The best place to live is in Israel. Living and working in Israel - the main pros and cons

For those who decide to leave their homeland, Israel is attractive primarily due to the government's emigration policy. But in order to decide whether it is worth trying to move to live in distant Israel, you need to evaluate all the positive and negative aspects.

Benefits of moving:

• social support and support in ;
• high pay;
• culture of the population;
• pleasant climate.

Immediately after repatriation, financial assistance is provided, the country has a decent standard of living and salary, and quality medicine. The streets are clean, well-maintained, and residents will not encounter beggars or drunkards (except on the outskirts of large cities).

Life in Israel is strongly influenced by religion, perhaps because of this the attitude towards older people and people with disabilities is more humane than in the CIS. Jews respect repatriates; here an immigrant will not face humiliation. The service is impeccable, there is virtually no domestic crime, and the weather is warm all year round.

Disadvantages of emigration

Disadvantages that await immigrants:

• cultural and linguistic differences;
• proximity to military conflicts;
• environmental problems.

Hebrew is a rather complex language

If you evaluate life in Israel, the pros and cons are intertwined so closely that sometimes you can’t tell them apart. For example, only Jews are allowed to marry; condoms are prohibited after marriage. Despite how many Russians there are in Israel, the Russian language is not widespread; knowledge of English and Hebrew is required.

Confrontations in Palestine and the Gaza Strip have not subsided since the formation of the state. The hot spots of Syria and Libya are located nearby; there has been a civil war there for several years. Without embellishment, we can say that there is a slight paranoia and panicky fear of terrorist attacks in the country, and they are very aggressive towards Arabs. However, explosions are rare, and the lives of returnees are safe.

Most of the territory is located in the desert and is not inhabited, so the density of life in cities is high. Due to the heat in the summer months, you need to constantly drink, as the air is dry and sweat quickly evaporates from the skin. Water is expensive, the cost is primarily related to the scarcity of sources and overpopulation; food and clothing cannot be called cheap either. However, this is compensated by good incomes for the majority of citizens.

“You can’t live like that!” - at some distressing moment in life, our compatriot decisively says and begins the process of skiing abroad. There can be a thousand incentives for “you have to go”: your neighbors are bastards, your boss is a curmudgeon and a fool, and you get trampled on the subway. But the most important thing is the material issue.

6/6/2003

Nowadays, and given our life experience, it is not particularly difficult to go somewhere for permanent residence or, at worst, to earn money. Let’s assume that all the obstacles have been overcome, the passports have become heavier enough to match the weight of the entry visa, a farewell bottle of bitters has been joyfully drunk, the plane has accepted you into its belly, and the flight attendant said, say, “Shalom!” Let's fly.

Upon arrival in Israel and passing through all sorts of passport controls and customs, you can take a taxi that will take you anywhere in the country, but for very extra money. Therefore, I recommend an equally comfortable way - wait for the bus. They don’t use LiAZs there, the seats are quite soft, central air conditioning always works, and as for the speed of travel, the bus often gets there faster. You can catch a taxi in the city of your new location. Be sure to bargain with taxi drivers. By the way, most of them speak Russian fluently - business inspires.

It is advisable to know Hebrew in Israel. English too, since few people understand Ukrainian there. But situations are different. From my own experience: I once tried for a long time and unsuccessfully to communicate with a native in broken Hebrew and good English interspersed with Russian words. The Israeli listened for a long time and patiently, tried to understand, finally could not stand it, waved his hand and said angrily: “Cholera is clear!” - “Pan movie in Polish?” “Ocheviste,” he said joyfully and in amazement. Then we chatted for a long time - he in Polish, I in Ukrainian.

It must be said that the Israelis only at first glance seem to be a homogeneous mass. In fact, Israeli society is structured not only and not so much along property or professional lines, but according to countries of origin. People from Poland and people from Romania are two completely different groups of Jews. What can we say about the Taymanim (repatriates from Yemen) or Moroccans. Communities are very jealous of representatives of other countries of origin. Nowadays there are practically no conflicts on inter-Jewish grounds. And once upon a time there were even mass fights, for example between Moroccans and Georgians.

By the way, Ukraine and about Ukraine in Israel, unlike the vast majority of other countries of developed capitalism, are known very well. Immigrants from our country, Poland and Belarus at one time formed the backbone of the Israeli elite. But here too there are nuances. Repatriates (or olim) from the late 1980s to the present day were called “sausage aliyah,” believing that people did not come to implement the great Zionist idea, but were simply fleeing poverty and political instability. So, in Israel they separate Ukrainians - new repatriates and, say, Galicians - immigrants from Galicia from the beginning of the last century until the 1960s. Therefore, a Lviv resident who calls himself a Galician in Israel has a higher status in society. And status is a decent job, that is, paid accordingly. If you have a job, you are a respected person.

As for getting a job - a very important aspect of existence in Israel - then, other things being equal, a repatriate from Ukraine in the eyes of the employer has an advantage over exactly the same Russian applicant. Our compatriots have proven themselves to be hard workers and simply people who can be relied upon in a responsible situation.

From the very first days of your stay, it becomes clear that you need to try to save money. Many emigrants and foreign workers shop for food at markets. This is correct, since the prices there are indeed somewhat lower than in supermarkets or shops where you can buy the minimum necessary set of products, cigarettes, a Russian-language newspaper and whatever else your heart desires. So, it is profitable to shop at markets only for those living nearby. Because the rest will spend exactly as much money on the road there and from there as they planned to save.

Mass immigration from the Union led to the emergence of entire branches of trade aimed at SS repatriates. Russian book stores, video stores, repair shops, “Russian” grocery stores are available in almost all cities and in abundance. In “Russian” shops the prices are steep, but you have to pay for food nostalgia. By the way, most of the goods are locally produced. Dairy products are supplied directly from the kibbutzim. Black bread is also not baked in Poltava, it is done by some neighbor, Chaim Sidorov, who installed a couple of electric ovens. Therefore, their black bread is one to one in appearance, but two to zero in taste in favor of ours. Sometimes there are queues in Israeli stores for candies, chocolate and beer from the countries of the former Soviet Union.

