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Who wants to hang out?
Phone questions please:
How do I get a temporary cell phone? Do I get an Israeli SIM card? Will my cell still have internet access? Should I just email instead of taking phone calls?
Is there an inexpensive and reliable temporary phone plan, that doesn’t charge extra per outbound calls?
What do you do when you’re in Israel? What are my cell phone options?
Thanks 🙂
I’d love to! Please come visit me while you are here!
That’s so exciting! When are you coming? There are places in the US that rent phones for use in EY. I got a good deal in Lakewood, but since you’re not in Lakewood, that probably wouldn’t help you.
You can try TravelCell. I think they ship.
Have a great time!
LB – I was half-joking. I would really love to meet with you, but I don’t think the moderators let people be in touch with each other.
It could be dangerous since neither of us knows that the other is what she claims to be.
In theory, I would think there could be safe ways to do it. Like you could give me references and I could “check you out” (and vice versa) and we could make sure to meet in a safe public place.
But I still don’t think the moderators will let. If they do, I think I would be fine with it if it were done the way I just suggested.
LB: “Haha well here is a perfect example of a woman taking a joke literally :)”
Well, it was really only partially a joke. I really would love to meet with you if the moderators allow it!
Perhaps both of you could e-mail the mods a video of
yourselves to verify that you are as you say you are?
Can you please bring me a can of Old Bay? We’re almost out, and I use it all the time. Thanks.
As far as cell phones, you have several options:
1. You can rent a cell phone or SIM card at Ben Gurion airport. There’s a booth in the arrivals hall. If you choose to rent a SIM card, you MUST call your cell provider BEFORE you leave the U.S. to verify that your phone is unlocked!
2. You can stick with using your phone only when there’s WiFi. This option won’t let you make or receive calls, unless you have WhatsApp.
3. You can contact your cell provider in the U.S. and see if they have a reasonably priced international plan that includes calls and data.
If you’re here for 2 weeks, make sure you do things outside of Yerushalayim. Despite what most tourists think, there is life outside the Holy City!
If I am using my phone then isn’t it unlocked? Okay I will check to be sure.
A “locked” phone means you can only use the SIM card that’s in there now. If you try a different SIM card, it will not work. An “unlocked” phone means you can use any SIM card that fits.
Call your carrier, and ask them to unlock your phone, or how you can unlock it. Sometimes they can do it, other times you may need to download an app. It all depends on the carrier.
As far as the Old Bay – my wife just returned from the states, and she forgot to pick up more. I use it on everything – fish, chicken, vegetables, rice, tuna patties . . . Not having more will put a crimp in my cooking.
If am going this week Wednesday for a long weekend. My cellphone plan is on Verizon. They have a new travel plan that allows you to use your own phone number. My plan here in NY follows me to Israel. All local calls in Israel as well as all calls back to the US are free. My data allowance here follows me there. It costs $10 per 24 hours. Works in a large number of countries around the world for the same price. Obviously not worth it if your going on a long trip.
Based on my limited experience, your phone will probably not work in Israel because service will be coming from a different carrier. However, if you let your regular carrier know, you will also be subject to any fees for calls/texts long distance. If you are ok with Whatsapp only, then you probably wouldn’t need to do that,
Comlink – how would they know it’s really me?
Really, I don’t see why it’s different than a shidduch where you check the guy out first. In fact it’s even safer because we’re both girls.
If you have Verizon, you can use its Travel Pass. For $10 a day you use your phone exactly as you would at home, so no charges for calls, texts or email. For long trips it’s expensive but worth it if using it less than two weeks
If you have T-Mobile, you can use your cell phone in Israel. I think it’s pretty much free with maybe one or two exceptions.
Data and texting only
I seem to remember a meeting between two CRers being arraigned in the past… Joseph and the Wolf maybe? Anyways I think they just chose a time a public place (a restaurant, if I’m not mistaken) to meet without exchanging any personal info.
I saw something like that once when I was looking at past threads. Someone asked the moderators about it, and they said “don’t worry; it’s just a joke”. Truthfully, I was wondering how they could know that they wouldn’t really meet for real.
Well, we could try that, LB. But I wonder if that’s safe. The whole world would know when I would be where. And I really would have no way of knowing who LB is, because anyone in the world could pretend to be her.
“Data and texting only”
Isn’t that what phones are for?
I thought phones were for calling…
Kosher phones don’t even have texting or data. I actually have no idea what data is. Is that internet?
It was Yomtov time when the poster publicized going to the Kosel. I think it was Erev Y”K. There were so many people there then – I think my friend even mentioned that her son tried going that day and turned back because it was impossible to get there.
With the whole world there, it’s not really a safety risk. It’s like your telling me that you are going to EY today. There are probably less people on planes flying to EY today than there were at the Kosel that day.
Wow – people really get practical info from the CR! Amazing!
Lightbrite, just want to wish you a great Shabbos in Eretz Hakodesh! I don’t know if you will get this message before you’re mekabel Shabbos, but just in case you do –
Have an amazing Shabbos!
LB: “Confession please::: Sorry sorry sorry. I lied about my layover location. I wanted to protect my anonymity so I said another common layover city from the US to EY.”
Well, I guess it’s a good thing that Rebbetzin Joseph and I cancelled our tickets to London at the last minute…. 🙂
Gut Voch LB! How was Shabbos in Eretz HaKodesh?
lol. I guessed you’re not embarrassed to tell your mother about the CR 🙂
The other day when I was in the CR, I accidentally clicked on something that I didn’t want there and I couldn’t get rid of it, so I had to ask my mother for help. As soon as she figured out enough steps that all that was needed was to click on the “x” to make it go off, I was like, “it’s fine, I’ll do the rest, you can leave”.
I was super-embarrassed for her to log off of the other site and see the CR underneath.
lightbrite:
First of all, shavua tov and Chanukah samayach!
Takahmamash +100
I’m freezing in bed with my Ema and she just asked how it came to be that I finally got Whatsapp.
So I just showed her the CR and read her your post.
Thank you thank you 🙂
My pleasure! I’m very happy it worked out for you!
I seriously felt guilty about not bringing Old Bay.
No need to feel guilty. As it turns out, my wife DID remember to buy the Old Bay – evidently, one of the girls was putting stuff away, and put the new Old Bay in the back of the spice cabinet where it was hidden from sight. It’s a good thing we found it, because the old can is just about finished!
When do we get to hear more about your trip? What did you do that was exciting?
Takamamash: I’m still waiting for your response to this. You disagreed with my limud zchus on the settlers, so what is yours?
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