Making Aliyah—or moving anywhere new—brings challenges of all kinds. Leaving the people and systems you know and rely on can be particularly disorienting. Just knowing that there is someone who you can turn to with all kinds of questions can ease some of the anxiety and help alleviate that lost feeling. While this list is in no way exhaustive, here are seven people you should befriend upon your arrival who can play an outsized role in easing your integration into the next chapter of your life.

                    

1. The school secretary As in many American schools, the secretary (typically a woman) is often the one with her hands in everything happening behind the scenes at the school. When she doesn’t know the answer to a particular question, she almost certainly will know whom to ask (and if you’re especially friendly, she’ll ask that person for you). Make a point of introducing yourself (and your children) to her in the early days of the school year. Let her know that you are new, that the first weeks might be challenging for your kids, and ask if she might be willing to keep her eye on them. Chances are that when your kids want to call you in the middle of the day (most likely for emotional reasons) it will be her phone they’ll use. Make friends with her and let her know how much you appreciate her taking care of your children (Chanukah and Purim are especially good times to send a little something to express your appreciation for all the small ways in which she is assisting your and your child’s Klita).

2. The school counselor While they may not be present full-time, Israeli schools employ counselors who have backgrounds in child psychology and/or social work. He or she will likely know about any new Olim joining the school even before your kids enter the building on the first day.It is worthwhile to connect with him or her over the phone or in person to make sure he or she takes the time to give your child some individual attention. The social worker  will probably have an action plan to check in at various points with all new students, but it doesn’t hurt to gently ask that your child gets checked in on just to be sure. Take advantage of the casual Israeli culture and ask for his or her cell phone number if it isn’t automatically offered (and offer yours, too.) Don’t overuse it, but call to ask questions or connect when an issue arises.

3. The teacher Commonly referred to as “m’chanech” (male) or “m’chanechet” (female), your child’s class will have one main teacher in addition specialist teachers for classes like science, math, art, sports and others. The m’chanech/et is the adult who will spend the most school time with your child. Make sure you have his/her cell phone number and don’t hesitate to call. They will almost always be responsive and very open to creating a partnership in which both school and home are mutually reinforcing of your child’s well-being and development.

4. The Pediatrician The Israeli medical system is very different from what you’re used to in North America. That’s both because Israel runs on a socialized medicine system, and because Israeli culture is completely different. In addition to differences in “bedside manner” (which you can’t do much about) there’s also a different schedule for things like immunizations and check-up’s. When you find your childr’s new pediatrician, ask him or her to explain what you might need to know. Share your child’s immunization history with them and save their phone number in your list of contacts. It is not uncommon for kids to complain of headaches or stomach aches as they make any stressful or significant change in their lives. Aliyah is a perfect example. Befriending the pediatrician will help as you try to distinguish the “stomach-aches-because-I’m-new-around-here” from any potential medical issue.

5. The Makolet Man Most neighborhoods throughout the country have a “makolet”—something like an American convenience store. It is not at all uncommon for these stores to keep family accounts so that children can pick up anything from groceries to an ice pop even without cash on hand. Find the one closest to your house, get the phone number or the owner or manager and let him know that you are new to the neighborhood. He might respond with anything from an uninterested grunt to a full-out Herzl-esque “welcome home!” or anything in between.. When you find out no more than 12 hours in advance that your child is responsible for bringing juice/cake/plates to a party the next day in school, send your kid down the street to pick it up and put the items on your account. Knowing that you have somewhere to go when you need to get something can be very comforting and resolve a lot of “mini-crises.” And knowing that your kids can start to experience the freedom and independence famous to Israel manifested in the mundane act of purchasing their own ice cream, can remind you about one of the many benefits to making this move.

6. The Class Parent You will probably have a thousand school-related questions once the year starts. Find an English-speaking parent in your child’s class, preferably a veteran Oleh, but a native Israeli is also fine!Get his or her phone number so they can make sure that you are added to any class Whatsapp groups (of which there will probably be one for each class) so that you don’t miss any important messages or completely useless but funny Israeli memes.  The parent can explain which size notebooks to buy, how to fill out forms and help translate notices about upcoming field trips.

7. The Neighbor Israelis might get a bad rap for being nosey, but Olim can use that to their advantage. Find a neighbor whom you can go to with bills that need translating or municipal notices that you don’t understand. Ask them what companies they use for internet, phone and/or cable, landscaping or plumbing. Ask them what you need to know about the gas company. It is quite humbling to go from knowing how to run your life in America to literally having no idea what the water bill saysNefesh B’Nefesh offers amazing Translation Tuesdays, where you can bring any documents you don’t understand. Having someone local can be even more comforting.

 

It takes a village to raise a family anywhere in the world. The people in the above list will be important members of your village as you build your new home in Israel.