Repressed No More

That's right ladies and gentlemen, I have rights, and as of yesterday I have formally exercised them. I am of course referring to my rights and benefits package as a returning minor to the State of Israel. The rights of a returning minor are basically the same as a new immigrant to the state, including money to help with the first year, tax breaks on vehicles, tax back on appliances and so forth. As a returning minor I am aloud to stay in the country for four months a year before the clock on my benefits starts ticking. After five years said clock stops ticking and your benefits disappear. Only one thing stops the clock - being in the army. The Garin is designed so that everyone enters the army in some way shape or form within the first three months, so that if desired, a returning minor's (which many people in the program are) benefits are preserved. After these people end the army they have a month left to decide whether to stay in the country and use their benefits, or leave the country and save them for another occasion. I had originally planned to save my rights (and decide after the army) but recently changed my mind. Pursuant to that decision I visited the office of absorption and requested that my benefits begin at once. My logic was that the startup money is much more valuable to me now (as I have very little money), and if I end up staying in Israel after the army I should still have a nice window of opportunity to use my rights. On the flip side, if I return to America after the army, the most likely time that I would return to Israel (and use my rights) would be shortly after I was married. In that case I would receive benefits from my wife's immigration. Boo Yeah.