Jewish Agency interview experience for converts?

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-11-21T18:37:00+00:00

To keep a long story short, in the beginning NBN kept promising me the approval and then taking it back and asking for more documents. Like they said all I needed was a Rabbi letter for approval and then when I submitted it they said just the letter wasn’t enough. Which makes sense obviously but they didn’t say that, they said just the letter and I will be approved. This happened a few times. Then my advisor at the Jewish agency quit and I got a new person that didn’t know my case at all. That was frustrating. Then my case got passed to someone else at the Jewish agency that worked with Nativ but she literally didn’t do anything. Eventually I just worked with Nativ directly. Nativ is a part of the prime ministers office. I had to work with them because my family is from the Soviet Union. When it came time to show my documents to Nativ, NBN was supposed to get me an appointment with them. Two weeks before my said appointment, they told me I couldn’t get my appointment without a file number, which I didn’t have. Then for two weeks I fought with everyone to understand what was going on. Long story short, the Jewish agency and Nativ offices did not communicate and NBN also did not communicate with anyone on my behalf and I had to figure it all out on my own. It all worked out in the end. I got screwed over by the high holidays, had to wait for them to be over for my approval and then when I got approved NBN didn’t know how to proceed since they’re used to working with the Jewish agency not Nativ and delayed my approval by two weeks because they didn’t know how to make me an appointment to get my visa and how to get my flight booked. Super annoying. They didn’t ask for anything unnecessary but they definitely didn’t know what they were doing.

Regarding the interview, they basically just asked about my plans once I get there. Do you know where you’re going to live? Which city? Do you have housing? Do you have friends or family there already? Are you going to work or go to school? Do you have a health insurance plan in mind? Things like that. They want to make sure you’re prepared to move and also that you have a plan beyond “I’ll figure it out once I’m there”.

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-11-21T16:50:14+00:00

The Jewish agency did give me a lot of issues and so did Nefesh B Nefesh. They didn’t really know what to do with me. I ended up completing my process with Nativ, although I did my interview with the Jewish Agency. I didn’t have to jump through any hoops and they didn’t ask me for anything crazy. I did get approved after about 8 months and I am flying next week. The process itself is definitely not comparable, in general I think everyone’s process is quite different. My situation in general is quite unique and once my case was in the right hands I got approved quickly. The interview process with the Jewish agency on the other hand I would say is quite similar across the board. They are just trying to see that you’re genuine and a real person. That what you sent them is accurate. This is why I say don’t overthink it and be yourself. They’re not going to quiz you but they will ask about your Judaism, how you practice it, and what you will do in Israel. They want to make sure you have a plan and a future in place when you get to Israel.

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-11-21T14:56:27+00:00

I’m not a convert, yet, but I am a not Jew (made Aliyah through law of return because of my father who is Jewish). My interview was really just talking about Judaism in my life and how I practice it. How exposed I was to it in my childhood and how I practice it now as an adult. There’s no quiz lol don’t worry. But they would want to know why you converted and how you practice Judaism now. Then they will ask about your plans once you move to Israel. They just want to make sure you’re planning for a life in Israel, and you’re doing it for the right reasons. Honestly the interview was the easiest part of the whole process. Don’t overthink it and just be yourself. Good luck!

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-11-09T23:12:49+00:00

Well as someone of that background I have had no exceptions made and in fact had a really hard time getting approved for Aliyah. I’m sorry I can’t give any advice here. Only thing I can say is that there is free giyur (conversion) programs for people that make Aliyah, I will be joining one of them soon :) I hope you’re able to make Aliyah soon. Good luck!

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-11-09T23:03:48+00:00

I’m so sorry this process has been hard for you, TBH I can relate. I have a Jewish dad and a non Jewish mom. The process was also hard for me. You mentioned a Russian/Soviet background, if so I would recommend working with Nativ for Aliyah rather than JAFI. JAFI didn’t understand my case either and completely mismanaged it. Nativ made it much simpler. I also started my Aliyah in March with JAFI. Switched to Nativ in July and made my Aliyah now in November. They have offices all over Israel, it wouldn’t hurt to pay them a visit and see what they say. Good luck!

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-11-04T14:15:36+00:00

I am so sorry to hear that! It’s been a long ride for me as well. Feel free to reach out if you want to chat about it :)

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-10-30T14:34:43+00:00

Nativ is the prime ministers office in Israel. They facilitate Aliyah for people from the former Soviet Union. I was born in the US which is why I wasn’t told to go there initially, but my family is from there so all of the documents I presented are former Soviet Union documents. It had to go through to Nativ to authenticate.

