Episode 1.5 — Picking a City: Promised Land Edition
At some point — ideally early in the process and definitely before you sign a rental contract — you are going to need to decide where in Israel you are going to live. This is one of the most consequential decisions of your aliyah, and it is also the decision most likely to be made based on entirely the wrong criteria.
I know people who chose their city because they had a cousin there. I know people who chose their city because they once had a wonderful meal there on a trip. I know people who chose their city because it appeared beautiful in a sunset photograph on Instagram. I chose my neighbourhood partly based on proximity to a hummus restaurant I had visited on my pilot trip. The hummus restaurant has since closed.
So let us approach this more systematically.
Israel is a small country — about the size of New Jersey, if you are American, or roughly the size of Wales, if you are British. You could drive from the northern border to the southern tip in about four hours if there were no traffic, which in Israel there always is, but the point is that distances are relatively short. And yet the differences between cities, and between different parts of the same city, are dramatic — in terms of cost of living, religious character, cultural atmosphere, availability of English speakers, employment opportunities, proximity to the sea, altitude, climate, and whether you will be able to buy a decent cup of coffee before nine in the morning.
Let me take you through the main choices.
Tel Aviv and its metropolitan area. Tel Aviv is Israel's economic and cultural capital. It is a city of extraordinary energy — secular, cosmopolitan, creative, loud, expensive, and in the summer, extremely hot. If you work in hi-tech, finance, media, or the creative industries, Tel Aviv is where most of the jobs are. The restaurant scene is world-class. The beaches are remarkable. The real estate prices are eye-watering. A two-bedroom apartment in a reasonable part of Tel Aviv will cost you somewhere between eight thousand and fifteen thousand shekels a month in rent — at today's exchange rates, that is roughly two thousand to four thousand dollars. The broader Tel Aviv metropolitan area includes cities like Ramat Gan, Givatayim, Bnei Brak, Petah Tikva, Rishon LeZion, and Holon, each with their own character and significantly more affordable rents. Many people who work in Tel Aviv live in the surrounding cities and commute, which works reasonably well — the train network connecting much of the region is genuinely good.
Jerusalem. The capital. The holy city. The eternal city. The city of David, of history, of pilgrimage, of meaning so deep it is almost impossible to hold in your mind all at once. Jerusalem is also, practically speaking, a city with a strong religious character, a large and growing Anglo community — meaning English-speaking olim — a thriving cultural life, and real estate that is expensive but somewhat more manageable than Tel Aviv. The job market is more limited, concentrated in government, healthcare, education, tourism, and a growing technology sector. The public transport within Jerusalem has improved enormously with the expansion of the light rail system. Jerusalem is also at altitude — 750 metres above sea level — which means the summers are hot but not savage, and there is occasionally, miraculously, snow in winter, which the entire country treats as a national emergency.
Ra'anana. If you ask an Anglo oleh where they moved, there is a statistically significant chance the answer is Ra'anana. This city in the Sharon region, about twenty kilometres north of Tel Aviv, has one of the highest concentrations of English-speaking immigrants in Israel. The schools are excellent and experienced with absorbing Anglo children. The Anglo community infrastructure is mature — synagogues, social groups, community organisations. There are direct buses to Tel Aviv. The city feels orderly and suburban in a way that is reassuring to people arriving from North American or British cities. Some people find this reassuring. Some people find it so familiar that they wonder why they moved. Both reactions are valid.
Modi'in. A planned city built in the 1990s in the hills between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Clean, well-organised, beautiful parks, excellent schools, strong Anglo community, relatively affordable compared to Tel Aviv, with rail connections to both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Very popular with families. Often described as having a "Zoom town" quality — it is a place where people have intentionally built a community rather than simply landed in one. If you have young children and you value a sense of safety, good public spaces, and being ten minutes from a decent shopping centre, Modi'in deserves serious consideration.
Beit Shemesh. Located in the Judean foothills about thirty kilometres from Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh has become a major destination for English-speaking religious families, particularly those from the Anglo Orthodox community. It has a large dati-leumi — national religious — population and a significant chareidi population, and the city has grown rapidly. Costs are considerably more affordable than Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. The community infrastructure for Anglo olim is extensive. The city is not without its internal community dynamics, which you will learn about in detail approximately forty-eight hours after arriving, but for the right family it can be an excellent choice.
Netanya, Herzliya, Hadera, Caesarea. The coastal cities north of Tel Aviv each offer beach access, reasonable commute times to Tel Aviv, growing Anglo communities, and varying price points. Herzliya Pituach is home to many international businesses and embassies and has a large community of foreign professionals. Netanya has a very large French-speaking community, so if your Hebrew is weak but your French is good, this is worth knowing.
Haifa. Israel's third-largest city, built on and around Mount Carmel with the sea below and the mountain above. Haifa has a reputation for coexistence — Jewish and Arab communities have lived together there more harmoniously than in most Israeli cities. It has a major university, the Technion — Israel's leading technical institute — and a strong professional community. It is considerably more affordable than Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. The weather is pleasant. The scenery is genuinely beautiful. The Anglo community is smaller than in the cities south of it, which some people see as a challenge and others see as an invitation.
Be'er Sheva and the Negev. The capital of the south, Be'er Sheva has transformed itself in recent years into a significant technology hub, partly through deliberate government policy and partly through the presence of Ben Gurion University. Rents are dramatically cheaper than the centre of the country. There are meaningful government incentives for olim who settle in the Negev and the Galilee — enhanced absorption benefits, additional rental assistance. The climate in summer is fierce. The community is growing. If you are willing to be a pioneer in the Israeli sense of the word, the south has real opportunities.
How do you actually decide? There are several things that should drive the decision above all others. First: employment. Where can you find work in your field, or where can you build a client base if you are self-employed? Do not move to a city because it is beautiful if there is no realistic path to earning a living there. Second: schools, if you have children. Not just the school system in general, but specific schools in specific neighbourhoods that have experience and capacity for absorbing Anglo children. Third: community fit — religious observance level, language, culture. You will be happier if your neighbours share your basic approach to Shabbat and the holidays. And fourth: honest budget. Calculate what you can afford, add twenty percent for things you have not anticipated, and then look at what is available.
And do a pilot trip. Which is, conveniently, the subject of all of Part Four.
The Promised Land is large enough to contain multitudes. Find your corner of it thoughtfully.
