Moving to Israel Checklist

by Stuart Katz on July 26, 2010

To prepare for aliyah is to prepare for a journey that encompasses so much. Moving to Israel involves a new language, culture, home, and possibly a new business and/or school. It can be overwhelming to know where to start, but this by no means makes the journey impossible!

Many have made aliyah before us, and many will continue to after us. One of the great things is that, through the experiences of many, we can learn about what we can do to make the process of moving as easy and smooth as possible.

As early as a year before our move, we started to brush up on our Hebrew, researching what community we’d would like to live in (keeping in mind that for each of us something else was important – gym, dry cleaners, coffee shop and Bnei Akiva were the most important), researching the job market, and financially planning. Take it a little at a time. Think of this year as a gradual process, not a crash course, to avoid getting overwhelmed.

As we approached our designated departure date (August 2, 2010), the tasks required began to seem numerous. As with any move, not just an international one, there is so much to do!

Here is a checklist of tasks for preparing for your moving day that can perhaps assist anyone contemplating aliyah in the future:

Six Weeks Before Moving:

Create a “Moving Documents” folder. Remember that this will be the place that you will store all of your important paperwork in regards to moving, such as passports, as well as receipts so that you can track your moving-related expenses.
Contact your insurance agent to transfer property, fire, auto and medical insurance.
Ask your primary care physician, eye doctor, and other caregivers for your medical records. Make sure you have records of your vaccinations and prescriptions.
Start collecting suitable packing materials and boxes.
Join email and social networking groups that are designed for those who are preparing to make aliyah, or have recently made aliyah (you can actually join these at anytime but if you haven’t by this point, I strongly recommend it). You can find one here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nefeshbnefesh/

Five Weeks Before Moving:

Make a packing plan. Organize your belongings into specific sections, such as “pack,” “give away” and “trash.” Take a good, objective look at all of your belongings to decide what you do and don’t need to bring with you. Figure out whether you are going to move yourself or hire a moving company.
Complete an official change of address form, which you can do at the USPS website here: https://moversguide.usps.com/icoa/flow.do?_flowExecutionKey=_c73356C3D-995F-21D1-C3EF-47EAC479DE48_kFE21A617-F6DD-A6C2-8BA0-8154911F234D

Four Weeks Before Moving:

Start researching your new neighborhood. Print out maps and other resources so you can familiarize yourself with your new town.
Begin to involve your children in the packing process. You can help to make it fun by giving your child an incentive for every item that he or she places in the “Goodwill” box, or by giving out stickers to allow him or her to label the boxes.

Three Weeks Before Moving:

Since you’ll want to still have your utilities (electric, gas, phone, etc) on your moving day, contact the companies and arrange to have these disconnected the day after you have moved.
Place “FRAGILE” and “DO NOT SHIP” labels on boxes as needed.

Two Weeks Before Moving Day:

Safely dispose of any chemical products that you will not be moving, such as gasoline, paint, and batteries, weed killer, and flammable liquids. Go to this website and type in your zip code to find a safe disposal facility near you: http://earth911.com/
Call your bank and find out how to transfer your bank accounts. If you have a safety deposit box, close it.
Drain oil and gas from any of your tools and appliances to ensure safe transport.
Make or obtain a personal money belt or pouch. You will want to carry all irreplaceable items, such as family heirloom jewelry, on your person during your move rather than packing it.
Consider getting a babysitter for your moving day. If you have young children, they’ll need to stay safe and occupied for the day.

Day Before Moving and Moving Day:

Defrost and clean out your refrigerator and freezer 24 hours in advance.
Confirm that utilities are connected at your new residence.
Do not leave packing for the last day. Finish this a day ahead, as you will need to give the move your full attention.
Clean the residence you’ll be leaving.
Confirm the delivery date and time at your new residence in Israel.

Enjoy watching this video about the Katz family moving to Israel.

Tagged as: moving checklist, moving preparations