It came as a surprise to me that you can complete almost your entire aliya and Nefesh B’Nefesh application online through the NBN website. So I went rustling through the info booklets they gave us to see what else was cool that I was missing.

There were some things that are general interest to all olim: webinars and seminars on important subjects, buddy programs for new families, and so on. But there were two programs I found particularly intriguing.

The first is the Physician Fellowship Program, which sponsors doctors who make aliya. The program aims to make it actually possible to earn a living in Israel as a doctor. The program goal is 100 doctors in three years, and as of 2008, the tally was 28 doctors. So they’ve got to pick up the pace to meet their objective. If you know of a doctor who wants to move to Israel, pass it along.

The one that really interested me was the Go North program. The point is to make it easier to move to the Galil by providing extra assistance in moving and job hunting for people who move to the less developed northern Israel.

Now, it’s always been my humble opinion that the Galil is one of the more beautiful and underappreciated regions in Israel. When you consider that Jewish life in the days of the Talmud existed centered up there, it’s amazing we don’t see more of it on formal history tours. It’s also got some great natural features, ranging from warm springs (they’re not quite hot, but they’re warm) to impressive cliffs.

And a nice plus of living out of a metropolitan area is that you can live in – get this – a house. I wandered through a neighborhood of half-built houses one Shabbos in Rechasim. My conclusion was that too many Israeli architects think that a house is just a detached apartment, but luckily, not all of them. And anyway, even a detached apartment is a step up when it comes with a yard and garden. Having spent my childhood destroying mud fortresses with ballistic hose weaponry, I believe access to dirt is essential for proper development. 

So anyway, if I had to choose a place to live in Israel, I’d start looking up there. Which is why I found that program very interesting. If anyone else shares my appreciation for the region, go fer it.