Do you miss America?

↑ Reality ↓

Thu, Aug 29 2024, 4:57 am

grace413 wrote:

America is a great place to go shopping and visit people who live there. I love the big parking spots there. The prices are better for most things.

That said, I'm so happy that I live in Israel. People here are more down to earth and not materialistic. Nobody pays attention to how many times I wore a dress to shul or how old my car is.

Not to mention that Israel is the real deal, where we are meant to be, our true home.

I think it's the people who lived in suburban USA who miss these things. People like me, who made aliyah from NYC have only seen an improvement in our quality of life. I had no big box stores, horrible parking lots and ZERO parking.

↑ Reality

Thu, Aug 29 2024, 5:11 am

DrMom wrote:

I also think things have improved significantly here in Israel over the past 10 years or so.

Israel used to have a bad reputation for horrible red tape, long lines, bureaucracy, etc.

Now I find it to be quite efficient, and that's mostly an outgrowth of the high-tech boom. You used to have to wait in long lines to receive packages in the mail, now I get things delivered to my door. The airport used to be old-fashioned and inefficient; now I zoom through in a few minutes, passport control takes a few seconds, and I can hang out in a pretty duty-free shopping mall while I wait for my flight to board. It's way better than most US airports.

Produce in the stores is good, there is lots of variety.

The country is more family-oriented than the US, and of course, I get Jewish holidays off.

There are Jews from so many different backgrounds here.

There are pretty national parks, from deserts to forests to springs. True, they are less majestic than US parks like the Grand Canyon or Bryce or Mt. Rainer, but they are also within a few hours drive from home and very affordable.

In general, I see many positive things about life here.

This is so true. Everyone told me to be prepared for the miserable bureaucracy in Israel. I don't know. They are such an improvement over the workers at the DMV in Brooklyn, the TSA at JFK etc.

On the city bus in NYC you are not allowed to take an open stroller. You need to hold your baby in one hand and hold your folded up stroller in the other one. That is definitely a joy!

↑ ray family

Tue, Sep 03 2024, 2:48 pm

shabbatiscoming wrote:

Can you explain this? Ive been here over 20 years and things are not hard. At least thats how I see it. Or did you mean something else when you said with ease?

I don’t know. Things just feel easier there. Maybe because when I’m there I’m in vacation mode?
But shopping is easier. Go into one store to find everything I need instead of 3 or 4.
Busses that come every few min not every 15. Things like that

amother

Dimgray

Tue, Sep 03 2024, 3:39 pm

I live in the UK; my husband is from Israel.

His dream is for us to go live in Israel. However, the cultures are so different, I can`t see it working somehow! In the beginning of our marriage, when we would go visit my DH`s fam in Israel, I would get really irritated by my MIL asking us where we were coming from, what did we buy, commenting on how much/little food was left over in my plate etc until I grew accustomed to the Israeli mentality-she doesn`t mean to be rude, she is just trying to make conversation!

We British are very polite and tend to mind our own business, and the Israelis in general are just the opposite. I visited Yad Vashem and one of the people working there asked me-demanded to know why I don`t live in Israel. I shrugged, and he started going on and on that I must come to live there- very sweet but please mind your own business!

Also I once was in tears at the airport when one of the workers was exceptionally rude to me when my active toddler, who was cranky from the flight, and whose stroller we were only going to get back with the luggage, was running around during passport control. My DH was at the other line with his Israeli passport and I was myself with my young kids, I literally couldn`t cope and was trying to keep my toddler from running off, and this man was so snarky and commented on my lack of parenting skills, I told my husband for this reason alone I am not coming to live here!

Moving to Israel is still on the table, but I think culture-wise it would be extremely difficult for me to adjust to the pushing and shoving and intrusiveness (I remember my sister in law asking me if I was pregnant yet around 3 months after I got married). Where I live people are generally very un-nosy, are polite, and wait patiently in the line to pay in stores. Reading this thread makes me even more skeptical and leaves me wondering if I could survive in such a place!

I do love visiting though, but always look forward to going back home. Sorry for hijacking this thread.