Business Relocation to Israel

If you’re moving to Israel because of your job, what can you expect?

The average January high is 60 degrees Fahrenheit and in Jerusalem it’s 53 degrees.  The average July high is 85 degrees in Tel Aviv and 84 degrees in Jerusalem. Summers are long and dry and winters are rainy.  Snow is rare except on Mount Hermon, Israel’s highest peak and home to the country’s only ski resort.

Housing in Israel tends to be less roomy than in North America, but spacious accommodations are still available in most areas. When you’re looking for a place to live, you may want to bring along a tape measure to make sure the furniture you want to move to Israel will fit.

Many North American and European brands of clothing, food, appliances, and other goods are available in Israel. Grocery stores carry many imported products, and specialty food stores carry even more. The Gap, Ikea, H&M, McDonalds, and Domino’s Pizza can all be found in Israel. Israel doesn’t have Starbucks, but it has several similar home-grown coffee chains such as Aroma and Café Hillel.

Healthcare in Israel is world class and people from throughout the Middle East travel to Israel for medical care. A non-citizen working in Israel isn’t entitled to the national healthcare benefits, but employers are required to provide foreign employees with private medical insurance.

Children of foreigners employed in Israel may attend any public school that has space available, although some schools only accept children from the neighborhood.  However, many expatriates in Israel prefer to send their children to private schools where classes are usually smaller and the primary language of instruction is English.

Private school options include the Walworth-Barbour American International School with branches in Jerusalem and Even Yehuda (20 kilometers north of Tel Aviv), the Anglican International School in Jerusalem (which offers the International Baccalaureate program) and the Alexander Muss High School in Israel in Hod HaSharon.

Contrary to what you might hear from the news, Israel is not a war zone.  The country’s crime rate is relatively low. For example, the homicide rate per 100,000 people is 1.87 in Israel, versus 6.3 in New York City, 10 in Los Angeles, 14.9 in Russia, 18 in Chicago, and 46.9 in St. Louis.  Those rates include deaths due to terrorism.

Street crime is uncommon in Israel and a woman can feel safe walking alone at night in most neighborhoods in most Israeli cities. Likewise, parents also feel comfortable giving their children a great deal of freedom in Israel. It is common for children to walk to and from school and take public buses by themselves.

If you need more information about what to expect when moving to Israel, please consult the resources on the Kef site or contact us.