MIT Israel
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Cellphone
If you want to use a cellphone in Israel, you'll need to get a plan with an Israeli cell network of some sort. There are several popular Israeli cellphone companies:
The Israeli networks work with SIM cards. You may choose to simply buy a cheap phone in Israel; however, if you already have a phone that takes SIM cards, you should be able to use it with an Israeli SIM.
NOTE: For most cellphone plans, you MUST obtain an "unlock code" from your American service provider to allow you to use the phone on an alternate network.
You should do this at least two weeks in advance - some companies take a week to get back to you, and you should allow some time for technical issues. If you arrive in Israel with a still-locked phone, it will probably not even turn on properly with an Israeli SIM card inserted until you've properly entered the code. You should also make sure to get reliable instructions on how to use the code; if you enter it incorrectly too many times (usually about 5), your phone will be permanently locked and you will not be able to (legally) unlock it for use on non-American networks.
You have a few options for cell phone arrangements:
- Purchase a prepaid SIM
- If you go this route, you'll receive a SIM card with a specified number of minutes on it. Whenever you run out, you'll have to replenish your supply. Even some small side-of-the-road stores provide the service of adding minutes for many of the major networks. This option typically costs more per minute, but there is usually no fee beyond the price of the minutes themselves. Often better if you don't expect to use too many minutes.
- Purchase a full-fledged monthly plan.
- This option allows you to be free of the worry of running down your minutes. It is usually accompanied by some sort of monthly fee for the plan, in addition to a per-minute fee; typically, though, the per-minute fee is much less when you're on a plan instead of using prepaid. You'll of course have to cancel the plan when you leave Israel.
The major cellphone networks have stores in the airport where you should be able to purchase either of these sorts of SIM cards upon arrival, and probably phones as well if you do not have a SIM-compatible phone.
It is also worth noting that incoming calls and texts are free on all Israeli phone plans (just like land line phones in the US but unlike American cell phones).
A good resource for international calls (which is sometimes even cheaper for calls within Israel, if you're near a computer) is JAJAH.
Getting Settled
- IMPORTANT - FOOD: Many stores and restaurants/cafeterias, especially on campuses, are closed from Friday afternoon till Saturday night. If you're arriving immediately before a weekend, make sure to get food for all of Saturday before Friday ~2pm, just in case you can't find a place that's open on Saturday within walking distance.
- You will need to go to the supermarket in the first few days if you don't plan on buying your food every day for the whole summer. Also, you might need pots, utensils, pillows and sheets, depending on your apartment/dorm.
- Buying a fan is a pretty good investment if your place of accommodation doesn't have air conditioning. Prices range from 30 to 100 NIS (Summer 2008 prices).
- It will not rain in Israel during the summer, so don't bring an umbrella or raincoat. Really.
- Good luck finding liquid detergent. (Israeli washing machines are happy with the commonly found powder.)
Daily Life
Many cities have general 'Anglo' forums for English speakers in the area. These forums are for housing, classifieds, favors, advice, etc. Think Craig's List (which is not very active in Israel). The most popular ones are for Jerusalem the(http://www.janglo.net) and Tel Aviv (http://www.janglo.net/index.php/taanglo/), but forums also exist for Haifa (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hanglo/), Beersheva/Negev (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/banglo/), Modiin (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/manglo/), and more. There are also some forums for specific issues like travel, politics, etc.; see the above sites for details.
Important phone numbers
Police: 100
Ambulance (Magen David Adom): 101
Firefighting: 102
Travel in Israel
Note: You must check with the MISTI program to see what form of transportation you are allowed to take in Israel
You can travel between cities on what are called "sherut"'s, or van services. Sheruts do not run on strict schedules, but rather leave when they fill up. They pick up from several points in the city. (In Jerusalem, for example, you can catch a sherut to Tel Aviv in the center of town across from Kikar Tzion, or Zion Square. Sheruts between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem leave regularly, every 15 minutes or so during busy hours.)