Returning to the means and methods of transportation, it should be noted that the price of travel on a minibus is lower than the cost bus ticket. But even with buses - the main and main public transport in Israel - not everything is simple. There are cards on sale for eleven trips for the price of ten, and you can also purchase a monthly ticket. This allows for significant savings because a one-way trip (say, within Tel Aviv) costs approximately the equivalent of a dollar. And if you have to make one or two transfers, then buying a pass is worth it. Of course, if you run for a taxi, then the savings will be simply amazing. But the heat...

It must be said that there are no trams or trolleybuses in Israel. Eat railway(trains like our electric trains, only more comfortable), but its shares were bought up by bus companies. And the train schedule is designed in such a way that it is inevitably more convenient to get from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Netanya or Haifa by bus. By the way, at the central bus station there was the only paid toilet in all of Israel - it seems, especially for Russian tourists. It would never even occur to an Israeli to relieve himself for money.

The central bus station itself is a very interesting structure, included in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest building of its kind in the world. The designers really did a great job - they used the terrain in such a way that the five-story bus station has a number of entrances and exits to and from different streets. You can walk around Tel Aviv’s “tahana merkazit” for days: in addition to the platforms themselves, ticket offices and information points, the bus station is literally crammed with grocery, manufactured goods, souvenir, bookstores, restaurants, bars and cafes.

An average-income Israeli family visits a restaurant at least once a week. A decent dinner will cost, in terms of dollars, somewhere between thirty and forty. If you book a table for three or more, expect a present from the restaurant. Usually this is a bottle of good wine; in Russian restaurants, a steamy bottle of vodka will be placed on the table “from the establishment”. The number of decent places with very good cuisine is huge, because each community brought with it culinary preferences and skills. It’s hard to recommend any one cuisine. It is better to use this very language to taste a wide variety of dishes of Moroccan, Ashkenazi, Persian, and Georgian cuisine.

You can grab a quick bite at street eateries - falafel shops. Falafel is ground beans fried in vegetable oil. Falafel plus shawarma is a favorite food of Israelis. But the portions are three times larger than what we are used to. Shawarma is made from beef, lamb or turkey. Pita - a flatbread into which meat or falafel balls are poured - is coated with hummus on the inside. In addition, you can take on a separate plate as many different salads and all kinds of pickles and peppers as your heart desires and your stomach can accommodate. This is considered a free side to the main course. I recommend being very careful with small, inconspicuous green peppers - sometimes it’s enough to lick them with your tongue, and then you’ll have to sip water all day in the vain hope of putting out the fire in your mouth.

American fast food restaurants are popular only among children of primary and secondary school age. And that was only thanks to the parrot design and the free distribution of toys and balloons. Moreover, a hungry car enthusiast can drop into a roadside fast food restaurant.

A separate topic is drinking. You need to drink a lot and often. In the Middle Eastern sun, becoming dehydrated is a piece of cake. From childhood, Israelis are taught the need to drink; in language courses for new arrivals, this postulate is repeated tirelessly. There is no need to be clever. Tourist jokes (by the way, jokes - with emphasis on last syllable- in Hebrew means wisdom) a la the USSR, which, they say, is enough to rinse your mouth and the thirst will go away, doesn’t work in the Middle East. You can easily lose consciousness on the street. And the first thing the doctor will do, jumping out of the “ambulance” that appeared as if out of nowhere, will be to pour water from a bottle into your dry mouth (which is an indispensable attribute of any Israeli walking down the street). It is believed that in hot weather a person should drink at least two liters of water or juice per day. Tea, coffee, cocoa, milk are not taken into account. And since in Israel, as Jews joke, it’s summer for half the year and just very hot for half the year, you need to drink a lot every day.

It is interesting that if, when meeting a guest, it is customary for us to ask if he would like to dine with you, then the Israelis will first ask if he would like a drink. Climate is a determining factor even in the formation of speech etiquette.

It will be interesting for smokers to know that cigarettes are very expensive, but there is an alternative - to use the services of people from the Caucasus. Near any large shopping center there will definitely be an old Givi or Shalva sitting with several packs of cigarettes in his hands. And a car is parked nearby, from the trunk of which the smoking goods are traded. They trade in blocks, the price is one and a half to two times lower than the officially established one. In the Jaffa port, they say, you can buy it even cheaper, but not less than a box. I don’t know if this is true, but friends told me that a significant part of fishing schooners are not so much busy catching fish as moving boxes of alcohol and cigarettes in international waters from the sides of their Turkish counterparts.

There are very few German goods in Israel. Many older Israelis, on principle, do not buy anything made in Germany. I remember I searched for a long time and unsuccessfully for “Blend-a-honey,” which I became addicted to a long time ago. The search was unsuccessful. It’s good that my friends from Dusseldorf sent the whole block.

It is better to purchase clothes and shoes during seasonal sales in specialized stores. Sometimes you can buy very decent things at ridiculous prices. But it will still be more expensive than in Turkey or Cyprus. It's just that Israel is a pretty expensive country. Yes, and I have doubts about the branding of things. Somehow I decided to spend money on good jeans and picked up a pair to try on in a decent store. Following an old Soviet habit (remember shopping from black marketeers?) I began to carefully examine the control points of my pants. And I was surprised to discover that on the Lee-Cooper jeans, out of the required four buttons, for some reason one had the Levi Ostrich logo. In short, the purchase was unsuccessful. The Israelis reassured me by explaining that most of the “firm” is done in the Gaza Strip. And no intifada interferes with Arab-Jewish trade friendship. I strongly recommend that you never buy anything at the bazaars. The prices there are below sea level, but the quality is right up to the first wash. You can also get rags for washing dishes in other ways. What’s nice is that you can easily bargain both in the markets and in all the small shops. This is especially successful if you know the language.

