Aliyah in 90 Days: Language Preparation for Moving to Israel

Three months before I moved to Israel, I panicked. Full-on, middle-of-the-night, what-have-I-done panic.

I'd been "learning Hebrew" for a year. I could read. I knew grammar rules. I had flashcards.

But could I call the electric company? Ask where to find an apartment? Understand what the landlord was saying about the lease? Absolutely not.

The realization hit: I'd been learning Hebrew, but not the right Hebrew. Not the Hebrew I'd actually need to function in my first 90 days.

So I pivoted. I threw out my textbook and focused exclusively on survival skills. Three months of targeted, practical preparation made the difference between drowning and thriving during those first crucial weeks.

This guide is that 90-day plan—the one I wish I'd had from the start.

Real talk: 30-45 minutes daily × 90 days gets you: alphabet mastered, 900-1200 functional words, ability to handle daily tasks, basic phone conversations, and enough confidence to not cry at the post office. Practice in our trainer and track your progress in stats.

The Principles That Actually Worked (Lessons From My Mistakes)

Here's what I learned the hard way:

Daily and little beats heroic weekends: 30-45 minutes every day destroys 4-hour Sunday marathons. Consistency > intensity. My friend tried to cram 20 hours on weekends. Burned out in three weeks. I did 40 minutes daily for 90 days straight. Guess who was more prepared?
Templates first, rules later: Memorize "אני צריך לפתוח חשבון" (I need to open an account) BEFORE understanding why the verb is in that form. Speak immediately. Understand later.
Echo repeat is magic: Listen to a phrase → Repeat it → Substitute YOUR info (your name, your street, your problem). This creates muscle memory faster than any textbook drill.
One theme per day: Monday = bank vocabulary. Tuesday = pharmacy vocabulary. Don't mix. Your brain needs focused practice, not scattered learning. The day I tried to learn banking AND medical terms together, I ended up asking the banker if he had health insurance for my checking account.
Spaced repetition isn't optional: Words come back after 1 day, 3 days, 7 days. This moves them from short-term to long-term memory. Skip this, and you'll re-learn the same words eight times like I did. Painful.

90-Day Map

Weeks 1-4 — Daily Life and Services

Goals: alphabet, reading signs, 300 words.
Topics: documents, bank, pharmacy, transport.
Study route: lessons 1-3 → easy trainer daily 10 minutes.
Mini-dialogues: "at checkout", "at pharmacy", "at bus stop".

Weeks 5-8 — Work and Housing

Goals: 700-800 words, phone scenarios, letters.
Topics: resume, job call, apartment viewings, deposit.
Study route: lessons 4-8 + trainer "answer options".
Practice: 2 phone conversations per week (language partner).

Weeks 9-12 — Conversation and Integration

Goals: 1000+ words, free 10-minute dialogue without prompts.
Topics: talk about yourself (aliyah/family/experience), visits to government offices.
Final: mini-exam: 10-minute dialogue + 150-180 word letter.

Daily Routine (45 minutes)

00:00-10:00 — new words (10-15) from dictionary.
10:00-20:00 — lesson/theory (1 screen) + 3 examples.
20:00-35:00 — trainer: 2 sets of 7-10 tasks.
35:00-45:00 — micro-dialogue on day's topic + record yourself on voice recorder.

Life hack: Everything you can, say in a whisper aloud — articulation speeds up memorization.

Template Phrases by Topic

Documents / Offices (Misrad HaPnim, Misrad HaKlita)

I need an appointment for... — אני צריך/ה תור ל... — ani tsarikh/a tor le‑...
What documents are needed? — אילו מסמכים צריכים? — eylu mismakhim tsrikhim?
Where to get the form? — איפה מקבלים טופס? — eifo mekablim tofes?
Can I book online? — אפשר לקבוע באונליין? — efshar likboa be‑online?

Bank / Mobile Service

I want to open an account — אני רוצה לפתוח חשבון — ani rotse/tsa liftoaḥ ḥeshbon
What are the fees? — אילו עמלות יש? — eylu amlot yesh?
I need a SIM with internet — אני צריך/ה סים עם אינטרנט — ani tsarikh/a sim im internet

Pharmacy / Clinic

Where's the nearest health fund? — איפה הקופה הקרובה? — eifo ha‑kupa ha‑krova?
I have a prescription — יש לי מרשם — yesh li mirsham
I feel sick / it hurts... — לא טוב לי / כואב לי... — lo tov li / ko'ev li...

Transport / Taxi

How to get to...? — איך מגיעים ל...? — eikh magi'im le‑...?
Turn on the meter — תדליק מונה בבקשה — tadlik mone bevakasha

Housing / Rent

Looking for apartment... (area/budget) — אני מחפש/ת דירה... — ani meḥapes/et dira...
What are the deposit terms? — מה תנאי הפיקדון? — ma tnay ha‑pikadon?

For complete collection of 100+ phrases with transcription see article: "100 Conversational Phrases".

