Jerusalem, Israel Report of what it's like to live there - 08/06/18
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?
Third post after Guatemala City and Baghdad.
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?
California and New York. Direct flights to Newark from Tel Aviv (6 hours) and one direct flight to San Francisco (14 hours). Or you can get a connecting flight through New York or Europe that takes a little longer.
3. How long have you lived here?
One and a half years.
4. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Working at the US Consulate General in Jerusalem.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
Beautiful small apartment in the City Center. Five minute walk to the consulate, 5 minute walk to the Old City and 5 minute walk to the downtown area. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a tiny balcony and one parking space in the garage with a storage garage. Not all the apartments have storage or even closets for that matter. Most apartments are quite nice and located in interesting neighborhoods in both West and East Jerusalem. Traffic during rush hour is bad and can double or triple the commute time from 15 minutes to 30 or 40 minutes between Arnona (where the new US Embassy is located) and the Consulate General near City Center.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
VERY expensive. I spend about $200 per week on meat, dairy and organic produce for 2 adults. Anything processed and imported is very expensive and the local stuff is expensive too and not our favorite. Most produce is grown locally and is seasonal which means it is always delicious! Produce here is great, and you can find all the normal stuff as well as exotic stuff like dragon fruit and lychee. Lemons are available year-round but limes are seasonal so we freeze them for year-round margaritas.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
Anything we need we order online and ship it through DPO.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Restaurants here are delicious but VERY expensive. Most places are either kosher meat or kosher dairy and the fine dining is creative and delicious. Best local food you can get is hummus and falafel (the shwarma here is always super dry!) and it's the best deal at $10 for a meal. Most restaurants in West Jerusalem are closed Friday afternoon - Saturday for Shabbat. Most restaurants in East Jerusalem are hummus and grilled meat places, I would even say zero fine dinning. Not a lot of variety beyond bistro food, burgers and pizza. A taco place just opened and it's good but it costs US$15 for 3 tiny tacos....
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
A few little microscopic ants during the summer and mosquitoes all winter.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
DPO.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
VERY expensive and difficult to find. Bring your nanny with you if you have a good one! We work Monday-Friday, the rest of the country works Sunday - Thursday so people have a hard time finding childcare on Friday and Saturday. Some people have Filipina nannies. It's difficult to hire Palestinians because they have difficulty crossing the checkpoint from the West Bank to work in Jerusalem. But some people do have part-time house cleaners and part and full-time nannies. Babysitters are about $15 per hour.
3. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
There are a few nice gyms (YMCA, Kibbutz Ramat Rachel and Lerner Center) with pools, basketball, tennis, classes, cardio and heavy weights which cost about $100 plus per month. There are also a few cramped small "local style" gyms with old rusty equipment that are about $80 per month.
4. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
US credit cards are widely accepted. ATMs are widely available and safe.
5. What English-language religious services are available locally?
All of them, it's Jerusalem! I don't go, but we have friends who have found great Christian church communities here.
6. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
English is widely spoken. We have a language program here that pays for both Hebrew and Arabic classes.
7. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Probably. There are good sidewalks some places but most other places are cobblestones, uneven, have cars and trash blocking them and many businesses have stairs to get in them with no ramp.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
We can't ride buses but the tram is safe and $1.50 per trip. The train travels from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv and the other parts of Israel and is reasonable. Taxis are US$10-$20 per trip in Jerusalem and $75 to the airport in Tel Aviv. There's an app called Gett that everyone uses to call a taxi and pay for it (like Uber).
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?
You can find services for all cars here but it may not be the best parts and service. Small cars are best for parking. It will get banged up so nothing too nice. There is a big off-roading community here and a ton of dirt roads so bring something with high-clearance if you want to explore (we did and those are some of our best memories). Safe, no carjacking or burglary.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Pretty quick to install and speed is just fine. Difficult to use VPNs here.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
Get a local sim card and the Golan 99 shekel plan for unlimited local calls and texts, more than enough data and 2 virtual phone #s for a US phone number that makes it easy for family in the US to call you.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
Yes, we have a vet for our cat that we adopted here that makes house calls. There are vaccine and registration requirements for pets. Lots of stray cats everywhere, no stray dogs. People in East Jerusalem are not too keen on dogs and the teenage boys have fun whistling, yelling and tormenting them.
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?
Most work in the consulate and embassy in Jerusalem. Tel Aviv is at least 1 hour so the commute is too long. Local salaries are lower and you need to speak English/Hebrew/Arabic. There are a ton of Americans here who have made Aliyah, learned English and are now working (just not any in the Dip community).
2. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?
Lots as long as it is not seen as a political or controversial organization.
3. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Casual at work. Very casual in town but modest coverage for everyone in Jerusalem. You can wear jeans, t-shirts and sandals every day, to job interviews and to fine dinning restaurants. Tourists wear whatever they want.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
I have heard of politically motivated stabbings and ramming attacks. Mostly Palestinians attacking Israelis but some foreigners get caught in the mix occasionally. Our access to the Old City is closed during particularly tense times when chance of attacks go up but it is always opened up as soon as things quiet down. That said, I feel safe walking anywhere day or night as there is not much petty crime.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Medical care is good and the doctors and nurses speak English but at the reception desk customer service is terrible and mostly in Hebrew. The Health Unit at the consulate provides a lot of help translating and booking appointments. Most problems can be taken care of here or in Tel Aviv. I had a baby in East Jerusalem and the doctors, nurses and staff were all really good, very relaxed and warm.
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 great. Sometimes there are dust storms that cause allergies and some neighborhoods in East Jerusalem burn trash.
4. What do people who suffer from environmental or food allergies need to know?
Customer service in restaurants seems pretty terrible so even if you tell them you have an allergy it gets lost in translation between the table and the kitchen.
5. Are there any particular mental health issues that tend to crop up at post, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (winter blues)?
Lots of sun here! It just seems a little stressful at times due to the political tension and the honking gets on everyone's nerves.
6. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
This is a great weather post. Sunny and hot in the 80s to 90s May through September. October through April is pleasant in the 70s during the day and 40s at night with a few big rain storms.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
Most kids pre-K to 8th grade go to the Jerusalem American International School and the Anglican International School Jerusalem. The high school options are limited so we don't really have older kids here.
2. What accommodations do schools make for special-needs kids?
Both schools accommodate special needs.
3. 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?
Preschools are plentiful.
4. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
Sports, climbing, arts, music all available for kids here.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Sometimes I feel like I'm in the US walking down the street surrounded by New Yorkers who have moved here. Lots of expats here with other diplomatic missions, we have lots of friends from other countries and local friends also. Morale is great! This is a very nice place to live.
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, picnics in the parks, having friends over for dinner, festivals, concerts, tours, language classes. The Jerusalem Expat Network has monthly meetings and activities and is a great way to meet other spouses.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
Best for couples and families. The singles here have a good time but the singles scene is pretty small. Not really a club or bar scene here. Jerusalem might be a good place to meet someone if you're super religious. Most people go to Tel Aviv for night life and dating.
4. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
Yes and no. Jerusalem is religious and conservative and I think the LGBT crowd is not comfortable being super open in public here. There are at least two restaurants that I know of that are owned by openly gay couples but sadly, my understanding is one of them was vandalized by conservative Jews. Jerusalem has an annual Pride & Tolerance March that draws 20,000 people but I heard rainbow flags on the light poles along the route had to be ordered by the Supreme Court. Tel Aviv has a great LGBT scene and is well known for it's annual Pride Week.
5. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
Yes. The extremest Jews and Muslims do not get along and are quite vocal about it, online and in person. Israelis are very racist and treat anyone who is not obviously white and Jewish like second class citizens.
6. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
Despite the complaints, Jerusalem is a very easy place to live. The weather is amazing, the food is really good and there are more national parks and historic sites than you'll ever have time to visit. Highlights are the beaches, the Galilee and Golan Heights, visiting wineries, the Dead Sea, camping in the desert, wild camels, hiking to waterfalls up slot canyons, goat cheese, hummus, figs, mangoes, and sweet cherry tomatoes. Plus living here I have experienced the conflict and controversy first hand and understand both sides more than I ever would have just reading about it. Overnight trips to other places are difficult because hotels are $200 a night for a room that is worth about $40. We ended up driving a lot and making them day trips, camping a lot and searching for reasonable AirBnBs (and usually not finding any).
7. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
The Old City has a hidden gem around every corner! The festivals are great. Camping in the desert in the Negev in the winter is amazing. Hiking trails are everywhere. Camping in the forest right outside Jerusalem.
8. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Yes to shopping but again, pretty pricey and you have to bargain for it. Woven rugs, olive wood, Palestinian embroidery, Armenian ceramics, and Judaica.
9. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
If you like history and religion you will love it here. It's hot in the summer but nicer than Tel Aviv where it's hot AND humid.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
I wish I had known how expensive it would be.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
I would still move here because it really is priceless being able to experience such a historic place in person. And the weather and food are wonderful!
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
Polite pleases and thank yous, and your winter clothes.
4. But don't forget your:
Bible, sharp elbows, hiking and camping gear and sunscreen.
5. Do you have any other comments?
Jerusalem is a beautiful place and there is a lot to see and do here. We feel safe walking around anywhere and enjoy visiting the rest of the country as well. The rudeness and racism we have seen and the high costs are our only real complaints.
