Your first week in Efrat & Gush Etzion

The first thing to know is that there are two different councils here. Efrat is its own local council. Alon Shvut, Neve Daniel, Elazar, Kfar Etzion, Rosh Tzurim, Bat Ayin, Migdal Oz, Tekoa and the other yishuvim belong to the Gush Etzion Regional Council. The two cooperate, but you register, pay arnona and ask for help at the one where you live (regional council (opens in a new tab)). Everything below links to where I checked it.

Call the absorption department before anything else

In Efrat, the council's Aliyah and Absorption Department is on 02-9939390 (emails molim@ and olimts@efrat.muni.il) (council phone book (opens in a new tab)). The education department asks olim and returning residents to contact it before registering children for gan or school (council (opens in a new tab)). See the listing.

In the Gush yishuvim, the regional council's olim team helps you choose a community and housing, register children for school, and later with jobs, paperwork, trips and workshops. Phone 02-9959409 (council English page (opens in a new tab)). NBN also lists an Anglo olim coordinator for the Gush (NBN Gush Etzion guide (opens in a new tab)). See the listing.

NBN keeps a list of volunteer English-speaking contacts for Efrat's neighbourhoods and for Alon Shvut, Elazar, Neve Daniel and Tekoa, which is a good way to get a real local on the phone (NBN contacts (opens in a new tab)).

The hotlines

• Efrat: 106 (direct 02-9939343), staffed daily 08:30-15:30. On Fridays, holiday eves and after hours, calls go to the council's security centre (council (opens in a new tab)).
• Gush Etzion Regional Council: 106 from inside the council area, or 077-6004006, or WhatsApp 058-6330177, 24 hours a day (council (opens in a new tab)).
• Download the Efrat app (search "אפרת"): it sends council messages by topic, lists events and takes hazard reports (council (opens in a new tab)).

Arnona and water

In Efrat, arnona is charged per calendar year to whoever holds the property, and the rate depends on how the property is used. Tell the collections department (02-9939326) when you move in (council (opens in a new tab)). Discounts include ones for active reservists, an income test and an empty property, each with its own form (council (opens in a new tab)).

The council also bills water. From 1 February 2026 the reduced tariff is NIS 4.54 per m³ for up to 7 m³ per person, and the higher tariff is NIS 11.65. The reduced allowance follows the number of people registered at the property, so tell the council if that number is wrong (council (opens in a new tab)).

Hebrew

For Gush residents, the regional council lists a local voucher ulpan that meets 2-3 times a week in groups of 4-10 (with a Zoom option); Misrad HaKlita fully reimburses olim within 10 years of aliyah who attend at least 80% of classes. The council also runs subsidised weekly conversational Hebrew open to all residents. The free intensive public ulpan for olim in their first 18 months is in Jerusalem (council (opens in a new tab)).

For Efrat, NBN says there is no local Misrad HaKlita ulpan and you should ask the council's absorption department about current options, although the Ministry of Education still lists an "Ulpan Efrat" as active (NBN Efrat guide (opens in a new tab)). I'd ask the department directly.

Bituach Leumi

There is a National Insurance service point in the Efrat council building (1 Netzer Yishai St), open Sunday and Thursday 09:00-11:00 on 02-9939306. It helps with forms and certificates but does not take payments (council (opens in a new tab)).

Numbers to save on day one

From the regional council's essential-phones page (council (opens in a new tab)): MDA 101, police 100 (Gush Etzion station 02-9939444), fire 102, Home Front Command 1207, the Gush security centre 1208. Efrat's council security centre is on *5436 (council (opens in a new tab)).

The Efrat council asks residents to keep an emergency kit and to know their protected space and how long they have to reach it; it publishes an English preparedness leaflet (council (opens in a new tab)).