"First Month in Israel" Checklist (From Someone Who Forgot Half of These)

Let me share the bureaucratic gauntlet you're about to run. I made every possible mistake, so learn from my pain:

Misrad HaKlita (Absorption Ministry): Get your absorption voucher and learn about support programs. I waited three weeks because I didn't know this existed. Three weeks of lost benefits. Don't be me.
Kupat Cholim (Health Fund): Choose your health fund and register with a family doctor. This is NOT optional—you need it BEFORE you get sick. I learned this at 2 AM with food poisoning and no registered doctor. Fun times.
SIM Card: Get a plan with unlimited internet immediately. You'll need it for maps, translation, everything. I tried to use Wi-Fi only for three days. Got lost twice, missed a job interview, nearly had a meltdown.
Bank Account: Open one in your first week. Connect the app. Learn how to pay bills online. The phrase "אני רוצה לפתוח חשבון" (ani rotze lifto'ach cheshbon - I want to open an account) will be your best friend.
Transport: Get a Rav-Kav card, download Moovit and Israel Railways apps. Learn the bus system. Taxis are expensive; buses are confusing but necessary.
Housing: Find a place, confirm your address officially, start receiving arnona (property tax) bills. Yes, even renters pay arnona. Surprise!
Work: Update your resume in Hebrew, create a Hebrew LinkedIn profile. Your English resume won't cut it for most jobs. I learned this after 15 ignored applications.

Essential resources: Hebrew dictionary, practice trainers, structured lessons.

(I wish someone had given me this exact checklist three months before I arrived.)

Mini-Dialogues (ready templates)

At office
— שלום, יש לי תור בשעה עשר.
— כן, תעודת זהות בבקשה.
— בבקשה. אני צריך/ה מידע על...

Phone call about apartment
— שלום, ראיתי מודעה על דירה ברחוב...
— מתי אפשר לראות?
— בערב מתאים, תודה.

At bank
— אני רוצה לפתוח חשבון. אילו עמלות יש?
— יש לכם אפליקציה באנגלית/ברוסית?

Mistakes I Made (So You Can Skip Them)

Mistake 1: Trying to Learn "Everything"
I tried to learn grammar, vocabulary, phone etiquette, AND business Hebrew all at once. Result? Overwhelmed and useless. Focus on survival phrases first. Five well-memorized template phrases beat 50 half-learned grammar rules.

Mistake 2: Speaking in Paragraphs
English speakers love elaborate sentences. Israelis don't. Cut everything to 6-8 words maximum. "אני צריך חשבון בנק" (I need bank account) works better than "I was wondering if perhaps it might be possible to potentially open..."

Mistake 3: The English R Sound
I kept using my American R. Israelis could understand me, but I sounded ridiculous. Hebrew R is softer, further back in your throat. Practice this alone, repeatedly, until it feels natural.

Mistake 4: Avoiding Phone Calls
For two months, I'd only call places when my Hebrew-speaking friend could translate. This kept me dependent and didn't improve my skills. Eventually, I forced myself: practice 3 phone scenarios, record yourself, then make real calls. You'll survive. They'll understand you're a new immigrant. It's fine.

Minimum Week Plan (example)

Mon: documents (Misrad HaPnim) — 12 phrases, 1 dialogue.
Tue: bank — 12 phrases, 1 dialogue, call simulation.
Wed: pharmacy — 12 phrases + pronunciation kh/r.
Thu: housing — 12 phrases, reading ads.
Fri: transport — 12 phrases, build route in Moovit.
Sat: review + long dialogue (5-7 minutes).
Sun: rest / Israeli movie with subtitles.

Readiness Check (by end of 90 days)

Reading signs and boards without transliteration.
Holding 10-minute conversation on daily topics.
Understanding instructions in offices.
Writing short messages/letters (100-150 words).
Active vocabulary 1000+ words.

What's Next

Connect language partner 1-2 times per week.
Once a month — speech audit: 3-5 minute recording, error analysis.
Read short news in Hebrew, write down 10 words daily.

Final Thoughts (From Someone Who Survived It)

Those first 90 days in Israel will be hard regardless of your Hebrew level. Culture shock, bureaucracy, exhaustion—it's a lot.

But language preparation makes the difference between "hard but manageable" and "overwhelmingly impossible."

I arrived with three months of targeted practice. Still made mistakes. Still got frustrated. Still had moments of "what am I doing here?"

But I could:

Call the electric company when the power went out
Explain my medical history to a doctor
Negotiate apartment terms with a landlord
Make small talk with coworkers
Actually function

My friend arrived with zero Hebrew preparation. Brilliant person, fluent in three other languages, motivated to learn. First three months were hell. Completely dependent on translators, isolated, stressed.

Same person, different preparation. Huge difference in experience.

Three months of focused study won't make you fluent. But it'll make you functional. And functional is enough to survive until you become fluent.

Start today. Your future Israeli self will thank you.

The "no fluff, just practical survival skills" approach? That's our thing. HebrewGlot has structured courses focused on what you actually need, with trainers designed for real-life situations. Start with free lessons — then move at your own pace. We'll get you ready.

Article updated: October 29, 2025
Written by someone who moved to Israel and lived to tell about it