Eli’s Aliyah Tips
Job Skills and Middle Age
Dear Eli,
Q. My husband (58) and I (53) are thinking about making aliyah. Our children are already in Israel but naturally we do not want to be dependent on them. What sort of job opportunities would there be for us ? My husband can take early retirement in two years and I am an executive secretary with strong English skills and also act as faculty for in-house training in English and Etiquette. We know that we will have to learn Ivrit, at our age can we go the kibbutz/ulpan route or is there some other way?
A. Dear Oleh,
You are in a kind of twilight zone of Aliyah. On one hand you are still too young to really retire. On the other hand you are above the age when it is easy to find work. I do not wish to be a bit of a wet blanket but you should also keep in mind that learning Hebrew is usually more difficult for older adults.
Being this as it may, if you plan your Aliyah correctly it could be very rewarding. You should begin by sitting with your local Shaliach and bounce ideas off him. If possible, you should try be as financially independent as possible. Definitely you should sit with your broker or financial planner and look at your estimated financial needs and the best way to balance your assets. Some people who own houses rent then out instead of selling them and use that income as a cushion . If you have the ability and time and are not going to join a full time work force then you should take into consideration an extensive 5 month full Ulpan. Sorry about the kibbutz but the cut off age there is about 30. This means you will have to either look into the possibilities of an absorption center or rent in the city and attend a local Ulpan.
Some people succeed in a career change Others who have skills which are useful here open private small business using skills they have brought from abroad.
If you are financially independent then there are dozens of very worth while organizations who would love to have your skills especially on a volunteer basis. There are jobs for executive secretaries especially if you have decent computer skills with age not being an impediment. Again, a lack of Hebrew will a problem but not insurmountable since many organizations and firms need both English and Hebrew speaking secretary’s. I wont comment on-line about teaching Israelis etiquette…
In summation Aliyah at your age though it may be a bit more difficult can be extremely rewarding.
Eli Birnbaum is a counseling psychologist who has been working with Olim for the past 20 years. He presently serves as Director of Internet for the Jewish Agency and World Zionist Organization. Eli also is also the founder and moderator of the Tachlis Aliyah Forum one of the first (almost 10 years old ) Jewish discussion groups on-line, which has helped literally thousands of Olim over the years.
Eli’s E-Mail address: birnbaum@wzo.org.il
Jewish Agency website: http://www.jafi.org.il
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