But you are unlikely to buy good tea in a supermarket. You'll have to go to the market, to the Georgians or Arabs - you won't be deceived here. You can’t find decent coffee in a supermarket or shop either. There are, however, specialized coffee shops, but not everywhere and not always. Israelis drink mostly tea bags and instant coffee, very often with milk. I still tremble at the word “nes” - it is thrust under my nose at all sorts of business meetings and interviews.

Especially for immigrants from the Union, the Israeli food industry produces high-fat sour cream; On the shelves of self-respecting supermarkets there must be Ukrainian buckwheat and Riga sprats. In the so-called “Russian stores” you can easily find homemade cottage cheese, thick sour cream, even lard. But it will be boiled and tasteless. Therefore, the best present for relatives or friends is Kyiv-baked black bread, Vinnitsa or Poltava lard, Lviv chocolate and a block of American cigarettes (the latter because of the price). I don’t recommend taking caviar with you; there’s plenty of it in the promised land. As well as vodka - any and all.

By the way, Israeli vodka is quite good. But I don’t recommend drinking at work, before or immediately after. Firstly, even the smell of alcohol on the breath is grounds for immediate dismissal. Secondly, in that heat you can easily get a cerebral hemorrhage. Why do you need a dead person in the house, especially if it is you yourself? And thirdly - why, in fact, drink? Have you come to work? So work for your health.

The clothing of most Israelis (due to the climate) is very simple - sandals, a T-shirt and shorts. A separate story is about religious Jews, the so-called “Haredi”: black suits, hats, long-sleeved shirts buttoned up to the Adam’s apple. Women always wear hats, long dresses and stockings. Such personnel live in separate neighborhoods. Many Israelis complain about their religious brothers, but in my opinion it is worth treating them with respect. I will say without a hint of irony - only a very strong faith will force you to walk in forty-degree heat in a black robe without the option of ventilation.

In the heat, sometimes it is absolutely necessary to sit in the shade of a tree and leisurely drink mineral water. But be careful. The fact is that all plants in cities - and grass is no exception - exist solely thanks to artificial watering. Maybe for this reason, maybe for some other reason, but if you sit on the grass carelessly, you can stab yourself... in the rear, in a word. Don’t particularly stroke a leaf sticking out on a branch or try to tear it off - it’s possible that you’ll cut your finger. Interestingly, in Arab cities and villages there is practically no greenery. I had a chance to visit Nazareth - the Jewish and Arab parts of the city can be easily distinguished by the riot of greenery in the first and its complete absence in the second. But the private houses of the Arabs - yes. Such villas - wow! Jews have nothing to compete with here.

A characteristic feature of Israel is a lot of smiles on the streets, in offices and industrial premises. And not only out of a desire to sell profitably or to please the client. People from the Union often consider such smiles to be fake, but in vain. Only confident people smile at strangers. Israelis are exactly like that. Life in constant tension, in anticipation of war, made the Jews not nervous whiners, afraid of every creak or sudden movement. On the contrary, people feel calm and confident. We would like that.

Not only government services, but also ordinary citizens are involved in preventing terrorist attacks. There would have been hundreds of times more explosions and casualties if the Israelis had not carefully monitored whether someone who, in their opinion, was suspicious, had left a bag or bag on the street. Things left unattended are an impossible phenomenon. Every ownerless package is treated more than seriously. Several police cars and a special vehicle with sappers fly up with sirens and flashing lights, and the street is cordoned off. If the incident happens at a bus station or in an office, then passengers, staff and visitors are immediately evacuated and professionals take over the matter.

My friend thus once lost the groceries she had purchased for the next few days. While waiting for the bus, I left a few bags on the bench and went to the kiosk to get a newspaper. When she returned, there was a cordon, her food, which had been left for a few minutes, was already covered with an armored cap, there was a solid bang... The steaks and vegetables were hopelessly spoiled. The pleasant side of the process is that if there had been a real bomb in those bags, it would have been defused with no less efficiency.

Life in Israel teaches you to meekly untie the straps of a backpack or open a bag and show its contents to a security guard every time you visit a supermarket, bank, or public office. Upon returning to Ukraine, for a long time I mechanically looked for the security guard before entering any institution, driven by the intention of showing him the insides of my handbag.

Fortunately, I have never been in a situation where Palestinians are protesting against something using the Arab folk sport called throwing stones at living people. When television shows footage of Israeli police wearing bulletproof vests shooting grenades with tear gas at “peaceful” protesters throwing half-kilogram stones at them, my sympathies are with the police. Because with such a stone you can easily crush your head.

If we vacation in Israel, then the Israelis vacation in Cyprus. They also enter into civil marriages there. In Israel itself there is no institution of civil marriage legalized by the state. You can create a family supported by a certificate only by entering into a religious marriage. The canons of the Jewish religion stipulate that a legitimate marriage, from the point of view of this very religion, is only between a Jew and a Jewish woman according to Halacha (a set of religious rules). Only individuals born of a Jewish mother are considered such halakhic Jews. And since the number of mixed families, where the father is Jewish and the mother is Ukrainian or Russian, increases every year, their children have to save money for wedding trip to Cyprus. Then such a marriage can be legalized in Israel itself.

Why are there many non-Jews in Israel from a religious point of view? It's very simple. When the Law of Return was adopted, it was based on the norm according to which the right to repatriation and obtaining Israeli citizenship was given to everyone who had at least one of their grandparents who was Jewish or Jewish. This is a complete copy of the discriminatory provisions of the Nuremberg Laws adopted by the Nazis in Germany in the 1930s of the last century.

From time to time, the Israeli public returns to discussing the Law of Return; many believe that in the current world there is no longer a need to grant the right to citizenship to people who have only a distant relationship with Jews. But every time the memory of the catastrophe of European Jewry forces members of the Knesset (parliament) to postpone consideration of the issue of tightening legislation under any pretext. According to the Israelis - and it is difficult to disagree with them - the mass extermination of Jews could have been avoided if, in the 30s and 40s of the 20th century, the Jews had had a state that could accept their brothers who were in dispersion.

