Series: Financial Assistance in Israel (Part 2)

If you missed Part 1 in this series, please be sure to check it out!
 
"Ma'anak Avodah" Info (formerly Negative Income Tax)

NEW: You can now apply for the Maanak Avodah ONLINE. Currently, the online system is available only for people who have applied in the past. But this is a HUGE step forward! CLICK HERE to go to the online application

You can apply for this grant if:

1. You were employed or self employed
2. You were 23 years of age or older, with minor children, or 55 years of age or above, even without minor children
3. You did not own more than 50% of a property or rights to a property in the 2015 tax year, other than your primary residence
4. If you have one or two children, or are age 55+ without children, and your average monthly income falls between 2,060 and 6,141 you may be eligible for this grant.
5. If you have 3 or more children, and your average monthly income falls between 2,060 NIS and 6,750 NIS, you may be eligible for this grant.

*Some people will be eligible for the grant even if their monthly income falls below the minimum amounts stated above, so please keep that in mind.


The application deadline is September 30, 2016 
UPDATE: The deadline has been extended! You have until December 28, 2016 to apply!

How do you apply? 

In order to apply, all you have to do is fill out the online form OR go to the post office and answer a few questions. BE SURE to bring your teudat zehut (ID card) and either your checkbook or an "ishur" from your bank that you have an account with them. Please keep any paperwork you receive at the post office and/or in the mail. 

If you have questions after you've applied, or to check the status of your application, you can call *4954 or 1-222-4954 or 02-565-6400 to speak with the Tax Authority. 

How much can you expect to receive?
The amount you receive will vary depending on your circumstances, and if you qualify, will range from 80 shekels/month to 720 shekels/month (960 shekels yearly to 8,640 shekels yearly). 

Your spouse's income may affect your eligibility. 

I hope this helps some of you out there! It's worth it to check if you are eligible. (If you're not eligible, that's not a bad thing, really. I know some of you complained to me last year that you were not eligible, but that means you are earning more money than the people this program is supposed to help.)

Please share this information with your friends and family who may benefit from it!

Be sure to check out the other installments in this series:
Part 1
Part 3
Part 4 
Part 5

NEW "Ma'anak Avodah" Info (formerly Negative Income Tax)

--- Retrieved from http://www.kosherfrugal.com/2015/02/maanak-avodah-formerly-known-as.html ---

NEW: You can now apply for the Maanak Avodah ONLINE. Currently, the online system is available only for people who have applied in the past. But this is a HUGE step forward! CLICK HERE to go to the online application

UPDATE: The deadline has been extended! You have until December 28, 2016 to apply!

AND, GET THIS: right now you can apply for either 2014 or 2015 grants online. So for those of you who missed the 2014 deadline, you can still apply! If you have never applied for this grant before, you can call Mas Hachnasa and request an extension - call *4954 and ask to apply for the ma'anak avodah late -- "liftoach pniyah l'maanak avodah b'ichur". You may be able to get them to let you apply late.

The Following information is based upon the 2014 publications: 

Who can apply for this grant?

You can apply for this grant if:
1. You were employed or self employed
2. You were 23 years of age or older, with minor children, or 55 years of age or above, without minor children
3. You did not own more than 50% of a property or rights to a property in the 2014 tax year, other than your primary residence
4. If you have one or two children, or are age 55+ without children, and your average monthly income falls between 2,070 and 6,057 you may be eligible for this grant.

5. If you have 3 or more children, and your average monthly income falls between 2,070 NIS and 6,766 NIS, you may be eligible for this grant.

How do you apply?
In order to apply, all you have to do is go to the post office and answer a few questions. BE SURE to bring your teudat zehut (ID card) and either your checkbook or an "ishur" from your bank that you have an account with them. Please keep any paperwork you receive at the post office and/or in the mail.
If you have questions after you've applied, or to check the status of your application, you can call *4954 or 1-222-4954 or 02-565-6400 to speak with the Tax Authority.
How much can you expect to receive?
The amount you receive will vary depending on your circumstances, and if you qualify, will vary from 20 shekels/month to 720 shekels/month (240 shekels yearly to 8,640 shekels yearly).
Your spouse's income may affect your eligibility.
I hope this helps some of you out there! It's worth it to check if you are eligible. (If you're not eligible, that's not a bad thing, really. I know some of you complained to me last year that you were not eligible, but that means you are earning more money than the people this program is supposed to help.)

