Jerusalem—“Before we made aliyah, we heard horror stories about how our friends arrived in Israel and had to deal with the shlepping, coming to an empty house and having to start from scratch to put their home together on no sleep… Thanks to Tamarim, we arrived in our home and it was completely ready for us to live in.”

Rebecca Franks, originally of Boca Raton, FL and now living with her husband and children in the Kaiser neighborhood of Modi’in, knew that making aliyah, one of the most fulfilling decisions of her life, would also bring with it significant logistical complications. Even as an Israeli citizen herself, trying to find an appropriate home to rent for what was at the time a one-year pilot trip with her family became almost impossible with the language and cultural barrier, and the seven-hour time difference.

Enter Tammy Braverman and Tamar Pearlman of Tamarim Concierge, and the Franks family’s aliyah changed from almost unmanageable into downright doable almost overnight.

“I spoke to Tamar and, from the get-go, she was informed, friendly and there for us,” said Rebecca. “We had very, very specific needs, but once we spoke to Tamarim, they went above and beyond to make our aliyah as smooth as possible.”

Tamarim, founded and run by New York native Tammy Braverman and British Tamar Pearlman, who both live in Modi’in now, aims to make the aliyah transition as smooth possible. What exactly this entails depends on the customer’s preferences, but Tamarim will do their best to have everything ready upon arrival.

For Gila Werteinteil, who recently made aliyah with her family from Englewood, this meant having their new home clean, equipped with appliances and ready for them to live in.

“[Tamarim] helped arrange for cleaners to come to the house, and they had the wireless internet already set up,” said Gila. “They had the movers bring the refrigerator and oven into our home days before we arrived, so we could move in and already feel at home. Our children were so happy to have the internet working, and, since we could already go shopping and cook, we were all very comfortable right away. Tammy even came to greet us with a smile and make sure we knew how everything worked.”

Gila recounted how, when the movers were bringing the appliances into their home, one of them broke a light fixture. Tammy, who was there at the time, took personal responsibility, and ensured that the workers replaced the part so that everything would be working when they arrived.

“One of the best parts of working with Tamarim was the personal touch. We don’t have a lot of family or friends in Israel, and it was so comforting to have them help us with the time difference, language and culture.”

Where did Tammy and Tamar of Tamarim find the inspiration to help olim with their transition? From their own personal experiences, says Tamar.

“When I made aliyah with my husband and our three young children from London we arrived to an empty apartment. Even though we were fortunate enough to have siblings in Israel and we had been in Israel many times and come on a pilot trip, there were still many things to arrange and organize in the first few weeks,” she said. “Others making aliyah aren’t always so lucky to have friends and family who are able to help. Since founding Tamarim we have built up a wide network of business contacts and leveraging on our own aliyah experiences and professional backgrounds we are able to provide bespoke services to our clients helping them with a smooth Aliyah.”

When the Franks family planned their aliyah pilot year in Israel, Rebecca and her husband enlisted the help of Tamarim from the beginning to help find the perfect neighborhood and home for them. Given very specific instructions in terms of neighbors and distance to a religious school, Tamarim conducted research across real estate services as well as an extensive network of Hebrew and English language social media groups, and offered the Franks several different options, finally settling on the perfect home. As the Franks family made aliyah and moved into their home, five minutes away from their children’s schools, Tamar of Tamarim ensured that everything was completely set up for their use upon arrival.

Unfortunately, as anyone who has ever lived in Israel can attest, things in the Holy Land don’t always go according to plan, and, alas, the Franks family encountered difficulties registering their daughter in the school they wanted. Luckily, Tamar stepped in and employed her Israeli know-how and chutzpah, and would not take “no” for an answer. She guided the Franks family between meetings in the school, to the municipality and back again until, lo and behold, their child was accepted to their school of choice.

“We couldn’t have done it without Tamar,” said Rebecca Franks. “She kept us going, and really helped us navigate the bureaucracy until we got exactly what we needed.”

Tamarim’s client list spans the State of Israel, with customers from many different backgrounds who have located to different cities around the country. Some have benefited from a fully furnished apartment upon arrival, including beds already made, school uniforms purchased and clothing unpacked. Others, like the Franks family, have gotten help registering for schools. Tamar said that, for example, they helped one oleh pursuing a degree in law register for the Israeli bar exam while he was still abroad, so that he could sit for the test immediately upon arrival. The key to their success: customization. The scope of their services is personalized by the client, and they’re always ready to help—no job is too small or too large for them.

“Tammy and Tamar’s personal touch really made our aliyah experience,” said Gila Wertenteil. “They really went above and beyond to help us… we highly recommend them for anyone looking to make aliyah but worried about the details. Thanks to Tamarim, everything fell into place.”

Making aliyah soon and interested in some extra help planning and executing the move? Tamar and Tammy of Tamarim Concierge will be appearing at the Ninth Annual Nefesh B’Nefesh Israel Mega Event on Sunday in New York City. For more information, and to begin planning your Tamarim aliyah transition, please visit their booth at the fair, or visit their website: tamarimconcierge.com.

By Tzvi Silver/JLNJ Israel