There’s an old, well-known joke of a tourist who visits Israel and is shown sandy beaches, majestic palm trees, beautiful buildings with arched doorways, and overhanging bougainvillea. The visitor falls in love with the country and decides to make aliyah.
When he arrives in the country, he sees burning fire pits, soot, and smoke. When he confronts the authorities with the disparity between what he saw on his visit and what he encountered now, he’s told, “Well, when you came before, you were a tourist, but now you’re a new immigrant.” 
Having made aliyah myself and living in a community of numerous English speakers in central Jerusalem, I am very familiar with the pitfalls, challenges, and obstacles facing olim, new immigrants to Israel. I understand that most systems – from banking, to school, to medicine, and everything in between – are different here.
I know that there are bureaucratic hurdles that do not exist in the US or other countries, and that when you add in the language factor, everything gets even more complicated. In fact, this is one of the main reasons for – and driving forces behind – my work as a real estate advocate for English-speaking buyers.
I know that opening a bank account, obtaining a mortgage, learning the legalese, negotiating a contract, handling inspections, completing registration, and so on are not simple matters, especially when conducted in Hebrew and in unfamiliar territory. There is so much that can go wrong.
And, of course, you want to ensure that you’re buying the right home in the right place for the right price – according to your lifestyle preferences, religious affiliation, and more.
And that’s why I found myself so pleasantly surprised – in fact, delighted – to discover how much the Jerusalem Municipality is doing to assist new immigrants to the city. Recently, I sat down with Yitzchak Brim, one of the city’s deputy mayors, and Pini Glinkevitch, director of the city’s Immigration and Absorption Authority, to learn more.
Growing demographics
Brim and Glinkevitch greet me with a warm smile and handshake, eager to discuss a topic that’s dear to them: the special place Jerusalem holds in the hearts of Jews worldwide. The importance of Jerusalem to Jews everywhere is what brings some 3,000 Jews a year to move to the city from around the world.
These days, the largest number of new immigrants come to Jerusalem from South America, Glinkevitch says. He estimates that nearly a third of new immigrants to the capital are Spanish or Portuguese speakers. The next largest sector is English speakers from Great Britain.
Another significant and somewhat surprising demographic is students who come on post-high-school programs and decide to stay in Israel. In the past, many of them would have studied at yeshivas or seminaries in England or elsewhere in Europe but now they are choosing to come to Israel. Regardless, Jerusalem remains the number one destination for English-speaking olim. More olim come to Jerusalem than any other city. And the municipality is seeking to smooth that transition
Of the 3,000 new immigrants to the city, 50% are 40 years old and younger, they tell me. Many of them are looking not just for housing but for a neighborhood where they can raise a family, schools that fit their children’s academic and religious needs, and jobs that can support a growing family. Not only is the municipality aware of all these new immigrants but they’re also helping them adjust – and even seeking them out.
Building the infrastructure
Ten years ago, new immigrants to Jerusalem had to rely heavily on other olim, neighbors and friends, and organizations that help olim. But they would have been overwhelmed and lost by trying to seek assistance from the city itself.
Today, the municipality has an impressive amount of infrastructure to help new immigrants, employing over 50 workers in 18 locations throughout the city, to help olim with various aspects of absorption. Many Jerusalem neighborhoods often function like separate cities, each with its own unique demographic – some with more English, French, Spanish, or Russian speakers; others with large haredi or nationalist populations. To serve these diverse communities, local municipal representatives in these areas provide direct support to the populations they serve.
Working through the local community centers, known as the minhal kehilati, these municipal representatives are available to advise olim on everything from educational institutions at all levels, services and support for seniors, assistance finding housing, employment services, and more – free of charge.
In cases where they do not have the resources or connections to help an individual directly, they refer them to other, vetted organizations that specialize in those areas. My hosts stress that the municipal representatives are not in competition with organizations like Nefesh B’Nefesh, Chaim V’Chessed, or Yad L’Olim and often work in conjunction with them.
Speaking your language
Yisrael Cohn, Team Leader, Pre-Aliyah Department, Aliyah and Integration Authority, supervises these locally situated absorption representatives, and is a Brit by birth, like me. He explains that in the last few years, the Jerusalem Municipality has hired people to help new immigrants in their own language, with representatives speaking French, English, Spanish, and Russian.
These employees work out of the main office, next to the Municipal Building. In addition, there are olim services in 18 community centers across Jerusalem. The aliyah staff in those centers speaks the languages of the olim in those communities.
They help olim and their children acclimate and integrate, find institutions and organizations, and more. They’ll even help them snag a coveted appointment with the Interior Ministry, when needed.
They view themselves as connectors, giving recommendations and assistance. They know the areas they’re working in, the demographic they’re working with, and they have many connections they can use to help olim. It’s a role that grew out of a real need in an area where nothing existed previously.
Extending a hand
The Jerusalem Municipality is also proactively seeking out olim even before they immigrate, in the earliest stage of their aliyah journey. Over the last several years, the municipality has been organizing and running fairs in cities around the world to help potential immigrants to Jerusalem understand what to expect, what’s involved in the aliyah process, and what they will need to do to prepare for aliyah.
The fairs focus on four main areas affecting olim: communities, education, employment, and bureaucracy. They answer questions like:
- How do I choose a community?
- What synagogue would be a good fit for me?
- What schools will work for my children’s ages and stages?
- Are there resources for older children and teens making aliyah?
- How can I open a business?
- What services are available for my elderly parents who will make aliyah with us?
The aliyah fairs have taken municipal representatives to New York, Baltimore, London, Marseilles, Lyon, Paris, Kyiv, Baku, and other cities, and the municipality is gearing up for another fair this month in London and will be bringing a whole team for the event.
“We know aliyah is not simple,” Glinkevitch says. “We try to accompany them all the way.”
The team I have built at my real estate advocacy group, The Getter Group, does the same in the area of real estate. We accompany a buyer through every stage and detail of the home-buying process, not only ensuring that every aspect and point is taken care of but also that the buyer understands what’s taking place and why.
We start with the basics of what neighborhood and type of home make the most sense, and carry the buyer through to acquiring the keys and beyond, if necessary.
The team at the municipality views Jerusalem as part of the Jewish experience. “Aliyah to Jerusalem is the story of the Jewish people,” Brim says. “It’s way beyond us, far beyond any of the people working here.” For more information regarding the Jerusalem Municipality’s efforts to help olim, and available resources, visit https://linktr.ee/jerusalem_aliyah or to find out how The Getter Group helps new olim with housing, email [email protected].
This article was written in cooperation with The Getter Group.