June is almost here, and visions of getting away from it all are starting to dance in our heads. Maybe you’re planning an Israel trip. Maybe you’re even thinking of making a pilot trip before aliyah. But when you’re strolling on the Ben Yehudar midrachov (promenade) with a limonana in one hand and a felafel sandwich in the other thinking, “I could totally live here,” remember this: Aliyah is not an extended vacation.

Aliyah is a full-contact, often sweaty, occasionally tear-inducing, and wildly beautiful life transformation. You haven’t moved to a different country. You’ve moved into a different mindset. And possibly a different kind of existential confusion.

“Tourist Time” Is Not “Oleh Time”

When you’re a tourist, your biggest concern is whether your Airbnb has good Wi-Fi or if you’ll make it to that jeep tour in the Negev. You can pretend not to speak Hebrew (sometimes because it’s true), and people will smile at your effort and maybe give you a free extra rugalah. But when you live in Israel, Google Translate becomes your lifeline (and you know how well that works!). “Ma’am” is no longer a term of affection for the woman who raised you. It’s purchase tax. And blaming her for charging an additional 18% on every item you buy does seem a bit excessive no matter how you feel about her.

Want to open a bank account? Prepare to run a gauntlet of stamps, signatures, an 87-year-old security guard asking you philosophical questions in Hebrew, and inexplicably needing to come back tomorrow. And no, you can’t email anything. This is a fax-based economy and you’re living in it.

You Are Not Who You Were

Back in your home country, you might have been a successful project manager. But in Israel? You are… green. A bit lost. Israelis don’t care that you were regional director of sales. They want to know if you can shout “Ach sheli!” in a cafe and order your café hafuch like a local. It can be tough. It can be embarrassing. But here’s the secret: This is your opportunity to redefine yourself and to become the person you really want to be—just with more bureaucracy. To be an individual, same as everyone else.

Israel Has Unwritten Rules—And They’re Loud

Israelis are warm, passionate, and as subtle as a shofar at a meditation retreat. They’ll cut you in line, lecture you about your produce choices, invite you for Shabbat, and give you career advice… all before your first coffee.

There are unwritten rules: Always push forward, never say “I’m fine” if you’re not, and for the love of all you hold sacred holy, never talk to someone in customer service on a Thursday afternoon. These are the quirks of a society built more like a family than a country — a loud, highly opinionated, deeply caring family that will argue with you in line and then offer you their place if they realize you look tired.

Aliyah Is Your Return Ticket

Visiting Israel is really a return ticket. You cash it in when you make aliyah — to your history, your culture, your real identity. Your paperwork may be outside of Israel, but that’s for now. And until you’re home you’re somewhere between your old life and the new one.

And if you need any help, that’s where Olim Paveway comes in. They’re like your Israeli auntie who actually can “help with that” (we won’t say how). They’re not here to replace your hometown. They’re here to give you a home base. A place that feels familiar even when everything else doesn’t. A support system made up of people who’ve been where you are and lived to tell the tale—with both sabra scars and sweet victories.

The Takeaway?

Aliyah is not a vacation. It’s also not for the faint of heart. You’ll cry. You’ll get frustrated, You’ll definitely get lost some time. But you’ll also laugh. You’ll build something real. And while it’s not the home you came from, it is the home you chose. And, on the good days, it will make you feel more alive, more connected and more refreshed than any vacation ever could.

Tune in to Olim Toolbox Talks Live, Sundays at 2 p.m. EST at https://tinyurl.com/y2sj3z72.

Be sure to visit the Olim Paveway website – https://olimpaveway.com – to arrange for a personal guide (melaveh) who can smooth your Israel journey and to find olim-friendly service providers in Israel. Also subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@olimpaveway.