Shoham, for newcomers and locals
Places checked against their own sources, this week's Shabbat times and weather, what's on, and the practical answers newcomers ask for.
191 Checked places19 Neighbourhoods & villagesCandle lighting Friday 16:21
Photo: Sharshar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab) · Licence (opens in a new tab) · resized and converted to WebP
This week
This week in Shoham
ב׳ בְּכִסְלֵו תשפ״ז
Shabbat
Parashat Toldot
Friday 13 November
- Candle lighting
- 16:21
- Havdalah
- 17:19
Ben-Gurion Day
- Parsha:Parashat Toldot (opens in a new tab)
- Haftarah:Malachi 1:1-2:7 (opens in a new tab)
- Daf yomi:Bechorot 55 (opens in a new tab)
Readings from Hebcal (Israel schedule); texts open on Sefaria.
Chanukah is coming
Get ready for Chanukah
The first candle is lit at nightfall on Friday 4 December. 22 days to go.
On Friday, light before the Shabbat candles, with candles that will burn until half an hour after dark.
Light the chanukiah
Candles go in from right to left. You light from left to right, the newest candle first, with the shamash.
Spin the dreidel
- Your coins
- 10
- Pot
- 2
You start with 10 coins and 2 in the pot. In Israel the letters stand for נֵס גָּדוֹל הָיָה פֹּה, "a great miracle happened here".
Who are you?
Start where you are
Pick the page that fits you: the first steps, the right places in the directory and the people to ask.
Explore
Everything for life in Shoham
Local directory
Places checked against their own source
Every listing links to where its details came from and shows the date it was last checked. Filter by language spoken, kashrut and neighbourhood.
New in town
Your first weeks in Shoham, step by step
The paperwork, the health fund, the bank, the bus card and the arnona office, in the order that saves you trips. Your progress stays on your device.
- 1
Before you land
- Gather original documents
- Check your aliyah file is complete
- Compare the four health funds
- 2
First week
- Install Home Front Command and find your shelter
- Get a Rav-Kav or a payment app
- Open a bank account
- 3
First month
- Register for arnona at the municipality
- Sign up for ulpan
- Meet your absorption adviser
- 4
First three months
- Ask your employer about tax credit points
- Check your National Insurance status
- Decide on health fund supplementary cover
Guides
Practical guides, with the common questions answered
- 01Your first weeks in ShohamWhere to start in Shoham: the local council, school and gan registration, health funds, banks, the community centre and the shuls.
- 02Shoham and the villages around itThe town of Shoham, Airport City and the moshavim nearby: what each is like and how they fit together.
- 03Getting around Shoham: roads, trains and busesShoham sits beside Ben Gurion Airport: buses to Tel Aviv (about 33 min) and Jerusalem (about 57 min), the nearest trains at the airport and in Lod.
- 04Health care in ShohamHealth fund clinics in Shoham, the nearest hospitals and the emergency numbers.
- 05Schools in ShohamShoham's state, state-religious and democratic schools, the middle school, the high school and the ulpana, and how registration works.
- 06Shopping, shuls and things to do in ShohamForest parks and ancient tels on the doorstep, the primate sanctuary, the town's festivals and where to shop.
The place
A young town with old roots
- First residents move in
- 1993First residents move inSource (opens in a new tab)
- Residents (2024)
- 23,592Residents (2024)Source (opens in a new tab)
- Dunams of parks and gardens
- 400+Dunams of parks and gardensSource (opens in a new tab)
Safra Square and the culture centre in Shoham
Photo: Ori~, via Wikimedia Commons (attribution licence) (opens in a new tab) · Attribution (opens in a new tab) · resized and converted to WebP
Useful apps
The apps people here actually use
Organisations newcomers use
From our network
Good people I work with
A few organisations from the Consult With Ari network whose work reaches people in Shoham.
These are not paid listings, and they are separate from the checked directory.
Common questions
About this site
Run a business or a community here?
Get listed free, or get a website that works
I'm Ari, and I built this site. Listings here are always free and never paid placement. I also build websites for businesses, shuls and organisations. If you'd like one, book a free call or message me.