Some of the questions veteran olim and Israelis are asking:
How much time should I expect to invest in this project?
You will be invited to an initial ‘getting acquainted' meeting with the program coordinators that will last about two hours. Following this meeting you and your paired family will determine the frequency of your meetings according to your availability, needs, interest, etc.
Meetings can include Shabbat hospitality, joint activities with children, telephone calls, getting together over a cup of coffee or anything else that you feel comfortable with.
During the year family activities, such as hikes or picnics will be organized for both Israeli and olim families, in order to give you the opportunity to meet other families on the program and to share a variety of experiences.
How long do the meetings last?
This is up to you and your paired family, we don’t determine or define the relationship that you make. You coordinate things between yourselves and define the character and style of the relationship according to what works best for you.
|
 Purim Fun in Ben Shemen
Sagit Kaniel and her husband are Babait Beyahad volunteers in Ramla. Recently, they were paired with olim from Uruguay and a new frienship was forged. After learning about additional olim who had arrived from Latin America, the couple, together with the moshav where they live, decided to invite the olim to join in their Purim celebrations. Throughout the day several heart-warming things occured; first and foremost - the olim had a wonderful time, secondly, the children of the olim established direct connections with the moshav children, and thirdly, both guests and hosts created strong ties between themselves enabling for friendships that had begun that special day to continue long into the future. |
What is my gain from the project?
Satisfaction and self realization
Contributing to the community as a whole, and more specifically to the absorption of new immigrants
Meeting new people from different cultures
Bringing your family together around a specific focus; accepting others, absorbing aliyah, the importance of the State of Israel
Giving your children important values
An experience for the entire family
What happens if we don’t get on well with our paired family?
We do our best to match families (or individuals) with similar backgrounds, you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire with your details and assorted information towards this purpose. It can happen of course, that there is no chemistry between the two families. If this is the situation, you can contact our program coordinator who will offer assistance and if need be, pair you with a different family.
Will we receive any guidelines? Is there a professional who can advise us?
- The program includes an initial meeting of the Israeli families with program coordinators for explanation and questions.
- Following your first meeting with the oleh family, you will be invited to a joint meeting with a Babait Beyahad professional. Afterwards you will be able to continually consult with a Babait Beyahad counselor in your area.
- If you are interested in additional assistance you may contact the regional coordinator for an additional meeting.
|
Lone Soldier Support
Lone soldiers in Tel Aviv, Beer Sheva, Jerusalem, and Tiberias were recently drafted, Babait Beyahad was there to offer a helping hand and suggest they sign up for the program. Throughout the day over 350 lone soldiers joined the Babait Beyachad program which offers support, friendship, and assistance. In addition, sweet treats were distributed to each of the new soldiers. |
How do I break the ice? What should we say at the first meeting?
- Introduce yourself and tell the oleh that you got his/her number from the Babait Beyahad center of the Jewish Agency.
- You might say “I know how hard it is to start out in a new place, where everything is so different then what you are used to, here is my phone number … please call me whenever you wish. If you are a veteran oleh you can say: "I was an oleh in … or my parents came from …"
- "Would you be interested in meeting?"
How much does it cost?
This is a social program and all work is voluntary. No financial investment is required. 
The goal is to establish social contact with new olim in order to assist with their integration into Israeli society.
Is this program instead of the regular absorption authorities?
We are not trying to replace the official absorption authorities, but rather, to create social ties that will help olim with the small details of life that are very important in the absorption process. We hope that with your help, we as a community, will be able to lessen the new immigrant's feelings of newness and assist him in feeling at home and part of a warm society.