Voices of Olim

Deemed unfit to drive by Israeli bureaucracy

Getting a driver’s license in Israel can feel like surviving an obstacle course - it’s not just a test of driving skill but also of patience, resilience, and pure willpower.

  Israeli drivers and roads are notorious for being among the worst worldwide.
 Illustration of an Israeli post truck. March 6, 2023.

Bureaucracy battles: how do olim deal with the Israeli postal service?

 THE EXPECTATION that citizens should roam the length and breadth of the country in order to find an appointment slot somewhere to renew a passport is preposterous.

Bureaucratic battles: The struggles of new Israeli olim at the Interior Ministry

Shifra Jacobs.

Shifra Jacobs: Adjusting to life in Israel as a young olah


Heshy Engelsberg: A bumpy and painful aliyah journey, but with no regrets

Despite the challenges of daily life in Israel, with his apartment, and the culture-shock of adjusting to a new country, former New Yorker Heshy Engelsberg has no regrets.

 Heshy Engelsberg