Jews have a very interesting and reverent attitude towards their country, which is worth learning and adopting. When talking about Israel, Jews use the expression Country (that's right, with a capital letter). There is no expression in Hebrew for “leaving Israel” or “returning to Israel.” They say: “to rise to the Country” and “to descend (descend) from the Country.”

Just a few years ago it was possible to bring any amount of cash into Israel - even a container with a billion dollars. This was beneficial for the country, since money for legalization had to be placed in an account (opened without problems in 10-15 minutes in any branch of any bank). And they began to work for the Israeli economy. But, in the end, Europe and the United States put pressure on Israel to launch a fight against “dirty” money, and for the fifth year now, the amount of imported cash has been limited, if I’m not mistaken, to fifty thousand dollars.

Customs in Israel are polite and helpful, but will shake out any hidden valuables or banknotes from you and your belongings. However, they will turn a blind eye to an imported extra block of cigarettes or an extra-limit bottle of vodka. And if you boldly walk through the green corridor, without blushing, turning pale, scratching yourself nervously and dancing, you will get through anything. But do you need it?

It is better to fly to Israel from some Central European country or through Turkey. Because from Ukraine it’s more expensive. The fact is that at the dawn of independence, Ukraine and Israel entered into an agreement on air services, according to which only two airlines (one Israeli and one Ukrainian) have the right to transport passengers. And the Ukrainian side insisted on high price tickets. And the Israelis are not against it - who would refuse the opportunity to earn an extra penny without much stress? By the way, an air ticket from Tel Aviv to Moscow is cheaper than to Kyiv.

Interestingly, a call from Israel to Ukraine costs five to six times cheaper than from here to there. And it’s simply impossible to explain that you need to pay for incoming calls. Israeli acquaintances persistently call my mobile phone and are terribly surprised when they find out that I have to pay for it, and more than they do.

Holidays in Israel are the same misfortune as in Ukraine. Everything and everywhere is closed. You can’t buy anything, you can’t get anywhere, and there’s no one to kill for it. Tradition. Those who are wealthier go to Eilat or Cyprus. The rest take out barbecues from the mezzanines, take meat, charcoal previously purchased at the store, go to the nearest lawn - and fry, fry, fry, fry. And then - eat, eat, eat, eat. The Israelis themselves joke that Israel has three national sports - eating, shopping and promiscuity. They give themselves over to these hobbies with great willingness and even some fanaticism.

A special conversation is the so-called Levantine mentality. Israelis do not suffer from punctuality. Promising to do something like that tomorrow at exactly 11:00 is easy. Not doing it is even simpler. “Mahar ba-boker” (“tomorrow morning”) is a favorite excuse, it is also a way to politely send someone to hell.

Municipal, that is, free, beaches in Israel will cause an acute attack of envy of any Odessa resident or Evpatorian. Clean, with green grass framing the sand, free showers, toilets, taps for washing your feet - a pleasure. It’s a completely different pleasure to pay for the included service in the form of umbrellas, sun loungers and trestle beds. A bottle of water brought by a briskly running beach peddler will cost you two or even three times more than the exact same one, but bought by you in advance, on the way to the sea.

By the way, the Mediterranean Sea is very different from the Black Sea. Very large waves can rise at any moment. And the sand on which you stood in water heated to the temperature of morning semolina porridge is simply washed away from under your feet. And Mediterranean water will taste more bitter than Azov or Black Sea water.

Israelis climb into the water only when it warms up to thirty degrees. People from the Union or tourists can be easily identified by splashing in twenty-degree water. A native Israeli will not climb into such “insanely cold” water. Even for money. No, of course, if you offer him one hundred and fifty shekels...

For a long time it seemed to me that only “Russians” (and this is what all immigrants from the former USSR are called abroad) climb into unheated water. But no. There are still people who are ready to compete with us in their persistent desire to conquer the elements. These are Americans. But there is still a difference. If ours climb into the cold sea out of courage, then the Americans - because they said on TV that summer has come. How can you not believe what is said on TV?

One can talk endlessly about Israel. Every mountain, hill, every square meter of land is living history. Jaffa, Caesarea, Tiberias, Nazareth and, of course, Jerusalem - every city is worthy of a lengthy description. It is interesting to work and live in Israel. The aborigines, who at first seemed prickly, like a cactus (that's what they call themselves - sabra, that is, cactus), at some point suddenly reveal a completely different side and turn out to be sensitive neighbors and true friends. And a colleague at work - a “scary” Arab with an incomprehensible mentality - is actually a joker and a darling, and besides, a graduate of the Kharkov Medical Institute.

It is enough to be prepared for some unpleasant moments so that they do not spoil the mood, but, on the contrary, cause a smile: “I knew it would happen like this!” This article describes those things and phenomena that I personally do not like. I love this country, but as they say, nothing is perfect in the world.

1. Abroad, Israeli repatriates are considered Jews, but here we become Russians, Americans, Latinos, etc.

For the majority of native Israelis (of which there are actually very few, although all third - and sometimes second - generations living in Israel count themselves among them), Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and all other countries of the former USSR are something united, with a common called "Russia". They absolutely do not care that these are different states and republics. But there is a layer of the population that treats new repatriates with respect and knows that it is not worth lumping everyone with the same brush. Of course, even less importance is paid to what city a person came from, either Khabarovsk or St. Petersburg - the devil.

2. Canopies on the street from which water is always dripping

You get used to walking the streets in a slight tension, always ready to dodge (like Neo) from the new insidious “bullet” of Mister Rain... In theory, these visors should prevent sunlight or rain from hitting passers-by. But most of them are already outdated or have fallen into disrepair, so dripping from the edges is no worse than just rain. For this reason, even when the rain has already stopped, you need to be very careful in order to dodge the stream flowing from the visor. Water, by the way, accumulates on the visors even in dry weather. I most often come across them on the central streets of Tel Aviv: Allenby, King George, Dizengoff. What about you?