Travel Outside of Israel
A number of interesting countries border Israel that are definitely worth a visit if you have the time, money, and proper planning. The travel distances are often short, although travel times can be quite long due to border crossings and the need to take multiple forms of transportation. Plan ahead and these trips can be amazing. Fail to plan properly and you will quickly discover the true meaning of frustration. Most importantly, do not do these trips alone. Traveling in groups significantly helps with costs, safety, and planning, and it's more fun anyway. A quick breakdown by country:
Jordan: Jordan provides some of the best, close options for travel from Israel. There is enough to do in the country that you can spend weeks there, but even a long weekend trip can allow you to see Petra, Wadi Rum, and/or Amman with proper planning. All of the big tourist areas will have adequate information, reviews, and reservation information on the internet. The main thing you need to do is plan how you will cross into the country. Short of flying (which is possible), the easiest and most common way is to use one of the three land crossings. The northernmost (Sheikh Hussein) and southernmost (Eilat-Aqaba) crossings are the ones you should focus on, as the central one (Allenby/King Hussein, not to be confused with Sheikh Hussein to the north) is mainly for Palestinians and requires that you have a visa before you arrive. DO NOT show up to Allenby without a Jordanian visa; you cannot get one there and there is no easy transportation from there to the other crossing points. Instead, decide whether you want to enter Jordan from the north or south based on where you are coming from in Israel (and to a lesser extent where you want to go in Jordan). Regardless, Jordan is a small country and you can get from Amman to Aqaba in ~4 hours on the highway. Plan to get to the crossing point in the morning, as you may well have to wait for hours to get through, and the points close in the evening. The nice part about avoiding Allenby is that your chances of a long wait are minimal. Once in Jordan, you can bargain with a service or regular taxi to take you to your destination. Make sure to bargain hard and ask others for going rates if you can, as Jordanian taxi drivers rarely work on a meter and will generally try to take as much money from you as they can.
Egypt: Egypt is an amazing place, but it is a bit more of a hike than Jordan, unless you are just going to Sinai. If you want to go to Cairo or anywhere else other than Sinai, you should probably look into flights between Tel Aviv and Cairo. El Al runs three flights a week only, so make sure you plan ahead. Egypt Air runs flights through a front company called Air Sinai (even with the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty there are still some political issues) whose tickets are hard to find/buy. If you're going to fly, sticking with El Al is a good way to go. You can find their tickets on their website.
Lebanon and Syria: Israel does not have a peace treaty with these countries and the border regions are not safe. You cannot travel to these countries with an Israeli visa in your passport nor is the border between them and Israel even open for you to try. So, set your sights elsewhere.
Beer Sheva
The city is not very big, but there are still some sights to see and many places to eat.
Housing
The BGU dorms are divided into air-conditioned suites of 3-4 rooms with a common open area and kitchen. They are very close to the University (across the street). MISTI students have probably so far only stayed in the dorms. However, rent in Be'er Sheva is very inexpensive and you can save some money by renting a room in a house or apartment. Most students live at their parents home for the summer and are more than happy to rent out their room while they are away. The walk to the University will be farther than from the dorms.
Maps
Map of the university: [1]
Google map of Beer Sheva, centered on the university and the dorms: [2]
Where to find a plug adapter for your laptop
Your laptop charger's transformer probably has an input of 100-240V. If so, the wall's Voltage is fine so you don't need to buy another transformer for it; all you need is a plug adapter. You will not find this simple device in any of the obvious places. Don't try any of the mall's or the BIG's electronic/hardware stores (Though the one at the BIG has transformers if you need that- significantly more expensive than an adapter). Go to old Be'er Sheva- where the shook is. Ask people, "ayfo ha-yarok falafel?" For some reason, everyone knows where this place is and orients themselves towards the electric shops via this landmark. The street that 'the green falafel' falafel bar is on houses two electric shops, both of which will sell you an adapter for like 2 shekels. One of the stores might be called אלוף הרכיבים בעיימ. Tel:08-6651163 ... or if this helps: רחיי טרומפלדור 49
Sights
Most guide books list Abraham's Well, the Bedouin Market and the Old City as places to see. There is also a large Muslim cemetery near the Central Bus Station which is frequently mentioned. For people who don't wish to go to cemeteries, the Bedouin Market is open on Thursdays in the Old City, and features local craft, music and dancing. It's not one of the cheapest places to get souvenirs, but there are items there that aren't featured in your typical souvenir store. Abraham's Well is on the corner of Dereck Hevron and Keren Kayemet LeYisrael Street. There are also a few museums. The Air Force Museum is 5 minutes away from the city. Within the city are the Negev Museum and the Joe Alon Bedouin Museum.