Please share this information with your friends and family who may benefit from it!

Free things to do on Yom Ha'atzmaut

--- Retrieved from http://www.kosherfrugal.com/2014/05/free-museums-and-attractions-for-yom.html ---

This coming Thursday, April 23, 2015, is Yom Ha'Atzmaut (celebrated), and this year, in honor of 67 yrs of the State of Israel, more than 67 attractions around the country will be open to the public at no charge. These are sponsored by Misrad HaTarbut V'HaSport and the Mo'etza L'Shimur Atarey Moreshet.

--- Retrieved from http://www.kosherfrugal.com/2012/04/free-museums-and-attractions.html ---

Check it out and find a place you've never gone to, and go have fun! In past years we've gone to museums that were free on Yom Haatzmaut, and they was almost completely empty. I think Israelis prefer their mangal in the park and sitting in traffic. I prefer free admission!

I'm sure there are other places that are offering free programs or free admission.
Please add information for other places in the comments, or send a note to ester@kosherfrugal.com and I'll add it in! Thank you.

I have tried, wherever possible, to link to websites in English. There were some museums/historical sites that only had Hebrew websites, though. My apologies in advance.

Have a wonderful Yom Ha'atzmaut. May it bring us closer to the Geulah Sh'laymah! 

So, let me know where you'll be going! Just leave a comment below this post.

Be sure to find me on Facebook and stay up to date about great Israeli free and frugal living ideas!

South:

Yad LaIsha HaLochemet in Nitzanim - guided tours 9 am - 1 pm. 08-6727895
The Open Museum in Negba -  050-55605540 

From Holocaust to Revival Museum in Yad Mordechai - 08-6720599 , 052-3923104
The Water and Security Museum in Nir Am - 050-5709042
Mitzpe Gvulot - Kibbutz Gvulot - 054-7919000
Ben Gurion's Desert Home (Sde Boker) - open 10 am to 4 pm. Last admission at 3 pm 08-6560469

Maoz across from Gaza in Kibbutz Saad 052-3726644

The Joe Alon Center for Bedouin Culture at Kibbutz Lahav 08-9913322
The Revivim Museum named for Yosef Weitz. 10 am - 2 pm  08-6562570 \ 08-656263
Metzudat Yoav, The Givati Museum  08-6611316 

B'erot BaNegev Visitors' Center - Kibbutz Alumim 08-9937300

Jerusalem Area

The Old Yishuv Court Museum, 10 am - 3 pm. Guided tours available 02-6276319, 052-4002478
Ammunition Hill Memorial Site - 02-5829392/3, ext 115,
The Yellin House - in Motza -  052-4257345
The Gush Etzion Visitors' Center - in Kfar Etzion. 02-9935160
The Tower of David Museum - 02-6265333 or *2884
The Underground Prisoners Museum in Jerusalem - interactive programs 11 am - 4 pm, open from 9 am - 6pm. 02-6233166 

The Shai Agnon House - open 9 am - 4 pm -02-6716498
The Bank of Israel Visitor's Center - with advance reservations 02-6552828,0 2-6552520, 02-6552718
Alone on the Walls of Jerusalem - open 9 am - 5 pm - for more info: 02-6265906
Menachem Begin Heritage Center - free tours, fee for the movie. 02-5652020 02-5652011
Yad LaShiryon at Latrun - for more info: 08-9784321 

Tel Aviv and the Center

Independence Hall -03-5106426,  03-5173942 
The Israeli Museum at the Rabin Center - with advance reservations only.*4585
Ben-Gurion House - 03-5221010
The Jabotinsky Museum - open 8 am - 4 pm. 03-5287320
The Joseph Bau House - 054-4301499
Rokach House - for more info: 03-5168042 or email  info@rokach-house.co.il
IDF Historical Collection Museum - (Toldot Tzahal) -03-5172913 , 03-5161346 

The Etzel Museum 03-525-3307

The Hagana Museum -  03-560862
The Lechi Museum - guided tours at 10:30, 12:00. 1:30. 3:00. Trivia contest at 1 pm. Reservations required. For more info: 03-6820288 or email lehi_museum@mod.gov.il
The Etzel 1948 Museum - open 8:30am - 4pm. 03-5177180 , 03-5172044 