3. Internet communication is a disease of the 21st century

Constant correspondence on WhatsApp (one of the most popular and convenient mobile messengers) has become more popular than calls. The WhatsApp application is installed on almost all Israeli smartphones. With it, you can chat with your favorite friends one by one or in groups and send each other stunning photos of what you eat or see. Many people also use this service to chat with their employees: for example, they send out a new work schedule for the next week. The application, of course, is very convenient, but Israelis use it too often. It can even get to the point of absurdity when two workers who have the opportunity to communicate with each other live prefer to correspond on WhatsApp so that no one sees them gossiping about someone else. There are also international data that show a general trend towards a decrease in voice traffic and an increase in Internet traffic. People all over the world talk less and text more.

4. All conversations are about food!

Not only does sitting at the table and eating delicious food is almost the most popular and favorite pastime, “ national species sports” (despite the fact that Israelis do a lot of real sports), they still talk about it everywhere! If you spend an hour on a bus, you will definitely hear several passengers talking about what they had for lunch and what they are going to cook for dinner. Moreover, they will tell this in a very emotional form - you might think that all these people are excellent actors who will never get out of their role. It’s as if a real Jewish mother from Jewish jokes calls them all five times a day and asks what her child ate today, down to the smallest details. In defense of this habit, the food selection in Israel is indeed very varied, and there is a lot to talk about... but please, not too much!

5. New Year? No, we haven't heard. On December 31st we celebrate Sylvester

Israelis don't really celebrate the calendar. New Year, which occurs on the night of December 31 to January 1. Many even think that Christmas and New Year are the same thing, and call it all together the Feast of St. Sylvester. According to ancient legend, in 314 AD, Saint Sylvester caught the Old Testament monster - the sea serpent Leviathan. Oh how.

The maximum celebration is considered to be going for a drink at the nearest bar or disco. There is no tradition of dressing up and styling your hair, making wishes, having fun until the morning, and then partying for another 10 days (or at least 1!). Of course, people from the former USSR, of which every fourth resident of Israel is, look at all this with sadness and misunderstanding.

6. Powerful air conditioners

Air conditioners in public transport, shops and shopping centers work at full capacity and are set to a temperature of +15, even if winter has come and there is no need to cool the room. And in the summer, although people rejoice at the opportunity to cool down, they nevertheless constantly catch colds due to terrible changes.

7. One in flip-flops and a T-shirt, the second in ugg boots and a winter jacket, the third in shorts and a jacket.

Yes, it’s difficult for Israelis and fashion to get along. It is believed that by what a person is wearing, you can understand what time he left the house, because... During the day, the temperature changes several times, and very significantly - from +35 during the day in the sun to +15 in the evening. And, of course, already at the end of autumn, for the fifth season in a row, our fashionistas begin to wear UGG boots, even at a temperature of +20 - you want to take your favorite pair of shoes for a walk, and it doesn’t matter that in other countries such temperatures are considered pleasant for summer. Once, around mid-October, I was walking along the hall of the Azrieli shopping center, dressed lightly - the weather was still very warm then. And coming towards me was a girl, wrapped in a warm woolen scarf, a large jacket, wearing the aforementioned UGG boots and shivering from the cold. She looked like she was walking through the mountains somewhere in Norway. For example, in Lilyhammer.

8. Mizrahi music (from Hebrew “eastern”), the simple sounds of which loudly come from cars

In the Middle East there is such a phenomenon as oriental music - Mizrahit. Now, however, real Mizrahit has lost its individuality and has transformed into pop Mizrahit. The musical genre of Eastern culture has become another business machine in which quite a lot of money is spinning. Songs of this genre are mostly sung by guys, and in an unusually high voice (sometimes it even seems like they are about to tear their vocal cords). The songs, of course, are about love: the hero showers his beloved with compliments or tells the story of their relationship. As with a normal gop-stop, local guys “by convention” prefer to listen to Mizrahi hits while sitting in their car, turning the volume up to maximum volume and opening the windows.

The typical life plan of an Israeli is very different from a Russian one. The child goes to kindergarten, then - at the age of 5-6 - to school, where he studies for another 12 years. Students are not particularly burdened: the main task of an educational institution is to make the child feel comfortable there. Some parents are satisfied with this system, others do their best to invest in their children’s education, hiring tutors for them, paying for additional classes and clubs. Both children will be able to finish school without problems, but their prospects will be different.

After school, the army awaits graduates: boys will spend three years in it, girls - two. After the army, Israelis often travel around the world: they can travel around different countries whole year. After which they return home, get a job, and then go to university, for which they have to pay with or without the help of their parents.

Up to the age of 30, Israelis can serve in the army, study and work, and no one will blame them for their neglected personal life. No one will tell an unmarried girl of 27 years old that “the clock is ticking”: in Israel she is almost a child who still has to get on her feet, and only then can she get married and have children. But when “childhood time” finally comes, Israelis do not limit themselves: the average family has three children, and often more. In religious families there are either 10 or 12 children.

Old age in Israel begins late, lasts a long time and, as a rule, is pleasant. Pensioners go to theaters, attend master classes, learn languages, and travel a lot. The borders of Europe and the United States are open for Israeli citizens; they do not need visas to travel to Western countries. But here’s what’s interesting: I noticed that Israelis love their country very much. They can complain about the bureaucracy, scold the mayor and sit under air conditioning around the clock without sticking their nose out into the hot street. And all the same, they will treat their small, proud country with trepidation and will not exchange it for anything. Will I ever become Israeli?

Israel is a unique country in many respects. To begin with, the Jewish state arose 3 thousand years ago, ceased to exist a thousand years later and again appeared on the world map only in the middle of the twentieth century. The most ancient cities were built here; the origins of European culture and civilization are rooted on this land. A old town(old town) in Jerusalem was, is and, we hope, will remain a sacred place for three world religions: Christianity, Islam and Judaism. With such a history and rich spiritual heritage, Israel is a completely modern, developed state with a fairly high level of legal and social protection of the population. Given the prospects, many Russians view Israel as possible place residence in the future. However, in the field of immigration legislation, the uniqueness of the country again manifests itself, in which not everyone can become a citizen.