Transportation
The sheruts leave from outside the Central Bus Station. Usually, you get in and wait for the sherut to fill up with passengers before the driver leaves. This may take some time, so you may want to leave about an hour for waiting. As of the time of writing, a sherut to Tel Aviv costs 28 NIS. To get to the Central Bus Station, you can walk (30-40 minutes) or take a taxi. Currently the only MISTI allowed forms of transportation are taxis and sheruts.
Food
There are many restaurants on campus which are very reasonably priced. You can get a big sandwich from Lemongrass, for example, for as little as 5 NIS. There is a variety of food available, with sandwich shops, salad bars, grill places and Asian food places. Off campus, there is a very good Indian restaurant near the University (see map below). There are also several restaurants in and near the 'Kenyon HaNegev' (Negev Mall) which is a pretty big mall next to the Central Bus Station. To get to this mall, you can walk down Rager Ave. for about 35 minutes or take a taxi. Basically, any method of getting to the Central Bus Station will get you to the Negev Mall. Also, there are a couple big supermarkets which are about 20 minutes' walk from the dorms. Meonot Gimmel (the dorm) has its own mini-La Verde's which is more expensive, but very convenient. Many students like to hang out and eat in the conglomeration of restaurant/pub establishments next to the dorms.
Jerusalem
The University
Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem: Mt. Scopus (Har Ha'tzofim), Givat Ram, and Hadassah Ein Karem. Mt. Scopus is located on the border between East and West Jerusalem and is considered the humanities campus. Givat Ram, which houses the engineering and sciences is located near the Knesset and is about a 30-40 minute walk to downtown. Hadassah is the medical campus and located above the village of Ein Karem which is about a 20 minute drive out of the city.
Housing
Unless you are actually working on Mt. Scopus, I recommend living in the dorms in Givat Ram. The dorms that you want to live in are called the Lieberman Dorms. It is a graduate dorm and the most modern dorm on campus. All the rooms are efficiency singles meaning that they have a bed, kitchenette, and bathroom in the room. You will have to buy or bring your own linens, pillow, and kitchen supplies. Don't expect anything to be provided for you.
If you do stay at Mt. Scopus you will be housed in the Student Village(Kfar Hastudentim). It is located in the French Hill neighborhood adjacent to the university and is a little over a half mile from the entrance to the university. Rooms are apartments with 5 singles and and shared kitchenette and bathroom. You will have to buy or bring your own linens, pillow, and kitchen supplies. Rent is $600/month.Additionally there is a $255 program fee charged by the Rothberg International School.
For those willing to put in a little more planning, living off campus can be a great option. The Hebrew University dorms are actually relatively expensive for what you get, and the location isn't ideal unless you need to be on campus every day for class/work. You can find great places for less that are closer to the Old City and/or more happening areas if you do a little prep work. Nice areas to look include Mamila, the German Colony, Rehavia, Baka, Ben Yehuda, and Yemin Moshe. Good places to start a search for available apartments are 1) craigslist 2) the yahoo group flathunting.com 3) friends and acquaintances who lived/are living in Israel who may have leads 4) the universities, which will often provide you with a list of regular off-campus housing options that they trust. When planning to rent a place, make sure to ask about the key terms of the lease (cost, length of time, etc.) as well as the basics about heat (you'll need it in November-January), Arnona tax, method of payment, etc. If this all seems daunting to you, consider going with the dorm option. However, if you do your homework renting on your own can be great.
Security
Security at all the Hebrew University campuses is very strict. To enter the campus after hours, you need to show proof that you are affiliated with the university. A simple security bag check does not suffice. Since you are not actually a registered student, it is difficult to obtain a student ID card (if MISTI can arrange this, it would be very helpful). Otherwise, you will need a signed document from the security office basically stating that you are working/living on the campus.
NOTE: As of 2009 MISTI made an arrangement with the Rothberg International School to issue student IDs.
Living Logistics
The Givat Ram campus is long and relatively narrow. To walk from one end (the dorms) to the main gate it is at least a 15 minute walk. The Scopus Student Village(Kfar HaStudentim) is about a 15 minute walk from the main campus and about 10 minutes from there to the International School.