The Nachum Gutman Museum of Art - 03-5161970
The Hosmasa Museum - Holon -  03-5050425
The Mikveh Israel Visitors Center - with advance reservations.  03-5030489
The Rishon L'Tzion Museum - open 10 am - 3 pm. 03-9598862,  03-9598890
The Eran Shamir Moshava Museum in Mazkeret Batya. Open 10 am - 4 pm. 08-9349525
Ayalon Institute, Rechovot. Open 9 am - 4 pm. Last guided tour at 3 pm. 08-9406552

Weizmann House, Rehovot 08-9343230

The North and Northern Coast

The Sliqim at  Kfar Giladi - Guided Tours every hour from 9 am - 3 pm. 052-2512915
HaShomer House Museum - Kfar Giladi. open 8 am - 4 pm.  04-6941565
Tel Hai Courtyard - 10 am - 2 pm -  04-6951333 

The Birya Fortress - open 9 am - 4 pm. 04-6922433
The Restored Pioneer Village at Rosh Pinah, open 10 am - 2 pm. 04-6936913

The Kinneret Courtyard - guided tours at 10, 12, and 2.  04-6709117
Naharayim Experience in Gesher. Guided tours at 12:30 and 1:30. Open 9 am - 4 pm.  04-6752685
The Palmach Cave - guided tours on the hour between 9 and 5.  04-9898946 ,052-4471109
The Historic Nahalal Police Station - guided tours every hour from 10 am to 1 pm.  04-6415073 

The Nahalal "Sliq" - guided tours every hour from 9 am to 3 pm.  052-3347194

The Pioneer Settlers Museum - Kibbutz Yifat. Open 11 am - 4 pm. 04-6548974  

HaReut Museum - 04-6432810  open 9am-4pm  

The Chaim Shturman House - at Kibbutz Ein Harud.  04-6486337 |  04-6486328

Beit HaMeiri, Tsfat 04-6921939  

The Tower and Stockade Museum at Hanita.  04-9859677 

The Jezreel Valley Train Museum - Kfar Yehoshua. 04-9534226   

Clandestine Immigration Boat Tour, Atlit. For more info and reservations: 04-9841980

The Goara Museum of the Hagana. 04-9597402

The Treasures in the Walls Museum, Akko. Open 10 am - 4 pm.  04-9911004

The Underground Prisoners Museum, Akko.  04-9911375 

The Fisher House, Kiryat Ata. Open 11 am - 6 pm.  04-8440207

The Museum of the First Aliyah in Zichron. Open 10 am - 4 pm. 04-6294777  

The Chanah Senesh House, Kibbutz Sdot Yam.  04-6364366   052-8795366 
The Gdudim House Museum. Open 9 am - 4 pm. 09-8822212    

The Khan Museum, Hadera. Open 9 am - 3 pm.  04-6322330 , 04-6324562     

The Haifa City Museum. 04-9115888  

The Herman Struk Museum 04-6359962 
The National Maritime Museum. 04-853662  

  

Other FREE attractions and activities:

The Israel Museum
The Open Museum in Omer

The Open Museum in Tefen

The Open Museum in Tel-Hai

Ramat HaNadiv in Zichron

Neve Tzuf Forest - family celebration, 10 am - 4 pm - 02-9977101
The Pinat Chai in Katzrin (always free)


I will add more free attractions in this space as I find them!

And don't forget to find me on Facebook!

Pesach Wrap Up

How'd you do with Pesach this year?

It was interesting in my household, as I've been sick for over 3 weeks now, so all the preparations and the chag itself were hampered somewhat by my state of health. I'm afraid to say that I think I may have to figure out how to anticipate this type of spring from now on - much of it seemed to be allergy and asthma related, and that's going to happen every spring, unless I can find the miracle cure I've been waiting for my whole life.

So here's what happened - we did really well with our shopping choices. We DID buy more chocolate than we needed, but we did really well with most of the staples, and did not run out, nor were we very overstocked.

I'm so glad we were able to streamline our purchases like this! Whatever is left is stuff we'll just use up in the next few weeks, or some things I purposely stocked up on because we shopped at Osher Ad, so it wasn't a Pesach-specific purchase.

We kept the cooking simple - more so because I've been sick. No one starved or even kvetched too much (except we lacked easy snacks - the kids wanted more potato chips and fewer fruits, but that doesn't mean we'll let their requests dictate our purchases next year either!). We did not eat out at all, and we only had matzah pizza once (though the kids would have been happy with that more, we did not buy a ton of matzah nor a ton of cheese).