Some statistics

According to official information from the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, more than a quarter of the country's population are immigrants. The percentage of immigrants among able-bodied residents is even higher. According to statistics, more than three million Jews have immigrated to the country since Israel was founded in 1948. At the same time, new citizens arrived in “waves”: 1948–1951, the second half of the 70s, the beginning of the 90s, when 400 thousand Jews repatriated to the country. And in total, from the late 1980s to the present, the number of emigrants has exceeded 1.5 million people. Over the past 10 years, there has been an increase in emigration from industrialized countries such as Germany, the USA, Austria and Canada. At the same time, the number of immigrants arriving in Israel from the countries of the former USSR decreased slightly. Regarding emigration from Russian Federation, then according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Absorption (Russian Federal Migration Service), approximately 300 thousand people left for Israel from 1990 to 2000, and over the next decade - more than 200 thousand people. No official data has been published in recent years, but some analysts note a significant increase in emigration from Russia, including to Israel.

The figures given include all persons who moved to the country. However, Israel's immigration policy is such that the number of non-Jews in the total mass of new citizens is extremely small - less than 3%.

Israeli life

The basis for the well-being of the people of Israel was, firstly, a focus on scientific developments and their implementation in all spheres of the economy. Secondly, foreign investment, which amounts to more than $10 billion a year, which is quite an impressive amount for a country with a population of 8 million people. And thirdly, intensive, highly productive work. The result was not long in coming: over 60 years of development, starting literally from scratch, Israel has reached the forefront in the world in many areas: science, education, medicine, agriculture, etc. The level of well-being of the population has increased accordingly. The most striking indicator of this is life expectancy. Currently, it is the highest in the world and is 78.9 years for men and 82.4 years for women. The state pays great attention to the development of the medical sector, which, in terms of the qualifications of the personnel employed in it and the provision of the most modern equipment, competes with recognized world leaders - the USA and Germany. Israel also holds leading positions in the field of education. It ranks second in the world (after the United States) in the number of university graduates per thousand population. And Israeli education diplomas are highly rated and accepted without any additional confirmation.

There are more than sixty universities and academic colleges in Israel, where about 300 thousand students study.

Standard of living

Considering the intensive development of the State of Israel, it is not difficult to find a decently paid occupation here. The unemployment rate has been stable at around 5% for a long time. However, it should be kept in mind: there are unemployed people in the country not because there is no work at all, but because they are looking for a more qualified and highly paid form of employment. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, the average monthly income of workers in Israel reached 10,100 shekels (more than $2,500) at the end of 2015. Considering the price level in the country, it can be argued that the level of purchasing power is very high. For comparison, it was 50% higher than the purchasing power in the Russian Federation before the crisis of 2014–2015.

Purchasing power of the population is the amount of goods and services that the population is able to purchase in accordance with the funds available to people.

The average Israeli's earnings are enough to rent an apartment, eat in abundance - and even more -, spend daily expenses, purchase their own home in about 10 years, as well as one or two trips to Europe or America per year. Just like in Russia, in Israel there is a minimum wage. But unlike the minimum wage in the Russian Federation, you can live with dignity on this salary.

Youth and pensioners

Let's talk about children and pensioners. That is, about those who are often called vulnerable segments of the population. Only for Israel this definition is least suitable. Social policy is structured in such a way that, on the one hand, it encourages people to work as much as possible, and on the other hand, it does not encourage dependency. The more everyone works, the faster the whole country develops and gets richer, and returns the taxes received to its citizens in the form of good roads, free schools and kindergartens, medicine, various benefits, payments, etc. This, of course, is not an invention of the Israelis, but unlike many other countries, it works here!

Children in Israel are a national treasure. And this is not a metaphor, but a legislative program of the government. Therefore, everything a child needs, from basic necessities to education, can be obtained for free. Infant mortality is very low, and in this indicator Israel is one of the leaders in the world. The state devotes enormous efforts to the physical and intellectual development of children. In every park or shopping center There are beautifully appointed corners. On city streets, every 100–200 meters you will find playgrounds designed for children. It is unlikely that you will ever see Israeli children fighting. No, of course, there are clashes, there is no escape from this in any country in the world, but a conflicting couple will be immediately calmed down. And not adults, but children!

Young people begin to acquire a specialty while still at school. Then comes mandatory service in the Defense Forces for all Israeli citizens, both male and female. Men serve for 3 years, women - 2. Then young people either go to work or continue their education. This can be done as in paid educational institutions, and in free ones. Moreover, the quality of education and qualifications of the young specialist will be the same.

Young people in Israel have a tradition of spending some time after the army traveling around the world. Everyone, secular and religious, living in cities or kibbutzim, tries to maintain this tradition. Naturally, as far as parents' wallets allow.

The retirement age in the country is 67 years for men, 62 years for women. All persons who have reached the appropriate age receive a pension, regardless of how and how much they worked before. Only the pension size of those who worked officially and paid all required contributions will be significantly higher. However, the pension cannot be lower than the minimum established by law, which is quite sufficient for a secure old age. Therefore, elderly people often while away their time in cafes, communicating with fellow pensioners. Here we cannot fail to mention the Israeli analogues of Russian nursing homes. These are public or private institutions where many older people move of their own free will. And society’s attitude towards this is completely normal and adequate. The fact is that Israeli nursing homes are more like a four-star hotel with appropriate service (care). And the elderly in them are often better off in a group of their own kind than to exist alone. But no matter where an elderly person lives, if it is difficult or impossible for him to take care of himself, the state assigns a nurse (guide) and pays for her services. In addition, older people wear special bracelets, through which they can call an ambulance if necessary.

Woman in Israeli society

Many people are interested in how women live in Israel. Let's just say: no worse than men. Jews have always had a special attitude towards women. Since ancient times, it was they, and not men, who were the bearers of the nation’s identity. And currently in Israel, only those whose mother is Jewish are considered Jewish by blood. Therefore, the level of legal and social protection of women, and especially mothers, is very high. For example, any man who raises his hand against a woman ends up in prison without lengthy proceedings. It gets to the point where men begin to grumble, finding themselves powerless against the false accusations of unscrupulous girlfriends. And more than once the Knesset has discussed the issue of eliminating “surpluses” in legislation in favor of women.

