Summer is here and at Nefesh B’Nefesh that means hundreds of new Olim! As Aliyah dates approach, questions have been rolling in, and we wanted to share the most frequently asked questions we have been receiving and some answers from our team of experts at NBN.

Can I get on a specific flight?

A great benefit that the government provides is a free Aliyah flight, and Nefesh B’Nefesh works hard to make sure everyone gets booked and taken care of en route. You’ve likely seen videos of the iconic Nefesh B’Nefesh charter flights and ceremonies, but did you know that NBN offers three different flight options?

The first, and likely best-known is the charter flight. 250 new Olim have a farewell ceremony in JFK Airport before filling up an entire flight to Israel!  When they arrive in Israel, they are greeted by hundreds of family, friends, and Israeli dignitaries in a big welcome ceremony.

A more low-key option is a group flight. On a set day, a group of Olim go on a flight together. While group flights do not include a ceremony, just like with a charter flight, NBN staff is on board to help Olim with the entire process, and the group will be processed by Misrad HaKlita at the airport and receive their Teudot Zehut.

The third and most flexible option is designated flights. There are more date options available for designated flights, but you have less “hand-holding” through the process and may or may not be greeted by a volunteer at the airport.

You may have an idea of when you want to fly and on which type of flight, but at the end of the day, we cannot promise Olim anything in advance. Arranging your flight is the final step of your Aliyah process, and until everything else is complete, your flight preference can be considered but not guaranteed.

What is an apostille?

An apostille is a specialized certificate issued by a secretary of state to authenticate an original document. You need to be in touch with the secretary of state where your original documentation was issued. Apostilles vary from state to state and country to country. All civil documents require an apostille – including documentation pertaining to marriage, death, divorce, adoption, name change, birth certificates, and more. Countries who were part of the Hague Convention issue apostilles. If your documents are from a country that was not part of the Hague Convention (such as Canada), you still need to authenticate your document, but the certification is not called an apostille. Read more about apostilles here.

How do I choose a healthcare provider?

At a basic level, the four Israeli healthcare providers (Kupot Cholim) are the same. The price difference and difference in coverage only comes into play when opting to get a higher supplemental level of coverage.

Healthcare in Israel is drastically different than in the United States. Every citizen gets healthcare, no matter their employment status.

A few important factors to consider when choosing your Kupat Cholim are:

• Where you live: Smaller towns, Yishuvim, Moshavim, and Kibbutzim may only have one Kupat Cholim. If you know you will be in such a place, you should find out which provider they have locally. Even in a larger city, if you know where you will be living, you might have one Kupat Cholim much closer to your home than others, and that can be a factor when choosing which one to join.
• Navigating the language: Don’t worry about doctors speaking English – they can all get by. It is important to be able to navigate your Kupat Cholim, so we advise all Olim to browse the websites of all four Kupot Cholim and see which one is easiest for them to use and understand.
• Coverage: If you currently have any specific medical needs such as taking a specific medication, you should browse the various packages offered by the different Kupot Cholim to figure out which one will best cover your specific medical needs.

How long does the Aliyah process take?

We encourage people to start the application 6-8 months before they would like to be in Israel. How long the process will take is really a case to case basis. Yes, it can be done in less time, but the average time is 4-6 months. It can be much less, and it can be much more depending on your situation. You can always start the process earlier and put it on hold if need be because you don’t want a time-stress at the end.

Jewish Agency approval? Depending on your situation, it can take as little as two weeks or as much as several months.

What is the best way to transfer money into Israel? What should I do with my bank account in the US/CAN/UK?

Before getting into transferring money to Israel, it is important to note that different countries have different laws about how much cash you can physically carry out of the country. For example, if you take $10,000 in cash out of the United States, you need to declare it.

Israeli banks are known to have fees involved every time they touch your money and can be prohibitive to anyone who wants to transfer money to Israel.  In order to figure out the best way to get your money to Israel, we recommend checking out the Facebook group Living Financially Smarter in Israel. It is an excellent resource for all things finance-related in Israel.

Over the past few years, companies have emerged that are creating innovative, cheap ways to bring money to Israel from abroad. Some examples include IsraTransfer, Transferwise, and OlehPay (though we cannot specifically recommend any of them). Do your own due diligence, research the companies, join the Facebook group, and compare all of the different options yourself.

Regarding your accounts abroad, it is recommended to get a power of attorney for your finances overseas in case you need someone to execute a financial exchange. Many Olim also specifically get credit cards that do not charge fees for withdrawing money in Israel. Make sure to notify your bank and credit cards that you will be making transactions from overseas, and when you do so, go paperless so that you can manage your finances from abroad online.

We hope this helped those of you with similar questions! What questions do you have about the Aliyah process?