Living in Israel While at Shapell’s

Passports & Visas

All foreign students are required to hold a valid foreign passport and a student visa (not a tourist visa); and all students who are Israeli citizens are required to hold a valid Israeli identification card (teudat zehut or teudat oleh).

On arrival in Israel, you will automatically receive a three month tourist visa. Once you are here, we will help you get a student visa through the Ministry of the Interior (Misrad Hapnim) in Jerusalem.

NEW ENTRY VISA INFORMATION

Please note that the border control has recently changed their procedure for admitting people into the country.

Where as it once was the practice to stamp a passport with a tourist visa, the new practice is to distribute a personalized card with your photo.

You are required to keep this card for the entire duration of your stay in Israel. Please store it in a secure location. This card is the actual visa that you are being issued and misplacing it could have serious consequences. This card is also an essential document which will allow you to gain a student visa and study here beyond the 3 month period you are initially granted as a tourist.

Below is an example of the card you will be issued.

Health Insurance

All students are required to have medical insurance coverage while studying at Yeshivat Darche Noam/David Shapell College. Comprehensive medical insurance from abroad satisfies this requirement, but under such policies students must pay directly for all services before being reimbursed. Shapell’s/Darche Noam is enrolled in a private health insurance plan, Harel, especially devised for students, at a current cost of $1.20 per day. The minimum insurance term is 3 months. The comprehensive plan covers visits to doctors, both general and specialists registered with Harel, hospitalization, x-rays, laboratory tests, medication (up to $200 a year), emergency dental treatment (up to $200 a year) and emergency-room treatment (except for road accidents). All the above services are included in the plan. The plan does not cover preexisting health conditions. For the wives of married students, it does not cover pregnancy or childbirth.

Shabbat Hospitality

Every “out Shabbat” the Yeshiva places students, who have not made their own arrangements, with faculty, alumni, neighbors, and friends for Shabbat meals. In this way, students share a wide variety of experiences with families of many different backgrounds.

Counseling

Several members of the Yeshivat Darche Noam/David Shapell College faculty are trained counselors and available to our students.

Student Handbook

Shapell’s/Darche Noam distributes a student handbook filled with practical information about life in Israel.