We ate a lot of soup. I think that was a good, easy way to help us get thru the chag while the main chef was sick. I'll be keeping that trick in my bag for next year, even if I'm healthy!

I hope you all managed an easy turnover back to Chametz, and most of all, I hope this Pesach we have all come a step closer to freedom and redemption.

End of Pesach Menu Planning

We have a rare "2-day chag" coming up here in Israel! I know I've really gotten used to one day of chag at a time, but I'm sure we can muster up our strength for the 2 days looming ahead of us.

The last day isn't actually Pesach anymore, but we obviously will still be eating Pesach food. We're not even bothering to go out of our way to eat kitniyot, even though we could. I am sure that Sunday we'll find plenty of chametz and kitniyot to lead us back into the more complicated menus of the rest of the year, so we'll just stick with our usual Pesach fare.

Here's the plan:

Meat Meals:

Vegetable soup with lots of garlic and ginger and kneidlach
Honey-garlic chicken
Shnitzel
Potato Kugel
Apple Crisp
Vegetable Kugel
Quinoa with stir fried vegetables
Make your own salad

Dairy Meals:

Fish Fillets cooked in lemon and herbs
Quinoa "Pie" - quinoa topped with vegetable-tomato sauce and goat feta cheese, baked
Broccoli-Cheese Pie/Broccoli with pine nuts for those who don't eat cow's milk
Garlic-Roasted Potatoes
Roasted Zucchini and Peppers
Make your own salad

For dessert, we have brownies and mandel bread
Also planning to make a batch of rolls for noshing. 
We have plenty of fresh fruit on hand, as well as chocolate, which means we'll be FINE.


What's cooking in your Pesach Kitchen? 

 

Mislabeled items! Check your pantry!

Mislabeled as Kosher for Pesach: 

Canned mushrooms marketed by "Opal S.Y. International" under the labels "Mega", "Shufersal" and "Tomer". These mushrooms did not have Pesach kashrut supervision at production time, and are not kosher for Pesach. Please return to the store where purchased.

Some bottles of "Trump" brand Vodka have a clear sticker affixed indicating they are kosher for Pesach(2013). They are only Kosher for Pesach if they have the original holographic sticker.

"Hamerkaz" brand canned goods - some cans of olives, hot peppers, etc have unauthorized kosher for Pesach stickers attached. They are ONLY kosher for pesach if they have the letters ZM stamped next to the production date. If you have cans that are mislabeled, call the customer service number on the package.

"Yerushalmi" brand Extra Virgin Olive Oil is labeled kosher under the supervision of the national Rabbanut and the Chug Chatam Sofer of Bnei Brak, but the Rabbanut states the production facility is not under supervision. The public is warned not to purchased this item, and requests that if you see this product being sold, you call the Rabbanut( 02-5313187, Fax. 02-5313169) with the location.

The information in this post was obtained from the Rabbanut Kashrut division

Free attractions and Museums on Pesach 2015!

If you are looking for current information, please check out the updated post for 2016! 

*Please note that I put a lot of effort into this post, tracking down websites in English for your convenience. I know the Bank Hapoalim info is available to the public in Hebrew, but this blog  post has added benefits for the English speaking community. Because it was so much work, I request that if you plan to share this info, you link back to my site. Thank you for this common courtesy.

Bank Hapoalim does this wonderful service for the country:  They sponsor free attractions all around the country for Chol Hamoed, and the country loves it!


--- Retrieved from http://www.kosherfrugal.com/2014/03/free-attractions-for-pesach-2014.html --

 









Here's the info for this year: The participating attractions will be open to the public for free on April 5-9 and you will need to check with the attractions regarding their individual hours of operation.

Here's the list of free attractions for this year. I have linked to websites in English, whenever possible. I hope you find this list helpful, and that you get to have some super-frugal fun over Pesach!

Please leave a comment with your favorite place to visit (from this list)!
If you haven't already, please like my Facebook page so you don't miss out!


