Jerusalem, Israel Report of what it's like to live there - 08/25/15
Personal Experiences from Jerusalem, Israel
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
No. We've lived in many cities in Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
West Coast, usually connecting through JFK - takes about 20 hours or so, including the layover.
3. How long have you lived here?
2011-2015.
4. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
U.S Government.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
Almost all apartments and almost universally smaller than you'd expect. We had a decent apartment, but it was smaller than our modest house in Northern Virginia. Parks are available, though, and are generally good. Commute time was 10 minutes without traffic (or a 35 minute brisk walk). With traffic, it could rise to about 30 minutes. Housing is pretty scattered.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Everything is available, but not necessarily all year long. Many fruits and vegetables are seasonal. By and large groceries are expensive.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
Less stuff. Storage is a premium in most apartments.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Food of most kinds, but mostly expensive. There are a few cheap options for food (you can find a $2.00 falafel sandwich inside the Muslim quarter (best falafel in the city is 100 m inside Damascus Gate in my opinion), or you can spend $5.00 for a falafel on Jaffa St). Otherwise, things are generally expensive - you can spend $15 for an awful bigmac meal at McDonalds (seriously) or pay $40 for a decent meal at a decent restaurant. You know things are expensive here when you return to D.C. and are amazed at how reasonable prices are when eating out. There is one Indian restaurant in Jerusalem that I know of.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
Nothing to write home about. We never had any cockroaches, although we did come across a few scorpions in the apartment.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
DPO
2. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
The U.S Consulate has an adequate gym available.
3. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
I very rarely used a credit card or ATM, but plenty of people did. I had two credit cards used without authorization - one the credit card company in the U.S. reimbursed me immediately. I also had a local credit card that had $250 of unauthorized use. The Israeli credit card company did not reimburse me for the unauthorized charges.
4. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
Learning to sound out Hebrew is helpful for grocery shopping to help figure out what is sour cream vs yogurt vs creme fraiche vs whatever else they have.
5. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Jerusalem is a relatively accommodating city when compared with others in the Middle East. Elevators generally work, and most curbs in West Jerusalem are cut to allow wheelchair access.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Public transportation (except for the light rail) is off limits. Taxis are average ($6 to go about 3 miles or so).
2. What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?
Small is better! However, if you like to go camping in the desert (which is great) bring a 4x4 to gain access to an entire part of the Negev that is inaccessible in a car. If you don't have a 4x4, there are plenty of places you can get to, but you won't get completely off the beaten path. No matter what car you bring, get a back-up sensor installed to help with parking. Car repairs and maintenance in the West part of the city are ridiculously expensive ($200 for an oil change) so either do it yourself or take to East Jerusalem.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Relatively inexpensive (about $30). You can get up to 15mb, but when connecting to the U.S. it drops to 3-4 mbs, which is enough to stream movies but not always crystal clear.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
The hyper competitive cell phone market here has created some great innovations. Golan telecom is cheap - you can also get a U.S. number from them so family in the U.S. can dial the cell directly.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
No, unless you speak Hebrew and have an Israeli passport.
2. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?
Many, but many of those are in Ramallah or elsewhere in the West Bank where you might not be able to travel based on your organization's security policies.
3. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Israelis are very relaxed at work and almost never wear ties. Nearly all of the diplomatic missions in Jerusalem function as the diplomatic representatives of their respective governments to the Palestinians. As such, it's best to conform to Palestinian dress norms, which are more formal (suite and tie for meetings)
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
Yes, of course. It's Jerusalem. By and large, though, as long as you avoid demonstrations there's little to worry about day to day. When violence flares up in the region, it affects Jerusalem. We had sirens from Gaza rockets during two different periods. There was little chance of impacts in Jerusalem, but it does affect the morale and psychology at Post when you have that hanging over your head for weeks at a time.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Decent, but not cheap by non-US standards. Medical care we've received in other Posts has been much cheaper and of better or comparable quality.
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Air quality is pretty good. We didn't have any asthma issues.
4. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Weather in Jerusalem is almost ideal. You have all four seasons, but winter and summer are short. August and September can be hot, but generally it's only miserable for a month or so. Snow is rare, but we had enough snow in each of the years we were there to go sledding at least once (including December 2013 when the snow shut the city down for a week). Spring and Fall are great.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
JAIS is the official school for the U.S. ConGen. JAIS has a great new head of school as of 2014 who has brought positive energy to the school and made some needed decisions to better the overall situation there. Specifically, the school has removed its high school, which was tiny already but sucking up resources that can now better be used for the elementary and middle schools. The school rents space on a separate campus and has one class per grade (in general). Some grades are small. Others come close to about 20 pupils each. The teachers are, by and large, excellent. We've had one that we weren't happy with, but other parents didn't have problems with her.
The other school is the Anglican School (British Curriculum). It has bigger classes, specifically at the higher grades. They own their school facilities and have a fairly nice sports field (which JAIS lacks). If you have a high school student, you would send them here.
2. Are preschools available? Day care? Are these expensive? What has been your experience with them, if any? Do the schools provide before- and/or after-school care?
Yes. There are both neighborhood preschools (Gans) and private ones at the YMCA or at JAIS or the Anglican School. Cost is the same as in the U.S.
3. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
Somewhat. If you're kid is into soccer, there is a Saturday expat soccer group that meets and has teams for kids of all ages. Ballet and gymnastics are also available, both in the complex underneath Teddy Stadium and in some of the neighborhood community centers (those will largely be taught in Hebrew). One family also had their pre-teen participate in English-language plays put on a by a semi-professional group.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Enormous and mixed. Speaking from the perspective of the U.S. diplomatic personnel here, the work at the ConGen is relentless - especially in some of the sections. Constant VIP trips, outbreaks of conflict, a demoralized local Palestinian population that appreciates our support but is frustrated with our policies, and normally long hours wear on you. On the flip side, it is amazing to be working on issues of central importance to so many and the (little) progress that is made in addressing some of these long-standing issues keeps people motivated and willing to take on even more.
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
Eating out, visiting sites, going to the park, going to the beach, camping, visiting homes, etc...
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
Yes for all. Great place for young families (with elementary and preschool aged kids). Those with older kids have a mixed bag - because public transportation is still off-limits for official Americans, and older kids either need to taxi (which gets expensive), get driven around (which gets old), or be able/willing to bike around (which is increasingly do-able - more and more Israelis in Jerusalem use electric bikes to get around). That said, older kids would probably appreciate the uniqueness of living in a city like Jerusalem with its tensions and history.
4. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
Seems to be at least doable. My gay colleagues had a great community of support in the local gay scene. That said, Jerusalem is a very religiously conservative city, and gay and lesbians here face discrimination and harrassment (including violence at times).
5. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
Yes. All three. It wears on you. The key is to get out of the city and recharge.
6. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
There is always something to see and do here, both in Jerusalem and in Israel or the Palestinian territories. There are numerous Israeli national parks that warrant multiple visits, including many that aren't necessarily historical but that have natural beauty - Gan Hashlosha, Yehudit Nature Reserve, Maktesh Ramon, all of the Negev, numerous beaches (Dor Habonim - where there's great camping as long as you don't go from Friday to Saturday), etc... When you tire of dealing with what can be a rather abrasive Israeli culture, you can head to Bethlehem or Jericho to visit historical sites or get some great Arabic food. Aqaba is about a four hour drive away - Petra and Wadi Rum are a little bit further but also really accessible. You won't lack for things to do.
7. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
Jerusalem is one of a kind. It has tons to offer in terms of both its historical sites as well as the central (and outsized) role it plays in modern foreign policy.
8. Can you save money?
Yes, due to the various differentials (COLAs, hardship, language pay, etc..). Otherwise, it would be hard - there are plenty of things to spend money on and nothing here is cheap.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
The need for a small car. We brought a large one and sold it after about 6 months to purchase a smaller one.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Yes. The family enjoyed it and it was great to be here a time when the peace process was active. That said, I'm glad I'm moving on.