- Food: In Givat Ram there is a minimart a couple minute walk from the dorm. Although it is overpriced, it is definitely convenient. Another option for grocery shopping is a super market that is a 15-20 minute walk downhill and off campus from the side gate; however, be careful to check the hours of the side campus gate to make sure it will be open on your walk back.
- Laundry: Laundry facilities are located in another dorm near Lieberman (it will be best just to ask someone to show you where they are). You will first need to obtain a laundry card and then add coins to it at the card machine located in the dorm office building.
- Internet: Lieberman has a wired connection, however in order to access it you will need your lab to help set up a computer account. There is also wireless access in select spots around campus. Again, it is not an open network and you will need authorization to access it.
- Internet in the Scopus Student Village requires a modem which costs about 150NIS a month. If you are lucky your roomates will have one and you can chip in with them. There is wireless access available on Campus in the international school.
Around Jerusalem
Jerusalem is the largest city in Israel, and is deceivingly spread out. Unlike Tel Aviv, most of Jerusalem does shut down starting Friday afternoon and into Saturday, meaning if you did not either leave the city by Friday afternoon or stock up on groceries, you may be in a bit of a bind.
Transportation
- Intracity Travel: There is generally a taxi or two parked outside the front gate of Givat Ram. You will not necessarily be able to call a taxi to pick up at the dorm. Around the city you can generally flag down taxis anywhere. I recommended first asking around for general prices of taxis rides instead of just putting it on the meter. If you put it on the meter, you do run the risk of having the taxi driver take a more roundabout route. Jerusalem has a vast network of public buses including some that enter the Givat Ram campus, however at this time MISTI does not allow such forms of transportation.
- My experience has been that it's hard to actually haggle taxi drivers down below what the meter would actually cost you. Also, without the meter, there are possible ethical questions relating to the fact that the ride is not registered by the taxi driver formally in the taxi service. I tend to recommend just putting it on the meter for the most part - you won't find yourself way overcharged in any way. ----Benjamin Epstein 17:10, 31 May 2009 (EDT)
- Intercity Travel: The central bus station is located about a 20 minute walk from the main gate of Givat Ram. From there you can find sheruts to Tel Aviv, as well as a bus to anywhere in Israel (non-MISTI approved transportation). For example, to get to Haifa you may need to take a sherut into Tel Aviv, then catch another sherut to Haifa.
Shopping
- Mahane Yehuda(a.k.a The Shuk): A Shuk is an outdoor market and Mahane Yehude is the major one in Jerusalem. The majority of stalls in the shuk sell fruits and vegetables, but there are also butchers, bakers, nut and grain sellers, cheese and dairy shops, spice merchants, and fast food vendors.
- Ben Yehuda Street: Ben Yehuda Street, most commonly referred to simply as the midrachov (pedestrian mall), is the heart of Jerusalem's downtown business district and the axis around which much of its tourist life revolves. Dozens of mostly indistinguishable gift shops, offering the ubiquitous Hebrew Coca-Cola shirts, Judaica and commemorative knickknacks, line the smoothly paved street. Restaurants tend toward the falafel and ice cream end of things.
Neighborhoods
Sights and other Destinations
Resources
A Hebrew U guide for visiting postdocs and faculty is available here: [3].
Tel Aviv
Near the dorms
If you're living in the dorms in Ramat Aviv, there are a few places in the area to go for basic needs. A 5-minute walk down Brodetzky Street from the dorms is the Ramat Aviv mall, which contains a large Shufersal supermarket (note to those who keep kosher: vegetables not under supervision) and, right next to the mall, a slightly smaller Mega supermarket. Most of the stores in the mall seem to be clothing-related, but there is also a food court (all kosher), a pharmacy, and a bookstore, among other things. Slightly further away, but accessible by bike or by a longish walk, is Beit Millman, located on Tagore Street (about a 15-minute walk from the dorms - continue past the mall and turn left, then right onto Tagore.) There is also an outdoor mall (Merkaz Schuster) all the way north on Chaim Levanon Street.
Transportation
Sheruts leave from the side of the Central Bus Station to pretty much everywhere. A sherut to Jerusalem costs 20 NIS at the time of writing. Unfortunately, the Central Bus Station is not very central; it's on the very south end of Tel Aviv, and is totally unwalkable from anywhere you're likely to be staying. Even by bike it would take over 45 minutes from Ramat Aviv.
