Volume 8, Issue 4 / Adar II  5765 / April 2005

Out of the Box

Mauro looked for a formal framework that would help him enter the job market and ease his entry into Israeli society.

With a degree in mechanical engineering from the prestigious Unviersidad Simon Bolivar in Caracas, Venezuela and years of experience working at a government institution, Mauro Singer had excellent credentials. And with excellent Hebrew acquired years ago through the Jewish Agency's Kibbutz Ulpan program in Israel, a strong Jewish literacy attained through years of study in Jewish schools, and an ongoing interest in Israel, he seemed the ideal candidate for aliyah.

"I wanted to come to Israel, but I was aware that the economic situation isn't great," says 34 year-old Mauro. "I knew I had to find a solution that was out of the box."

The Jewish Agency's Internship Program provided him with that solution, a program which enables young adults from throughout the world to obtain professional experience in Israel by serving as volunteer trainees in their fields.

"I knew I needed a formal framework that would help me enter the job market and ease my entry into Israeli society," says Mauro.

After conducting extensive research on the Internet, he compiled a list of companies he was interesting in working for. He then contacted the representative of the Internship Program in Jerusalem, who began the process of seeking out work for him. "It was very difficult," he says "because I wanted something very specific. I had always been very interested in aeronautics. The problem is that these companies deal with military matters. Therefore it's very difficult for a tourist to get a job there."

She eventually located a medium-sized company in Rosh Haayin that dealt with a mass production of parts for vehicles that accepted Mauro as an intern. He arrived in Israel in November 2003. "What I wanted to do was to work hard and learn," he says. "They gave me a desk and chair and computer and I began to learn the program." Three months later, the company offered him a permanent job there. He changed his status to that of new immigrant.

For the immediate period after his arrival, Mauro lived at the Jewish Agency's absorption center in Kfar Saba, the city that he decided to make his permanent residence.

He is cognizant of his good fortune in doing precisely what he wants. "I'm one of the lucky ones who's working in his field," he says.

One of the things he enjoys most about Israel, compared to Venezuela, is the great feeling of security. "I can go wherever I want and come back late at night and I never have to look over my shoulder. If you don't watch TV or listen to the radio you would never know there are any security problems."

Written by: Shifra Paikin
Photo by: Shimmi Nachtailer

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