also, for all Pesach hiking and crowded tourist activities, leave the stroller at home! Only carry young kids on your body (i.e. in a Snugli front baby carrier for a young baby or in a specially designed backpack on your back for a toddler). There's absolutely no room for strollers on Pesach tiyulim. If you need an appropriate baby carrier, check out your local nature store. Stores that sell camping equipment generally rent them out for a fair daily or weekly fee. Eshkie Leventhal, NBN '05: Be very cautious (if you are Ashkenazi) of Kitniyot in seemingly standard "Kosher for Passover" products. Sora Deetza (Luchins) Spigelman, NBN '04: One thing my mother taught me was to have one area (i.e., a high kitchen cabinet) cleaned earlier, so that when you begin your shopping you have a place to put those items. Also, be sure to maximize the seder - both for the kids and yourself - as there is only one! Rivka Winter-Card, NBN '05: Shopping for Pesach was perhaps the biggest shock of my Aliyah. Firstly, do not expect a bevy of kosher for Pesach goodies to appear magically on the shelf the day after Purim - Israelis do their Pesach shopping a few days before Pesach, and that's when the food appears on the shelves. I had imagined that shopping for Pesach in Israel would mean a wonderland of goodies only imagined in Toronto. Wrong. Israelis do not use as many prepared foods as North Americans, so the familiar cake mixes, pancake mixes, macaroons, etc. were not to be found in Tiberias where I did my shopping. (Perhaps it is different in the center of the country). READ THE FINE PRINT. In North America, the majority of kosher for Pesach foods are kitniyot free, and a couple of things such as Diet Coke sport a "Kosher for Pesach for Sepharadim Only" label. In Israel, a great deal of the Kosher for Pesach products have kitnyot. The key words are "Kasher L'Pesach L'Ochlei Kitnyot" (i.e., with kitnyot) or "Kasher L'Pesach L'lo Chashash Kitnyot" (i.e., kitniyot free). I found precious few kitniyot free products in the North of the country. As a funny aside, my (then) seven year old son asked why we are only doing one seder instead of two. After I explained to him that in Israel we do only one seder, he sadly reflected - "I think two seders are better than one." When I asked him why, he replied, "Because sometimes I get a little hungry." Have a joyful Pesach, and welcome home!

NBN Spotlight
	NBN Staff Behind the Scenes
	Rivka Beres When people visit the Nefesh B'Nefesh office in Jerusalem for the first time, they are often greeted by the warm, smiling face of Rivka Beres. Rivka serves as NBN's in-house Pre-Aliyah Counselor and is generally the first staff member that Olim formally meet. After teaching high school biology for two years in New York, I decided the time had come to make Aliyah. It was the next logical step for me, having grown up in a home and attended educational institutions where Zionism was emphasized. I grew up in Monsey, NY and then lived on the Upper West Side, and I felt I was ready to pursue a life with more depth and meaning. Shortly after my move, I re-met my husband and we got married. Since I made Aliyah, one of my younger sisters and one of my sisters-in-law have also come to live in Israel. The bond of being Olim is something that has brought all of our family here even closer together. When I first arrived in Israel I started working at IDT, and though I did very well on the phones, I soon applied for a job with more regular hours. I was transferred to the recruitment department at IDT, which led to new opportunities. I met a lot of exciting people and developed good friendships. One of the doors that opened to me was Nefesh B'Nefesh, where I currently work in the Pre-Aliyah Department. I am generally the first point of contact for future Olim and I spend my day meeting with people who are here on pilot trips, as well as those who are already living or studying here. Helping people who are considering Aliyah or are already in the process of Aliyah has proven to be the most fulfilling of my endeavors, and knowing that I am enabling people to fulfill their dreams, has given me a sense of satisfaction that I never knew I could have. It is truly an honor to be part of the NBN team. Rivka Beres resides in Jerusalem with her husband Ben. If you or anyone you know would like to set up a pre-Aliyah meeting with Rivka, please email rivka@nbn.org.il.