Despite the fact that the average salary of women in general is 10% less than that of men, this does not indicate any discrimination. For the same work, both women and men are paid the same. It’s just that women in Israel more often agree to less qualified, but also less profitable jobs, since they are forced to be more distracted by family and children. However, the state fully compensates for the lower income with benefits and subsidies.

The Israeli police force is over 30% women. Moreover, there are even more of them on patrol duty than men. One of the police leaders is a woman, Major General Inna Wulf. By the way, he comes from the former USSR.

Russian emigrants in Israel

The word "Russian" in Israel and Russia means different things. In the Russian Federation, a Russian is a person whose parents, or at least father, were Russian. In Israel, a Russian is a person of any nationality, including Jewish, who speaks Russian. Therefore, when you hear or read that there are 2 million Russians in Israel, keep in mind that we are talking about Russian-speaking Jews. However, there are also ethnic Russians here, whose number is more than 200 thousand people. These are the following categories:

1. Orthodox Christians who moved to the Holy Land before or immediately after the revolution. Their descendants rarely speak Russian anymore and have become fully integrated into Israeli society.
2. Citizens of the Soviet Union of Russian nationality who professed Judaism. They moved in communities, first secretly to Palestine, then, in the 80s of the last century, openly to Israel. Now they live mainly in kibbutzim.
3. Family members of Jewish repatriates.
4. Immigrants who have gained the right to work or citizenship are a very small group.
5. Persons residing illegally in the territory of the State of Israel.

There are no official statistics on these population groups, but from the report of the Ministry of Internal Affairs it follows that Russian-speaking husbands and wives of repatriates make up about 7% of their total number, that is, about 35 thousand people. Another 6 thousand ethnic Russians acquired citizenship or the right to permanent residence in Israel. Data on illegal immigrants is contradictory - according to various sources, their number ranges from 8 to 23 thousand. In 2011, the Eretz Israel Foundation conducted a study national composition immigrants and their age. The table shows only data related to arrivals from the Russian Federation.

Table: age structure of migrants from the Russian Federation to Israel in 1990–2010

*data are given as percentages

From the above data it is clear that the average age of migrants arriving from Russia to Israel has decreased mainly due to people of retirement age. At the same time, the percentage of children and youth has increased.

Where is the best place to live?

It is hardly possible to give a definite answer to this question. Here everything depends on the migrant himself, his mentality, aspirations and, of course, financial capabilities. If a person, coming to Israel, has a firm intention to integrate into society, learn the language, work officially, etc., then by and large he does not care where to settle. In this case, other factors will be decisive. For example, the cost of living. If the price of food, clothing and other necessary things in all stores in Israel is approximately the same, then the prices for similar housing in Jerusalem and some small town will differ several times. The location of the work is also important. Despite the fact that the infrastructure here is well developed, in recent years major cities- Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa - traffic jams appeared. Therefore, it is wise to choose a place of residence close to work. This is, in fact, what the Israelis themselves do, because they do not have a strong attachment to an apartment or house, as in Russia. The main thing for them is work!

Length of roads high quality about 20 thousand km. For a country whose dimensions are approximately 450 by 130 km, this is an outstanding result.

However, not all emigrants from Russia make enough efforts to learn Hebrew. The reasons for this are different - a reluctance to strain too much, and a lack of time. And everyone's abilities are different. In this case, we recommend purchasing or renting housing in places where the concentration of the Russian-speaking population is maximum. We list the main ones:

1. Haifa. It is a city in northern Israel, the third largest in the country after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The industrial capital of the country. Became a center of immigration in the 90s. Here you can find inexpensive housing and plenty of work.
2. Bat Yam. The city is 10 minutes south of Tel Aviv. The population is 150 thousand people, of which less than 84% are Jews, which is very small for Israel. There are many people from the countries of the former USSR living here, but also many refugees from Africa. It is considered to be the most cheerful city in the country, where life is in full swing around the clock on the Ben Gurion embankment. Bat Yam attracts low prices for real estate, as well as great job opportunities due to the proximity of industrial centers such as Tel Aviv, Rishon LeZion and Holon.
3. For those who are close to the socialist idea, the best solution may be a kibbutz - a kind of commune in which, in short, everything is common. There are hundreds of kibbutzim in Israel, including Russian-speaking ones.

Video: features of life in a kibbutz

Is there a Russian diaspora?

It should be noted that the Russian diaspora in its classical sense does not exist in Israel. The fact is that the overwhelming majority of immigrants are Jews, and the small number of ethnic Russians (Ukrainians, Belarusians, etc.) is clearly not enough to create any social institutions that support and develop their community and identity.

30 km from the Israeli capital Jerusalem is located ancient city on Earth - Jericho. Its age exceeds 10 thousand years.

Sabras and goyim

Sabras (Hebrew tsabar) are the indigenous inhabitants of Israel, those who were born in the Promised Land. This concept is often contrasted with another - goy, that is, not a Jew. Moreover, neither persons of other nationalities, including Russians, nor ethnic Jews who do not observe religious rules are not Jews. According to Israeli law, all citizens of the state have equal rights regardless of ethnic origin. Other persons legally residing in Israel have the same rights, in addition to voting rights. But this is only in theory. In practice, non-Jews may encounter problems when hiring, when applying to government agencies, and some others. The fact is that the country has a very strong influence of religious groups - Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox, who are trying with all their might to push the idea of ​​a Jewish state through the Knesset. And if at the everyday level one can hardly encounter a manifestation of nationalism, then in contacts with authorities it is quite likely.

