Frequently Asked Questions/Glossary
Help understanding this site and common questions.
About Us and This Website
Who are you?
We are people who came from other countries to make a new life in Israel. We are from a variety of places and backgrounds, represent a range of ideologies and religiosity, and want to share our Israel with you.
What is the purpose of this website?
This website is intended to provide information to people considering and planning Aliyah.
What does the affordability key mean?
The affordability mentioned in community profile pages is meant to help compare the cost of living in different locations within Israel. This key is based primarily on the cost of housing, and ranges from $ to $$$$$.
What do the religious makeup terms mean?
Community profiles include information about the religious makeup of the community. These terms are in common use to describe variants of Jewish observance in Israel. The erms used include:
Chabad – חב”ד Part of or affiliated with Chabad-Lubavitch chasidim.
Chardal – חרד״ל Acronym for Haredi Dati Leumi (Nationalist Haredi). Generally regarded as Dati Leumi/Religous Zionist leaning more toward Haredi.
Conservative – As usually understood and defined by the Conservative Judaism movement. Often known as Mesorati in Israel.
Dati Leumi – דתי לאומי Literally – National Religious, a combination of Zionism and Orhtodox Judaism. Also known as Kipa Seruga for the commonly-warn knitted kipa.
Haredi – חרדי Strict adherents to Orthodox Judaism. Also spelled Charedi.
Orthodox – A general term that includes Chabad, Chardal, Dati Leumi, and Haerdi, distinguished by traditional observance of Shabbat, Kashrut, etc.
Reform – Followers of Reform Judaism.
Secular – חילוני Those who observe less traditional practices than most other groups of Jews in Israel.
About Israel and Hebrew Terms
Arnona
ארנונה is the municipal tax on property. Rates vary from place to place, and are based on factors including location, building type, and property size.
Va’ad Bayit/Vaad Habayit
A body similar to a condo management association with the prupose of managing and paying for shared expenses in multi-unit buildings. These matters include gardening, cleaning, maintenance, utilities, and insurance for common areas such as the building’s lobby and stairways.
Ulpan
Ulpan (literally “studio”) is a system of intensive Hebrew language study. Olim are granted instruction in Ulpan at the government’s expense, and are encouraged to enrolll to acquire basic language skills. Ulpan programs can be either public or private, with only someof the private Ulpanim qualifying for government payments. Ulpan programs generally also cover topics such as Israeli culture and history.