Some sheruts, particularly northbound ones (Netanya, Teverya, etc.), also leave from the Arlozorov bus station (corner of Arlozorov and Namir).
There are a few sherut lines that run within the city, but it seems that their routes and timetables are hard to come by.
Haifa
Housing
The Technion
- On campus housing at the Technion is a possibility, depending on availability. Living on campus is the most convenient and will give you exposure to dorm life and other students, although it may make it less likely you will explore the city of Haifa (The Technion is up above the downtown). Rent is about 1000 NIS/month (summer 2009 value for Canada dorms) prorated by half calendar month. i.e., if you are checking out by on or not long after e.g. August 15, you can get about half off the last month's rent. Rooms are either located in suites (similar to Burton Conner at MIT) with shared bathrooms and kitchens or there are also a few "couples apartments" available for two people, with a bedroom, bathroom, and small kitchen/living area.
Bedding (including pillow), cooking utensils, etc. are not supplied. However, most shared apartments with kitchens (eg Canada dorms) would contain nice apartmentmates who cook and would be happy sharing utensils. Internet (wired) is available in each room. Most previous MISTI interns have stayed in the Canada Dorms (M'onot Canada, in Hebrew); these are said to be the most social. Contact Merav Guttman (merav@technion.ac.il) for information (she's the international student contact at the Technion).
Sights
- The Beach: Hof HaCarmel. A taxi there is about NIS 60 by meter (can be bargained down if you ask for the price when you call the cab before you formally order it, or of course if you're flagging one down on the street). a typical Israeli saturday activity is to spend the whole day at the beach. go early in the summer, before the jellyfish (meduzot) come!
- Hadar - see below. useful for buying produce and food, but also just nice as a sightseeing activity, like haymarket, on a friday morning.
- vadi nisnas - one of the few neighborhoods that are active and alive on saturday. some things will still be closed, but most of the places are open.
- Bahai Gardens (web): Some areas are open but to see most of it, you have to call ahead and reserve a place in a tour. Make sure to bring enough water. It gets quite hot on the side of the mountain walking so many stairs.
- The German Colony: lots of nice restaurants, located below the Bahai Gardens which are lit up beautifully at night
- Carmel Mountain (web, in Hebrew): hiking
- There are nice viewpoints above the Carmel Park right by Haifa University, which is easily accessible by sherut/bus public transportation.
- Stella Maris, Elijah's Cave
Nearby
- Akko is within easy reach of Haifa (maybe thirty minutes away). Go to the Old City (web)
- It goes without saying that you should go to Jerusalem. Unfortunately, the only MIT-approved way of getting there involves taking a sherut to Tel Aviv, and transferring to another one that will take you to Jerusalem. The sheruts leave from Hadar and you should have cash on hand to pay the driver. You should also know that the sheruts sometimes take a long time to fill up especially on Saturdays.
Getting Around
- Haifa: Main Website
- Some sheruts have numbers that follow the bus routes. Bus stops are located both within the Technion campus and in Ziv center.
- In general in Haifa it's quicker to take two buses/sheruts somewhere than to wait for a direct bus/sherut. From the technion, you'd often go to Ziv or to Horev and change buses/sheruts there. (Ziv is also walking distance from the technion.) #19 sheruts are very common, from technion to hadar through ziv.
The Technion
- A campus map can be downloaded here
- When directing someone to the Canada Dorms, make sure they don't accidentally go to the Canada Building- it's all the way on the other side of campus. Canada dorms are left (downhill) of the main [west] gate.
Eating
The Technion
- There are cafeterias in a number of the academic buildings on campus. Refer to the map above for more information. Civil engineering's cafeteria is the biggest. There is also pizza, falafel, and shawarma outside the student center. Most food on campus is only open during the day. For dinner, you will have to cook or go off campus; or have pizza, either in the more expensive but centrally located stand by Ullman (where the shwarma is) or at Ronicho's in the Rifkin Village* dorms complex, which has good and cheap pizzas.
- There are two convenience stores on campus, one located between the Civil Engineering building and the Canada dorms, and the other at the top of the hill, in "Rifkin Village*."
- The most convenient grocery store is located in Ziv center, a 15 minute walk from campus. There are also a number of restaurants and bakeries there.