North:
The Ghetto Fighters' House Museum 04-9958052  
The Galilee Sculpture Festival in Maalot 04-9578871 
The Deer Forest  0508723920  
The Golan Antiquities Museum  04-6961350  
Park Qatzrin 04-6962412
The Umm el-Fahem Art Gallery  04-6315257  
The Wilfrid Museum of Israeli Art  04-9899566  
The Robotic Dairy 054-4962656  
The Museum of Art at Ein Harod    04-6485701

Haifa and the Northern Valleys:
The Museum of the First Aliyah (in Zichron Yaakov) 04-6294777  
The Janco-Dada Museum (Ein Hod) 04-9842350
The Haifa Zoo - 04-8372886 (open 10am - 3pm)  
The Haifa City Museum 04-9115888  
The Mane Katz Museum 04-9119372 
The Herman Struk Museum 04-6359962
The Treasures in The Walls Museum (of Acco) 04-9911004  


Central Israel:
Tel Aviv Museum of Art 03-6077000 
Beit Hatfutsot 03-7457808
The Igudan Visitors Center 03-9555222
The Khan Museum of Hadera 04-6324562
The Nachum Gutman Museum of Art 03-5161970  
The Museum of Israeli Art in Ramat Gan 03-7521876
The Communications Museum at IDC Herzliya 09-9522795  
The Herzilya Museum of Contemporary Art 09-9551011  
The Rishon L'Tzion Museum 03-9598862  
The Rabin Center Israeli Museum *4585 
The Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center 03-5339278


Jerusalem:
Yad LaShiryon at Latrun 08-9784302  
The Bible Lands Museum 02-5611066 
Hasmonean Aqueduct Tour *6033  
The Temple Mount Sifting Project *6033  
The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens 02-6794012  
The Old Yishuv Court Museum 02-6281266
The Shai Agnon House 02-671-4876  
The Menachem Begin Heritage Center 02-5652018  
The Ariel Center -Historic Jerusalem (First Temple Period) 02-6286288

South:
The Ashdod Art Museum Monart Center 08-8545180 
The Corinne Mamane Museum of Philistine Culture
The Museum of Water and Security at Kibbutz Nir Am 050-9672874  
The Joe Alon Center for Bedouin Culture  08-9913322
The Air Force Museum at Kibbutz Chatzerim 08-9906853  
The Negev Museum of Art  08-6993535 
The Eilat My City Museum 08-6340754


Have a great time! 
p.s. Please share this with your friends, so everyone can plan a fun and frugal Pesach!

Exclusive Coupon for Coffee Lovers in Israel!

Do you love coffee?

I recently found out about this small, mom-and-pop coffee roasting business here in Israel with excellent coffee. I've been brewing their coffee for the past 5 or so days, and it is GOOD, really good!

This is specialty coffee roasted to perfection in small batches. They offer a variety of roast profiles, and you are sure to find one you love among them! While not all varieties are certified organic, these are "chemical-free" coffee beans.


You are also going to be pleasantly surprised with their pricing - online prices are 70 shekels for 500g, or 130 shekels for 1kg. (Compare that to the prices I saw at the specialty coffee roaster in one of the malls in the Galil a few weeks ago - over 150 shekels/kg - and that was a "sale"!)  

Choose from single origin roasts or a blend. The owners will be happy to discuss flavors and blends with you to be sure you get the perfect coffee for you!

Before you order though, I just have to share this exclusive coupon with you, making this an even better deal! Use coupon code "Save10" to get 10 shekels off the current price! Just place your order by email or phone - send a note to zehcoffeeco@gmail.com or call 054-682-6103 or 058-484-5071, and be sure to specify coupon code "Save10".

Not sure which one you want? You can ask for a 5 shekel sampler, and try out a few different roasts! 

You can find them at  Zeh Cafe Coffee Co. on Facebook, so go visit them and give them a like, and support a small business in Israel.

So go ahead, enjoy your coffee! Let me know which blend or variety is your favorite!

And for those who were wondering, yes, all of Zeh Cafe's coffees are Kosher for Passover (כשר לפסח)!

(sponsored post)

Culinary Tour with Susie Fishbein!

sponsored post

click to register

I just heard about the second annual Susie Fishbein Culinary Tour to Israel, and it sounds like a really wonderful opportunity for everyone I can think of!


If you love foods of the world and local culture while traveling, this is the trip for you to take to Israel this winter!

This trip with Susie Fishbein will take place from Feb 12-19, 2015, and the itinerary is packed with hand-picked experiences, including a halva workshop, wine tastings, shuk tours, humus workshop, goat cheese workshop, sessions with top chefs, and so much more! Please check out the full itinerary - it's truly impressive!

The trip is fully kosher, but is open to everyone. The main point is to bring together a group of people who love good, local food on this amazing trip!


If you plan to join, please be sure to include "kosherfrugal.com" in the space provided on your registration form. Thanks for your support!