	Notes from the NBN Absorption Department
	New Olim may transfer foreign driver's licenses within three years of entry into Israel. If you did not convert your license within this time period, you will need to take both the theory test and the practical driving test (but not the 28 lessons that are normally required of Israelis).
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	New on NBN.org.il
	The Post-Aliyah Rights section of the web site has been expanded. Voting in USA Elections at http://www.nbn.org.il/klita/voting_in_america.htm Jury Duty in the USA at http://www.nbn.org.il/post_aliyah/Jury_Duty.html. New information about Post Aliyah Travel (Teudat Maavar) http://www.nbn.org.il/rights/oseas_travel.htm. Comprehensive listing of Misrad HaPnim Branches is at http://www.nbn.org.il/rights/misrad_hapnim.htm. For information about Consular Services at the AACI see http://www.nbn.org.il/rights/AACIConsularServices.htm. Expanded and updated resources about Aliyah rights and benefits include: Post Aliyah Guide for Returning Minors at www.nbn.org.il/rights/guide_for_returning_minors.htm. Information for Temporary Residents at www.nbn.org.il/post_aliyah/postaliyah_temporaryresidents.htm. Information for Mishpachot Olim at www.nbn.org.il/post_aliyah/post_aliyah_mishpachot_olim.htm. New series of Online Employment Interviews provide information for: Interior Designers: http://nbn.org.il/employment/professions/interior_designers.htm Architects: http://www.nbn.org.il/employment/professions/architects.htm Electrical Engineers: http://www.nbn.org.il/employment/professions/electrical_engineers.htm, Mechanical Engineers: www.nbn.org.il/employment/professions/mechanical_engineers.htm Localization Engineers: http://nbn.org.il/employment/professions/localization_engineers.htm Employment resources for Architects who are making Aliyah, including information about job opportunities and professional licensing can be found at http://www.nbn.org.il/employment/professions/architects.htm. Hebrew language resources (for individuals who are planning Aliyah or have already made Aliyah) have been updated at http://www.nbn.org.il/learn_hebrew/learning_hebrew.htm. The listing of Israeli Headhunters has been updated. See http://www.nbn.org.il/employment/finding_a_job.htm. Details of how to go about Registering for Marriage have been posted at http://www.nbn.org.il/post_aliyah/marriage.html. Information about the Rosenbaum Aliyah Incentive Fund is now online at http://www.nbn.org.il/planning/yu_loans.htm. New article about Making Your Home Handicapped Accessible is online at http://www.bisrael.co.il/in_Tips_Negisha.html Information about Health Insurance for Returning Citizens through Bituach Leumi (National Health Insurance) can be found at http://www.nbn.org.il/rights/returning_residents.htm

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	Mazal Tov to...
	Yael Channa Gabbay-Chitrik ('06) on the birth of a boy, Eitan Zakai Erica and Eric Halivni ('02) on the birth of twin daughters, Hadas Yedida & Achinoam Moriah Michal & Nachum Kligman ('02) on the birth of a boy, Chaim Yitzchak (3rd Sabra since Aliyah!) …and to the proud grandparents, Jack and Lilly Kligman ('06) Suzanne & Robert Grant ('06) on the birth of a girl, Shira Bracha Malkie Nowitz ('05) & Avi Nowitz on the birth of a boy, Asher Chani & Yossi Hadad ('03) on the birth of a boy, Nissim Nomi (Berg '06) & Yitzchak Bauer on the birth of a girl, Esther Devorah Rivki Kraft Solomon and Shmuel Solomon on the birth of a baby boy, Yehuda Susan & Jonathan Duker ('04) on the birth of a boy, Tal Tzion Michelle (Sklar '04) & Daniel Handwerger on the birth of a boy, Moshe Shmuel …and to the proud grandmother, Reina Handwerger ('06) Lara & Mark Kwalbrun ('05) on the birth of a baby girl Hadar Sara Avrum & Eliana Aaron ('02) on the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter, Meital Michael Hochman on his marriage to Michal Hillel Jon Degani ('06) on his engagement to Batya Sklar Nava Yasgur ('05) on her engagement to Yitzchak Rosenblum Aaron Zadok Frolich ('06) on his engagement to Miriam Deutsch Aliza Moskowitz ('04) & Aryeh Sokol ('07) on their engagement Yasmine Noury ('05) & Ben Bernstein ('07) on their engagement Rachael Oppenheimer ('05) on her engagement to Jonathan Granby Rachel Rosenberg ('06) on her engagement to Ariel Ozick Naomi Michlin ('05) on her engagement to Yinon Engoltz Michael Wander ('04) on his engagement to Meital Levi Andre & Myriam Poliszuk ('05) on the engagement of their daughter, Rivka Elisheva White ('06) on her engagement to Loren Blum Condolences to Condolences to the extended Baskin family on the passing of Robert Baskin z"l ('06)

