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 (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)). 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 (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)). 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 (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)). 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 (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)).

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 (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)). 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 (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)).

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 (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)). You can pay in advance, online, or by standing order; the yearly due date is 16 January (payment options (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)). 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 (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)), and NBN lists the city coordinator as its Anglo oleh contact (NBN (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)). See the listing.

The department lists these municipal benefits for olim (absorption department (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)):

• 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 (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)). 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 (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)). 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 (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)). Listing.
• Bituach Leumi: 39 Weizmann St, Sun, Tue and Thu 08:30-13:00 by appointment only; phone *6050 (Bituach Leumi (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)). Listing.
• Population Authority (Interior Ministry): 140 Weizmann St (directory listing) (d.co.il (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)). 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 (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)).
• 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 (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)).
• ERAN runs a free, anonymous support line for olim in English, French, Russian, Spanish and Amharic: *3201, Sun-Thu 14:00-21:00 (ERAN (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)).
• For furniture and books, ESRA's Picki charity shop is at 45 Rothschild St (ESRA (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)).

What I could not confirm

I could not find an AACI office in the Sharon: AACI lists Jerusalem and Netanya (AACI (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)), 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.