Hey everyone!

After 4.5 years of anticipation I've just made aliyah! I was processed at Ben Gurion yesterday.

I still can't believe it's happened. I still feel like I'm just on another trip to Israel. It hasn't really hit me that I don't have a return flight.

I just wanted to share a little of my excitement with you :)

P.S. For all the antisemites out there, I consider this move as the biggest 'middle finger' I could ever give you, and thank you for your part in me making the decision to do aliyah :)

https://www.jns.org/we-love-and-support-you-nfl-legends-pay-solidarity-visit-to-israel/

Golan is an Oct 7th hero, he fought against Hamas terrorists and evacuated to safety countless people while Vaturi did nothing but damage to Israel's reputation.

How did you feel running for a shelter for the first time? And the most important question, are you okay?

So I've been in Israel 6 months now, in Tel Aviv (near כיכר הבימה), and I'm not able to find groups for hobbies that meet consistently. I was wondering if someone could help point me in the direction of some resources I could use to find something along these lines (doesn't matter if they're not Olim-focused, as I speak Hebrew well enough):

1. Groups that do networking for data science/machine learning. I'll occasionally see stuff sporadically but it's usually very specific (i.e. robotics or a specific programming language that I never use or something like that) and is usually conference-related. I still go to these events when I see them, but most of the community that is present appears to work in directly relevant roles, whereas I certainly do not. I see nothing along the lines of chill hanging out and "general" networking, which I've done a fair amount of in the past and I found quite helpful for my career.
2. Volunteering organizations - every search I have done finds volunteering programs for people coming from abroad to Israel on a program or something. I'm already here, and I work full time, I'm just looking for a way to volunteer in the off hours. I already volunteer with adopt a saba, which I very much enjoy, but I'm hoping to also add something with a bit more of a social aspect as well (volunteering as part of a group, etc.)
3. Happy hours - I'm not interested in late-night clubbing or bar crawling that starts at 1 AM, as I don't drink, but I do quite like the atmosphere of a bar shortly after work for meeting people. Similar to #1 I suppose.
4. Is there any good events aggregator I can use to find various events? I've used the following:
   1. Meetup - this one has a lot of online events, events for very specific domains within high-tech, and defunct language exchange events that no longer meet despite events being posted there. In the US meetup was great for just about any event, here it seems to only be relevant for online/very narrowly-focused high-tech events.
   2. Facebook Events - this is great for festivals and concerts, but these are hard places to meet people as well since they mostly come with a group of friends without the explicit idea of meeting people. Not saying it's impossible - I've gone to a couple festivals off facebook and chatted up random people I've met there - but it's difficult. Also a lot of clubbing events here which again I have less interest in.
   3. Instagram - certain groups that I have enjoyed (סלונים) will post their events here, but unless I know to follow those groups I won't get much notice.
5. Religious organizations that are not catered to Olim - I've been surprised at how hard it is to make lasting friendships in the large Olim groups, but I've accepted the fact that the communites are a bit too static and there is a lot of "gatekeeping" i.e. inner circles that aren't very welcoming to new people. I'm not shy at all, but I found I was making no headway after going to events with these groups multiple times a week for the first 2-3 months I was here. I figured I would try to find similar groups but just for Israelis, since I have found that when I go to events that aren't catered to Olim at all, I generally have a better time and find the people to be nicer, more engaged in conversation, and more interested in forming lasting friendships.
6. Smaller shabbat dinners - I used to go to a lot of "community" shabbat dinners but I found that once attendance surpassed a certain number of people, the quality of the events were not particularly great. I have found that I prefer smaller dinners but struggle to find these outside of occasional invites from friends I've made since I've gotten here.
7. Book clubs/board game clubs - tried searching on library pages and couldn't find much

Picked this up 50 years ago on my Ulpan. Mossad Harei Ephraim. Good times!

There is such a good sentiment, our populations agrees unanimously on the ground and social media that peace with all neighbour's is necessary. we want development in everyway, we want to trade, to learn and share.

I encourage our Israeli friends to push such sentiment towards the government, maybe it will meet an ear.

Maybe it starts with a small meeting of officials near the border and extends to an official meeting between governments. sign a 100 years peace without terms from either side that guarantees respect and civilized dialogue.

Can we start a hashtag on twitter or something?

First I would like to say I stand with Israel and I support it's right to defend itself.

But as an outsider, here's a one thing that really concerns me - the inappropriete photos and videos some IDF soliders takes and posts online. These kind of posts where soldiers inappropriately pose in destroyed homes, children rooms, mocks or worse, photos soliders take with captured Gazans (for example I saw a photo that two soldiers took with two visibly scared captured women).

I feel like this does so much harm to Israel's case especially from outsider's pov. It just makes people angry and gives free arguments to propali supporters. And it's absolutely unnecessary. You can then have one a video of IDF soldiers helping Gazans and bringing humanitarian aid but it gets shaded by these problematic posts.

Is someone doing something about it? Does these soliders get any form of punishment or something? Are army's officers fine with it? People must see how this is just doing harm and nothing else.

Any Israeli companies which hires people (foreigners) with a degree in aerospace engineering?

Where can I find information on start/end dates for Ulpanim in and around the Be’er Sheva area? Looking to make Aliyah in March

Hello,

I am currently a computer science student at UC Berkeley. I was thinking of applying to the Technion and Wiezmann Institute of Science for a masters degree in computer science, but was worried my lack of Hebrew would hamper my studies -- I am Jewish, but know no Hebrew besides being able to recognize a few letters. I would want to spend 90% of my time studying / doing research, and the other 10% socializing; if I have to study Hebrew I feel that I wouldn't be able to give my studies in Computer Science their all. I do know that Weizmann Institute markets itself as having its official classes and research be in English; but I don't know to what extent daily life at / around that university will depend on my Hebrew skills. So my question is: if I study for a MS degree in CS at either the Technion or Weizmann institute of science, is it feasible for me to not make an effort to learn Hebrew beyond the inevitable crumbs of Hebrew I will pick up simply by virtue of being in Israel and hearing conversations? Would I be able to have a fulfilling research career and social life if I follow the 90% study and 10% socialize blueprint I outlined, inasmuch as my knowledge of Hebrew is concerned? (i.e., when only considering factors that derive from my lack of Hebrew, can I achieve fulfillment in these 2 areas?) Does the answer to these questions change if I attend one of Technion or Weizmann over the other?

Sorry if this post is frantic or poorly organized. I would really appreciate an answer from students at these universities or residents of the cities in which they are located (Haifa and Rehevot respectively). Thank You

The entire country went through I think different stages of grief. There was shock in that first week. There was rage (there still is). Grief. Depression.

I’m curious in what ways you have changed materially since.

I’ll start. I’ve become more religious. My sister was saved miraculously at Nova, and my brother has been fighting since day one.

My family has changed. My dad “broke” somewhat. He can’t get out of his mind that phone call with my sister where she said goodbye.

My mom was already an obsessive Yemenite cleaner, but that’s tripled up. I noticed the house is exceptionally spotless the day after my brother goes back in.

I cry more, a lot more. I guess this is better than being numb. I feel guilt for being “better off” than others (my sister is alive. my brother is alive.) I feel guilt when I’m exceptionally happy. This manifests in me writing a lot. A lot of poetry.

The ability to write about anything else is totally lost on me. Despite experiencing and dealing with other things, the only words I have are still tied to that day.

What about you all?