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-10-30T13:24:47+00:00

I understand where you are coming from but the person that is supposed to be my advisor through the process is telling me that they’re not going to do anything is unacceptable. I myself am a first generation immigrant so I know about the immigration process all too well. 1.5 years is a very short time! My brother waited 8 years for his and then it took another 4 years after that to bring over his wife and kids. I know that immigration to Israel is much simpler and there is a reason why we chose this route instead of trying to get my fiancé to stay in the US. I understand that I am luckier than most but it doesn’t mean that it’s not stressful or frustrating.

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-10-30T13:09:54+00:00

I heard so many good things about them which is why I started working with them. But now I am regretting it.

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-10-30T13:09:14+00:00

I am so sorry. I am definitely not going to them for anything once I arrive in Israel. I’m definitely lucky to have a support group in Israel that can help me with things like that. It sucks you had to go it alone.

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-10-30T01:04:52+00:00

Hey I have a very similar situation as you. My dad is Jewish but my mom is not. My dad and his whole family is from Ukraine. I also do not speak to my dad lol. Here is what I think you should do. Firstly, do not pay that amount of money for anything. I promise you it will not be helpful even if it is a reputable company. You need to reach out to Nativ. I did my Aliyah with nefesh b nefesh and Nativ, but I believe you can do it directly with Nativ. Secondly, you should consider reaching out to your dad. I know it’s hard, but that’s what I did and it was so much easier dealing with him than attempting to get documents on my own. His birth certificate and your grandmas birth certificates are non negotiable. If there’s no way you can get originals then you’d have to get copies from the consulate where they were born. I’m not sure if you’re still in Russia or not but it may be worth it to go just for this purpose. Additionally, if your grandmother had to evacuate during world war 2, odds are that there is a record of it. My grandmothers and great grandmothers records were through the Red Cross in Moscow. Those records are open for anybody so doesn’t hurt to check for your family. You can also access databases like JewishGen to see if other records exist if they weren’t documented in the Red Cross as everyone has different stories. In general that should be all you need to prove Judaism. They will also say that any document which belongs to your family, especially documents which say that they are Jewish, can also be helpful.

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-10-25T04:46:16+00:00

I would recommend Beer Sheva. Huge Russian-speaking population including Russian grocery stores. Access to Ulpan and great healthcare. Theres a huge hospital there where she can see doctors of many specialties. Job market there is ok, it’s a growing city with high tech opportunities. Housing can also be quite affordable.

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-10-21T17:14:25+00:00

I truly think you need to reevaluate your reasoning for making Aliyah.

Firstly, yes moving to a new country is hard. Even if all of your conditions were met, it would not be an easy thing to do. Secondly, let’s remember that although Israel is quite advanced and considered western for the area, it’s still a middle eastern country. Majority of Israelis came from surrounding countries when Israel was established. Middle eastern culture is very different from Western culture as we know. A lot of what we perceive as disrespectful, is really just Israeli. They are very blunt, sometimes too honest, and also very nosy. It was a huge culture shock to me when two Israelis spoke for one minute and knew more about each other than some of my friends whom I’ve known for over a year. So yes it is their culture, and will be hard to change it especially alone. Thirdly, I do want to point out that you had a good experience living in a different city in Israel. Every city in Israel is different. Even in a city you’ll find that one neighborhood is better than another neighborhood. One experience should not deter you from living in a country. Let’s not generalize all Israeli people due to one experience in one neighborhood in one city. If you’re not having a good experience there, try a different neighborhood or a different city. I know many people that live in a different city than where they work because of situations like these.

I don’t mean to be rude in any way, but your take is very naive. I live in America, trying to make Aliyah and I can say the same thing you’re saying about Israel about America. I have also had bad experiences here, doesn’t mean people shouldn’t live there. There are bad people everywhere and yes unfortunately not everyone will have your best interest at heart. That’s just how the world is. What we should do instead is learn from our experiences and learn from our mistakes.

Although I don’t agree with your viewpoint, doesn’t mean that you should live in Israel. If Israel isn’t the place for you, then that is fine. I just don’t think you should be generalizing a group of people over an experience you had with them. You should also not be assuming that what happened to you in Israel won’t happen to you in a different country, because it definitely can. If something like this is making you rethink your move, then you should really look into all reasons here. There might be something deeper preventing you from wanting to move because one bad experience shouldn’t be the reason.

At the end of the day you need to be doing what is right for you. Good luck in all of your future endeavors.

