What can you expect when you’re making aliyah from the San Francisco Bay Area to Israel?

As far a as weather goes, the winters are almost alike. The average high in San Francisco in January is 57 degrees Fahrenheit.  In Tel Aviv the average high is 60 degrees and in Jerusalem the average high is 53 degrees.

Snow is rare in Israel and for most parts of the country, completely unknown. If you find yourself homesick for Tahoe, head up to Israel’s only ski resort, located on Mount Hermon. Ski season is only from December to February, but sledding is available year round and in the summer, the ski lift rides are free!

Summers in Israel are hotter than in foggy San Francisco. The average July high in San Francisco is 67 degrees, whereas Tel Aviv is 85 degrees and Jerusalem’s 84.  Tel Aviv evenings don’t cool down much but in Jerusalem and other mountainous, desert areas, the nights are cool and pleasant even in the middle of the season..

Since the stretch from Silicon Valley to South of Market is a high tech hub, you may be moving to Israel to work in the technology field.  Israel is considered second only to Silicon Valley as a high-tech innovator. No wonder it’s been nicknamed “Silicon Wadi!” More than 1500 California companies do business in Israel, including Hewlett Packard and Silicon Graphics. Many of Israel’s technology companies are in the Tel Aviv area and the Mediterranean coastal cities that stretch up to Herziliya. 

 Technology clusters are located around Ra’anana (home to many English speakers), Petah Tikvah, Caesarea, Haifa (home of the Technion – Israel’s Caltech), Rehovot and Rishon LeZion. Intel Corporation established its design center in Haifa in 1974. It has a sales office in Tel Aviv, a manufacturing facility in Jerusalem, and a fabrication plant in Kiryat Gat.

 Silicon Valley companies with Israeli subsidiaries or research facilities include Harmonic Light Waves, DSP Communications, BioRad, and Cisco Systems. Considering all the companies who do business in Israel, you may even be able to find a job with a Californian company before you leave the Bay Area. 

Jerusalem has a growing high-tech sector is centered at the Malha Technology Park (across the street from the city’s train station and biggest mall), Har Hotzvim (in the northwest part of the city), and the JVP Media Quarter (next to the city’s historic original train station).

The first step when you’re making aliyah from San Francisco is to fill out a joint Nefesh b’Nefesh/Jewish Agency online application.

For more information about aliyah from San Francisco, contact your regional Israel Aliyah Center:

Israel Aliyah Center

121 Stuart St 4th Fl

San Francisco, CA 94105

Phone: 415-369-2865

Fax: 415-278-0646

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