This story is about an American family
that made Aliyah
Arrived 1987 - Departed 1989
A Country that Eats its People (Part 1)A Country that Eats its People (Part 3)
A Country that Eats its People (Part 4)
continued...
WE MUST DEVIATE FROM ROUTINE
Necessity demands that we branch out on our own well before the six months are up. Past attributes that once helped us succeed are of no value here. Being clumsy in our attempts, the daily regime of the Merkaz depletes our energies. It is a dammed if you do, dammed if you don’t conflict.
Whatever the plan to change conditions, requires time away from our daily routine. This absence will be noted, reprimands will follow.
Guarding our fantasies, yet sensibly apprehensive of the calamity we live in, the decision was made. Regardless of the consequences, a meaningful job search, under our own control, had to be started.
The first wrong step, was to place an English resume in the hands of the employment councilor. It needed translation into Hebrew, and her agency was the designated one to handle it. Much later I learned that English would have sufficed, and this time consuming step was a crock. The business world where I hoped to function, spoke fluent English. I waited weeks for the translated resume to be completed. Nobody seemed to care. It finally arrived. By now I had enough sense to be leery of whatever was being done in my behalf.
With the help of a friend in Haifa, I located an Israeli business man who would read the Hebrew document. He found it to be worthless. I was told it didn’t come close to translating my English presentation, and would harm rather than help me.
Once again time has been wasted by incompetence. With help, a private service for this supposed necessity was located. In two days they presented me with a finished excellent translation. I returned to the job councilor with the good Hebrew resume and instructed her to have it published in a Israeli national job release.
She agreed to do it, and mailed the resume to Tel Aviv. Three times she mailed it, and three times I was told someone claimed it was lost. She was ready to send it out for the forth time, when I interrupted, electing to carry it to Tel Aviv myself,
I asked her to prepare a receipt for proof of delivery by signature. She looked at me in amazement and said, “no, its not polite.” She was actually telling me, you don’t ask a superior to do such a thing. There was no way she would cooperate with me, in putting anyone on the spot. Having no other choice, delivery was made without documentation. Did it finally get printed? It did not, someone lost the resume once again.
What is happening? No matter how diligent ones effort, failure seems to be the inevitable result. Banging ones head against a stone wall, might be more productive than trying to penetrate this absorption challenge.
Time continues to be squandered. The days remaining for accomplishment are melting away. We draw ever closer to graduation, totally unprepared to enter society. If efforts to organize a job search are impossible, how can other obstacles that lay waiting be handled. Working and having an income is paramount. Without that we wont stand a chance of going on.
Grabbing a Hebrew/English dictionary, a Hebrew telephone book, and various Hebrew directories, I dug in and painstakingly listed companies that might use my talents. One hundred copies of the resume were mailed and rewarded by invitations for interviews. Could it possibly be that I found a way to succeed through my own devices?
As I was maneuvering to overcome obstacles created by my job counseling, my daughter was struggling to overcome a different one, created for her.
Israel requires your college degree (the original) be presented for inspection before you can receive an Israeli equivalent. Without Israeli certification, professionals can’t hold a government position. Olim from all over, buy bogus diplomas prior to arriving here. Their pre Aliyah instructions alert them to this system. Forged papers, complete with impressive raised gold seals accomplish their purpose and the process flows unhampered. The sham is well known, but the forgeries are accepted. Israelis consider everyone to be dishonest and leave it at that. A few however will be singled out, and given a hard time.
Sarah, with her certified originals, raised seals and all, plus an accompanying letter from the College Dean was the one singled out. Her diplomas were sent from agency to agency. Each in turn claimed it was out of their jurisdiction. We spent months making the rounds of those agencies, never able to resolve the travesty. Our run around took us all over Israel, consuming precious time and money. At times we imagined that our efforts might be rewarded. It was only wishful thinking. Sarah’s diploma was never approved. She would never be allowed to work in the government sector. A major part of the job market would never be available for her.
The A.A.C.I. was informed of Sarah’s problem. They responded by saying, "yes it does happen. Its unfortunate, but there is no solution." Wishing no further involvement our A.A.C.I. representative backed away from that problem. We really didn’t expect more, they have consistently backed away from any meaningful help where there might be government conflict. They are much better organized and far more prepared, in fun and game programs. They are geared to funnel their volunteered time, toward the over sixty retired group. They are efficient at arranging tours, bridge games, speaking engagements, charity bazaars and a host of other activities, that have no meaning for us. Its a callous disregard for our immediate need of serious help.
We were told to complain about the Haifa A.A.C.I. office to the Tel Aviv one, and in the same breath were cautioned. If you do so, there might be repercussions.
Can this immersion into bedlam be construed as absorption? Not by any reasoning I am capable of.
There appears to be only one answer, there is no such thing as absorption for working Americans. Such is the truth and the high rate of return will continue.
Americans are not the only Olim with problems, far from it. All Olim are subjected to much the same. The glaring difference is they are supported, by sharp helpers, Americans are not.
Real help permits ones days to flow more smoothly. There is time to relax. You can go forward under capable direction. The most needed back-up, protectcia (support from someone with moxy), is missing for Americans.
Amazing! as protectcia is what makes the wheels of Israel turn, Americans without that help become exhausted by struggling for every simple thing. Others with protectcia, make a phone call and their problems are efficiently brushed aside. They move ahead to the next task, no frustration, no anger.
FINANCIAL AID
Financial aid is the most important to get right. Some choose not to work and are instructed how to accomplish that through Israel’s fuzzy socialistic system. They can secure unending hand-outs. True it supplies the meagerest of life styles, but there are plenty of ways to supplement that condition, with under the table methods. For those not wishing to live in this style, jobs are quickly found for them, supplying sufficient income for a comfortable life style. This aid is said to be available for all at the Merkaz. If only that were true.
Where do you think most find help? From their supportive organizations of course. Americans not being as fortunate, constantly shoulder a burden of one unsolved situation piled upon another. Transition from the Merkaz to the outside world, is further enhanced for most Olim, by the entire process being discussed in their mother tongue. This is invaluable when no one has not yet become proficient in Hebrew.
Americans on the other hand are laboriously prying bits of information from surly caretakers, that speak rock Ivrit (only Hebrew), or inadequate English at best. It takes (according to consensus), three years to master the language well enough so that important nuances can be understood. Why won’t they or why can’t "they speak English" when English is a mandatory language in all Israeli schools.
There is an easy way to remedy the problem. Hire Americans fluent in Hebrew. Many would jump at the opportunity. Many have applied for such work. I never saw one employed. Why?
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