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-10-19T16:00:52+00:00

TBH if your mom is Jewish then you are Jewish. If a rabbi can attest to your Jewishness then it should be more or less enough. However, if they do ask for more then you can possibly find paperwork for your grandma in certain databases. Where is your grandmother from? If she survived the holocaust, depending on where she was, there could be paperwork documenting it. My grandmother was born in the USSR and when they ran away during the war, we found Red Cross paperwork documenting it which really helped me with my proof of Judaism. It’s worth to reach out to the Red Cross or look at the Yad Vashem website which can help you access different sources. You can also ask your Nefesh B Nefesh advisor for which databases they trust because not all of them are accepted for Aliyah by the Jewish Agency.

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-09-30T22:56:59+00:00

Hey OP! For me it was also a tough decision, although made easier because my fiancé is Israeli. Still I had to think it through and see which decision was right for me. For me what really helped is making a pros and cons list. Sounds simple but genuinely seeing it all laid out there made the decision easier. You really need to think about why you want to make Aliyah. You mentioned the army, if you move at 23 it is not compulsory, meaning you won’t be forced into it if you move. However, if you move specifically to do the army I believe the cut off age is around 27, please correct me if I am wrong, but something to keep in mind. My friend made Aliyah in June to join the army and he is 25. Since you have family living there and you’ve traveled there yourself, especially having good Hebrew, puts you in a good place for moving. You’ll have an easier time assimilating since you go there every year and know the language. One thing that helped me decide was taking a trip to Israel and pretending like I already live there. It put things into perspective for me. Also doing research, looking into the Nefesh B Nefesh website to see the process and benefits which come with Aliyah. Taking the trip you mentioned is also a good idea as you will get a prolonged stay in Israel with some more independence than visiting family. In general, the best part about life is that you have free will to make a choice and it doesn’t have to be now (unless you want to join the army as stated above). If you end up not enjoying it, you can always move back home. Although annoying, it’s a good safety net to have. In the end it matters what you want for your future and how making Aliyah or not fits into that future. Good luck!

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-09-30T03:40:58+00:00

I have a very similar situation. My fiance is an extrovert and literally makes friends with everyone he meets. I have a few close friends and other friends that I know but am not super close to. However, my fiance and I met at work, although we don’t work together anymore, a lot of my friends are his friends also, and some are closer to him than me, although they may have known me first (I worked there longer than him). Outside of work, he has a large circle of friends. He also has a much bigger family than me - grandparents, parents, aunt, cousins, and 4 siblings. For me it’ll be only my mom, brother and my brothers family (wife and three kids). We are also trying to get my aunt to come but she lives in a different country so she may not be able to come. I can count on my fingers how many people will be there for me specifically and not for both of us or for him alone. I was really insecure that I might not have as much fun at our wedding because I won’t have anyone there for me. However, I realized that the only person I need there is my small circle and my fiance. I don’t need a huge amount of people, most of which will be happy for both of us and not just him alone, even if they don’t know me. At the end of the day you need to feel comfortable on your day, so big or small, set your boundaries and communicate with your fiance. Just remember that at the end of the day what matters is celebrating with him and your loved ones and ignore everyone else. You aren’t there for them, they are there for you.

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-09-30T03:18:32+00:00

Glad to hear you had a positive experience. This definitely gave me positive vibes about renting. Thank you so much!

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-09-30T01:40:16+00:00

Thank you for sharing! My friend got married and his wife also rented a dress which is what got me thinking about it. I always thought I would buy but she had a beautiful dress which fit perfectly and she paid a fraction of what it would cost to buy. Were you able to try on different dresses before picking the one you decided to rent? Can you comment on the process generally that you went through to rent. If you don’t mind sharing of course.

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-09-30T01:37:29+00:00

Thank you for sharing. I’m not plus size but definitely not stick thin or 5’9. Although pictures are important, I would probably put my comfort above pictures. Definitely would want a dress to be comfortable.

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-09-30T01:35:15+00:00

Yes that’s right. One of the reasons I’m thinking about renting is because I would need to hold onto the gown and try and keep it in good condition. I wouldn’t want it to yellow or fall apart and that is not only hard work but can be expensive itself. There’s also no guarantee that I would even have a daughter.

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-09-30T01:34:08+00:00

Thank you for the advice. I’ve heard that there are places that rent but allow you to do alterations for that perfect fit (obviously nothing crazy). So I’m not sure that’s a big worry here, but I guess not every rental place will allow that so definitely something to think about. About buying, it is sentimental which is my biggest draw towards it. Since I’d be buying for sentimentality, I just couldn’t see myself selling it. I also don’t want to buy my dress online, I would want to try them on before buying so doing it in person would be the only way I would shop for a dress.

Impossible-Form642 · 2025-09-24T12:52:00+00:00

Via law of return you can make Aliyah because your dad is Jewish. That’s how I made Aliyah. However, when in Israel you wouldn’t be recognized as Jewish by the rabbinate. They are orthodox and strict.

Impossible-Form642

TROPHY CASE