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	From the NBN Desktop
	NBN Business Directory Searching for an English speaking handyman? Need to rent a cell phone? Looking for a speech therapist for your child? Check out the updated BUSINESSES OF NBN OLIM for a full listing of services offered by Nefesh B'Nefesh Olim. The directory includes almost 100 ads and is constantly growing. Discounts for NBNers are routinely offered by many of our business owners. To post an advertisement in the directory, please send your name, contact details and a short description of your business to employment@nbn.org.il. This service is for only available to NBN Olim. Employment Services If you are looking for a job or have questions about licensing and re-training, please contact Daniella Slasky, Robin Berman, Rachel Berger, Kim Ephrat or Aliza Israel. If you are currently employed and are aware of any potential job openings, please let us know! Email the Employment Department at employment@nbn.org.il. Become an Aliyah Buddy! Nefesh B'Nefesh is expecting an unprecedented number of Olim this summer, and we need your help. By sharing your personal experience and Aliyah know-how, you can directly help new Olim acclimate to their Israeli surroundings. We are looking for volunteers to be community and/or employment buddies. • Community buddies: Be in touch with Olim before and after their arrival and provide them with a warm welcome, offering guidance about local resources and introducing them to other people in the community. To register, please go to: www.nbn.org.il/buddy • Employment buddies: Help Olim learn about employment opportunities in their fields by speaking to them prior to Aliyah and helping them identify job openings after their arrival. To volunteer, please email: employment@nbn.org.il and include your profession and contact information. Unemployment Benefits in the First Year If you have been in Israel for at least 6 months and neither you nor your spouse is employed, you are entitled to a monthly living allowance through Misrad Haklita, which continues until a year after your Aliyah date. To begin receiving this living allowance, please contact your Misrad HaKlitah counselor. Nefesh B’Nefesh Singles If you’re an NBN Single who has made Aliyah (or is about to make Aliyah), the Nefesh B’Nefesh Singles YahooGroups listserv is an invaluable resource, allowing you to network and connect to others going through the process. Sign on and participate! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nbnsingles/ Stay Connected NBN Yahoo NewsGroups is an online community of Nefesh B’Nefesh Olim and potential Olim. Share advice, tips, experience and encouragement by following and responding to the posts on the listserv. Go to: www.groups.yahoo.com/group/nefeshbnefesh Submissions The Nefesh B’Nefesh Newsletter is always looking for your submissions. Please send us your personal announcements and smachot, Aliyah-related observations, frustrations, anecdotes, tips, tricks and discoveries! We invite you to share your thoughts and reflections. To friends and family of NBN Olim who live abroad, this means you as well! If your friends and family abroad would like to receive future editions of this newsletter via email, please submit their names and email addresses to newsletter@nbn.org.il or call 02 659 5706. Where are you? Have you moved? And then moved again? Keep us in the know so we can keep you in the loop. Please send all updated email/home/mailing addresses and telephone/cell numbers to updatenbn@nbn.org.il or call 02 659 5700.

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