well, if you have family or friends living in israel or coming to israel while ur there (even before that) you can have them bring stuff up also. i had that done a couple of times when i was in sem. also depends on how much time before sem starts are you gonna be there? if you have a couple of days, go around with ur new friends to get binders/paper/notebooks/pens…(their paper only fits “israeli” binders, so probably better off getting that stuff there, rather then bringing tons of paper from here). whatever you decide here’s a list (i’m sure there’s much more, but here’s what i can think of on the spot):
— clothing(everyday [which ends up being uniform most of the time, but forget the times you wont be in school, or u’ll want to change after classes], shabbos, tiyulim. tiyulim=tshirts/polo shirts, junky skirt, sneakers, water shoes)
— shoes for every day and shabbos
— RAINBOOTS!!! (def came in handy when i was in sem!)
— winter coat/jacket (i had mine sent up when it started getting colder)
— makeup (and any creams/lotions you put on ur face), deodorant, hair iron, blow dryer,brushes, combes and whatever you put in ur hair
— static guard
— bath towels/bath robe, wash cloths, hand towels
— any contact lens care items you may need, or glasses and a few cloths to clean them with
— bug spray (tiyulim can get a little sweaty and attract many unwanted guests…)
— siddur/tehillim/aneini/machzorim you can get there without question, but if you have ones you specifically like from home, bring them. just know they weigh a lot.
— bed spreads (i borrowed from my aunt and uncle for the year, so i didn’t have to bring it up. that included two sheets, a blanket, two or three pillow cases, and the pillow)
— smallish bag for tiyulim/camel backpack (if you choose to bring a small bag, make sure its big enough to hold anything you may need, meaning a change of clothes, towels, water shoes, water bottles, flashlight if tiyul is at night,tissues, camera, siddur in case you need to daven), and know that if you bring a camel backpack, it doesn’t hold that much (it holds one really huge water bottle and is not as much of a shlep to bring everywhere, cuz it stays on ur back) so u’ll need another smaller bag for clothes and other stuff. my friend had a camel back pack and it was so amazing for her!
— a bag to take with you when you go out for shabbos (someone gave me one as a gift when i graduated, and i am telling you, i used it EVERY SINGLE WEEK! it really came in handy, it fit exactly what i needed, shabbos clothes (including tights, shoes), blow dryer/hair iron in case you don’t do ur hair b4, makeup, siddur…
–jewelry (not anything you will be upset about losing. when i was in sem i lost my ring with my name on it (a kosel ring, how ironic!) and i’m quite upset about that…
— stationary (you could also get there)
— any medicines if you need, or any medical item (epipen, inhaler, whatever…)
— toothbrush, toothpaste (you can get there, but again, if you like a specific kind…)
— shampoo and shower soap/gel (you can get there, but if you like a specific kind… just know thats a lot of weight)
— a journal (some ppl think its stupid, but don’t let that get to you. i wrote one, and i LOVE looking back at it. it does two things, reminds me of everywhere we went, everything i did which brings back such great memories. and i look back and see how much i grew since then. i also kept in there notes that friends wrote to me throughout that year.
— camera
— an address book (so you can write down addresses and numbers of ppl you can go to for meals) obviously get the list and write them in BEFORE you leave to sem…and numbers/addresses of ppl from home that you wanna kit with
— sunblock (you can get there)
— flashlight (i mentioned it, but i didn’t put it down as an item yet)
like i said, i’m sure i’m missing things, but i’ll try to think of more. where are you going to sem? maybe i know some girls going there…