Your first week in Kfar Saba: what to do, in what order

Kfar Saba has no single Anglo or French neighbourhood. Nefesh B'Nefesh says olim live all over the city (NBN (opens in a new tab)). So most of what helps in week one is municipal: the hotline, the arnona office and the absorption department. Here is the order I would do things in. Every point links to where I checked it.

Save the 106 hotline first

The municipal hotline 106 answers 24 hours a day, 364 days a year. From a mobile or from outside the city, dial 09-7649106; it also takes WhatsApp messages (municipality (opens in a new tab)). Use it for anything municipal, from a broken streetlight to finding the duty pharmacy. See the listing.

City hall is at 135 Weizmann St, and the general municipal line is *6890 (municipality (opens in a new tab)). In a medical emergency, dial 101 for Magen David Adom.

Register for arnona and claim the olim discount

The municipality's new-residents page lists the first steps: register as the property holder for arnona, arrange the water company approvals and change the water payer number, and sort out parking permits (new residents (opens in a new tab)).

New olim get up to a 90% arnona discount on up to 100 sq m, for 12 months within the 24 months after registering as an oleh. You must be the registered property holder (tenants count) and submit a signed request (olim discount (opens in a new tab)). Only one discount applies per person, for one property, and discounts are renewed at the start of each financial year. If you moved from another city, bring proof that your discount there has ended (discounts (opens in a new tab)).

The revenue (arnona) division is at 137 Weizmann St, building 4. Walk-in service needs a booked appointment, Sun-Thu 08:00-12:00 plus Tuesday 15:30-18:00; the phone line runs Sun-Thu 08:00-22:00 and Friday 08:00-12:30 (revenue division (opens in a new tab)). You can pay in advance, online, or by standing order; the yearly due date is 16 January (payment options (opens in a new tab)). See the listing.

Meet the absorption department

The municipal absorption (klita) department is at 33 Jerusalem St, tel. 09-7640839. Its page says French aliyah is accompanied by a French-speaking coordinator (absorption department (opens in a new tab)), and NBN lists the city coordinator as its Anglo oleh contact (NBN (opens in a new tab)). See the listing.

The department lists these municipal benefits for olim (absorption department (opens in a new tab)):

• free municipal sports classes for children and youth in year one, and 50% off in year two;
• free municipal sports classes for adults in year one;
• 50% off municipal enrichment classes in schools for two years;
• the volunteer programme "Haver LaDerech" for olim who have finished ulpan but want more Hebrew practice (it depends on volunteer numbers).

The city also has an olim services booklet in English and in French, though both are 2017 editions.

Ulpan: check before you plan around it

NBN says a five-month Ulpan Alef for beginners runs in Kfar Saba, depending on the number of registrants (NBN (opens in a new tab)). The municipal ulpan at the Adult Education Centre (4 Geller St, 09-7640700) offered continuation classes as of January 2025, but its live page returned an error when I checked on 5 October 2026 (archived page (opens in a new tab)). So phone the absorption department or the Ministry of Aliyah to confirm where Ulpan Alef is running this year. See the listing.

Government offices in town

• Ministry of Aliyah and Integration: 23 HaTa'as St (from a secondary directory, so confirm before you go) (govhours (opens in a new tab)). Listing.
• Bituach Leumi: 39 Weizmann St, Sun, Tue and Thu 08:30-13:00 by appointment only; phone *6050 (Bituach Leumi (opens in a new tab)). Listing.
• Population Authority (Interior Ministry): 140 Weizmann St (directory listing) (d.co.il (opens in a new tab)). Listing.

Free help and a free tour

• SHIL, the citizens' advice service at 19 Ben Gurion St, gives free advice by appointment on contracts, labour law, Bituach Leumi and neighbour disputes, tel. 09-7669393 (municipality (opens in a new tab)).
• The municipality runs a free walking tour of the city centre for new residents, including the Well Museum and food tastings; book through the Diverse Communities department, 09-7640801 (municipality (opens in a new tab)).
• ERAN runs a free, anonymous support line for olim in English, French, Russian, Spanish and Amharic: *3201, Sun-Thu 14:00-21:00 (ERAN (opens in a new tab)).
• For furniture and books, ESRA's Picki charity shop is at 45 Rothschild St (ESRA (opens in a new tab)).

What I could not confirm

I could not find an AACI office in the Sharon: AACI lists Jerusalem and Netanya (AACI (opens in a new tab)), and Telfed's office is in neighbouring Ra'anana. If you know of a local English or French olim group that meets in Kfar Saba, please tell me with the email button so I can add it.