What can we expect in the future? It all depends on which parties will have a majority in parliament. So, if 60 years ago there were 18 religious deputies in the Knesset, now there are already 40. But this is not enough to pass laws that can significantly limit the rights of the goyim. And it is not a fact that even if the Orthodox win the parliamentary elections, such laws will appear soon. After all, it is known that the Palestinian issue has been resolved for almost 70 years, but without much success.

Israel still does not have a Constitution, although at every Knesset election candidates promise voters to accept it. And each composition of parliament postpones this act, leaving it to the discretion of the next deputies.

First-hand information: reviews from migrants

In order to more fully imagine what life is like in Israel, we bring to your attention excerpts from the author’s conversations with three of our former compatriots. So, Vladimir, 52 years old, lives in Bat Yam:

I am Russian, and I was not going anywhere from Russia, but my child got sick. Doctors recommended a maritime climate. Then the wife - she is Jewish - offered to temporarily move to Israel, and after treatment, if she didn’t like it new life, come back. We arrived in 1996, our son recovered long ago, served in the army, graduated from university, got married, gave birth to a granddaughter, and we still live here. My wife received citizenship a long time ago through aliyah (state repatriation program - author's note), and I, as the husband of an Israeli citizen. I know Hebrew well, I can also read and write. My wife’s language skills are much worse, since she works in a hairdresser with Russian-speaking clients and simply does not have the necessary practice. I work as a freight forwarder. The salary is 20 thousand shekels for two, official, that is, with all taxes and insurance. Own apartment We don’t have them, but we bought 3 in Russia and rent them out. I know Israel well, but I’m not a fan of traveling. In twenty years I’ve been to Jerusalem three times, a couple of times to the Dead Sea... But every summer I go on vacation to Stavropol, where I have relatives. The wife is on vacation in Austria or Switzerland at this time. After what happened with the dollar exchange rate in Russia last year (2013 - author's note), we are thinking about selling the apartments and forgetting about returning to the Russian Federation.

Now a review from Mark, 26 years old, lives in Haifa:

My parents brought me to Israel 15 years ago. The family is purely Jewish, but not religious. He graduated from school, served three years in the army, received a profession aviation technology. After that he went to Canada, where he rested and had fun and studied English language two years. Now I work at Ben Gurion Airport. The salary is good, 16 thousand shekels, but the work is very hard - you have to work both at night and on Shabbat (Saturday, the day when Jews are not allowed to work - author's note). And it’s a long drive - about 100 kilometers. I'm thinking about working in Haifa, at the port. The salary is, of course, less, but there is more free time for training, since I want to become a web designer. I'm not planning to get married yet. Life plans: I’ll work for three years, gain experience in programming and go to work in the USA or Canada. There are higher incomes.

Finally, Nathan, 64, has just purchased an apartment in Petah Tikva, an industrial suburb of Tel Aviv:

IN Soviet times held a fairly high position. But as soon as perestroika began and the gate to leaving the USSR opened, he immediately moved to Israel under the repatriation program. I learned the language while still in Moscow, in the ulpan (Hebrew school - author's note) at the synagogue. I did not work in my specialty - and I am a biologist. After serving in the army, he was an international observer for the UN in hot spots for several years. Then he organized a company and took tourists to local attractions. Now I am privately engaged in medical tourism. I work from eight in the morning, or even earlier, until nine in the evening. Income is up to 4–5 thousand dollars, but this is after 10 years of business promotion. Previously, there were no clients for months. Several years ago I divorced my wife, but remained good friends. Excellent relationship with my daughter. I'm happy with life, but my only wish is for an easier job. I fly to Moscow almost every year - my sister stays there. I kept trying to take her to Israel, but she didn’t want to. Well, everyone has their own path... And I hope that the best is yet to come.

Video: who can live well in Israel

Different people, different destinies... But the interviewees will be united by the absence of any regret for living in Israel. Even the young man Mark, who is going to America, goes only to earn money, and not for the purpose of emigration. Perhaps this is significant.

Pros and cons of living in Israel for Russians

If you are considering Israel as a likely future immigration destination, it can be helpful to evaluate all of its major advantages and disadvantages. Let us immediately make a reservation that the Russians here are Russian speakers of all nationalities, with only one condition: they have acquired the right to legally reside and work in the territory of the State of Israel. So, what could be good about life in the Promised Land for Russians?

Pros:

1. Climate and environmental well-being. This country has wide choice places of residence in areas with different natural conditions - from humid Mediterranean to dry desert or alpine. At the same time, the air and water contain negligible substances harmful to humans.
2. Safety. Extremely low crime rate, including street crime. In all cities of Israel, you can safely let children go outside for a walk at any time of the day.
3. Democracy and highly developed civil society - the latter is primary in relation to the state.
4. Priority of laws. Probably not for all Russians, given their mentality, this is a plus. However, obedience to the law is necessary for the development of society and the state, and you quickly get used to it.
5. High standard of living.
6. Developed infrastructure - roads, transport and other communications, as well as an abundance of recreational areas.
7. Advanced medicine and social welfare.
8. The state's care for children, women, and the elderly.
9. High educational and cultural level.
10. The world's highest concentration of historical and religious monuments.
11. The tolerance and peace-loving nature of the Israelis, their desire and ability to negotiate on any controversial issues.

Cons:

1. Very hot summers and strong winds, sometimes with sand, in winter.
2. The country is at war with radical Palestinian organizations, so terrorist attacks are likely.
3. Enhanced security measures and checks at the entrance to any establishment of the slightest importance.
4. Compulsory study of Hebrew.
5. The strong influence of religion and religious organizations on social life and politics.
6. The need for intensive work.
7. High real estate prices in large cities due to lack of land.
8. Isolation of the country. The borders with Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon are virtually closed, and all other countries can only be reached by plane.

10 unusual facts for Russians in Israel (video)

So, what can we ultimately say about Israel for Russians? A pleasant country in many respects, where people, including Russians, live no better or worse than in most highly developed countries of the world. A society of worthy people, whom two thousand years of forced emigration and persecution have taught to be smart, strong, worthy and hospitable. Therefore, the choice of Israel as a country for immigration can be considered quite successful.