Communication
Mobile Phones
TAU International requires all international students to carry an active and working mobile telephone with an Israeli number so that our staff can contact them at any time in case of emergency. Students receive information on mobile phone options in their Pre-Departure Handbook and also at the mandatory Welcome Orientation. During arrival period, students will be asked to complete a Google form requesting students Israeli mobile phone numbers and the most accessible and current email address for a student. At any given time throughout a semester, TAU International may conduct a “test drill” to ensure that all students have working phones and are prepared to be in touch in case of actual emergency.
While more details can be found in the Pre-Departure Handbook, in brief there are several service providers for mobile phones, such as: Cellcom, Orange, Pelephone, Hot Mobile, Golan Telecom, etc. This is a very competitive market and it is recommended to check several companies for service plans. Please note that Israeli law forbids signing long-term commitments with communication service providers. Tel Aviv University has arranged for all international students to receive a rent-free cell phone through IsraelPhones. To sign up for your phone or for a complete list of benefits, go to http://www.israelphones.com/tau.htm. Please note that if you choose to do this, you will be charged a fully refundable $175 deposit to ensure that your mobile phone is returned. For a complete list of benefits for students, please refer to the above webpage.
Once students have a mobile phone in Israel, they will quickly realize that the most popular way of communicating in Israel is via What’sApp. This is also an excellent and free way to communication with friends and family outside of Israel.
Post Office
There is a post office located just outside the main gate of the University on Levanon Street, across from the main entrance to the University. There are many services and products offered, including postage stamps, phone cards, fax services, money exchange (with better rates than at the bank), and money orders via Western Union. You can even buy a credit card and pay most of your bills there.
For more information about Israel's Postal Services go to: http://www.israelpost.co.il/
You should allow at least 10-14 days for a letter mailed from Tel Aviv via standard international mail to be delivered in the U.S. Delivery to other points in the United States may take longer. For reduced delivery time, mail may be sent by Special Delivery Air Mail from the United States or by Express Mail from Israel at an additional charge. Packages may be sent by air or surface mail, the latter taking up to several months for delivery. Please note that packages sent by mail may be subject to very high duty/customs charges and may be held up by customs in transit. For this reason, we don’t recommend shipping anything to/from Israel that is time sensitive such as medication.
For students living in the dormitories, mail should not be sent to the dormitories directly; all mail and packages should be sent to the Tel Aviv University International Office. If you receive mail, it will be placed in the office mail slots which are divided by first letter of your last name. You can collect yoru mail and packages from the office Sundays through Thursdays, from 9:00am-3:00pm only.
Mail and packages should be addressed (in very clear writing, in English or Hebrew) to:
Your Name
c/o Tel Aviv University International
Tel Aviv University
Carter Building, Room 108
Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 6997801
ISRAEL