- The cafeteria in the pool complex (by canada dorms) is open on fridays and saturdays till 6pm - the only food available on campus on saturday. pool and gym are both open on weekends till 6pm.
- (Rifkin Village is also nicknamed 'gaza' because of the evidently dilapidated physical state of its dorm rooms - no relation to ethnicity and of course none to the actual gaza strip.)
Shopping
- The Grand Canyon (Canyon means mall in Hebrew) is the biggest mall in Haifa. You can also go to the movies there. There is a sherut that leaves from Ziv Center that will take you to the mall.
- Hadar District - This is a big shopping area in downtown Haifa. There are lots of restaurants, boutiques, bakeries with fresh pita, and cheap shops. friday morning market is cheap and interesting (like haymarket). You can get there by taking the number 19 sherut. The sheruts go through all the Technion bus stops. The Hadar sherut stop is also within walking distance of the German Colony(another good place for shopping and restaurants).
The Technion
- There is a Technion campus store with books, art supplies, office supplies, toiletries, and some clothing (mostly underwear)
- Every Wednesday when classes are in session there is class-free time around lunch time with music, food, and vendors in the central part of campus. This is a good place to look for English books or cheap "Israeli" clothing (for women, mostly)
Recreation
The Technion
- Salsa is basically the biggest thing happening on campus socially. There are classes twice a week at the Technion, followed by social dancing, as well as once a week at the University of Haifa. It's NIS 13 to get in, with a Technion student ID.
- The pool and fitness center is by the Canad Dorms. You need an ID to get in. There is also a cafeteria there and a nice outdoor space with lounge chairs.
- Summer 2009 info: salsa classes+dancing happened around 9:30pm on sunday and tuesday at the technion student union (wednesdays at haifa university). instructions are in hebrew, but it's still a great way to meet people. monday evenings there is supposed to be a board game night in ullman 300.
- the canada dorms area has a music room, open to anyone, with instruments and free for all jam sessions happening on weekday evenings from around 7:30pm to 10:30pm or even later. usually rock, sometimes jazz, depending on who's in at the time.
- not every week, but often, on wednesday afternoons 12:30-2:30 there's somethin ghappening around the obelisk area. booths, special food stalls, sometimes even good music concerts.
- starting summer 2009 the technion has a summer 'yom hastudent' rock music festival. ask around to find out when it is. definitely worth attending!
- get on the TISUN google group mailing list, and demand from the technion moderators that they keep the list updated with english translations of ASAT technion events, to hear about other special events happening - there are many bar outings and on campus parties/movie screenings, so it's worth it to check.
Security
- Israel, in general, is very safe, and security is visible everywhere, for better or for worse.
The Technion
- The campus is gated, with two main entrances. Only the main, West (Ziv) Entrance is open in the middle of the night. (this is the main gate from which you walk to the ziv shopping area.)
- Ideally, you should show your student ID to a guard to gain access to campus. Otherwise, they may (quickly) search your bags and, especially if it's late at night, ask the purpose of your visit.
- There are guards at the entrances to some academic buildings at the Technion. In some cases, especially at night, they will lock the door upon leaving their post (e.g. to take a break). Not only would you be locked out of the building, you would be locked in the building.
- you can get your ID activated in your building for after hour/weekend access to your lab.
Other Technion Practicalities
- To get your picture taken for a student ID, go to the Ullman student center, bottom floor
Internet
- The dorms should have one ethernet plug-in per apartment/room; there is no wireless in the dorms. you need to sign in at the dorms office for your dorm complex and then have someone else activate your internet account from their computer.
- Wireless does exists on campus but you need an account for it. That could perhaps be set up with the professor you are working for.
- There are limits to the Internet access provided by the Technion; some ports and programs may not function.
Hebrew Classes
- Depending on what semester it is, there are beginning, intermediate, and advanced Hebrew classes offered through the humanities department at the Technion. Teachers are very open to MISTI students sitting in on the classes, as long as they participate.
- Contact: Prof. Ruthie Amit huamit@techunix.technion.ac.il (taught beginner Hebrew summer 08)
Rehovot
Logistics
Transportation and logistics in Rehovot. Rehovot is a beautiful city, and one of the science hubs of Israel. It is located about 20 miles south of Tel Aviv, and houses the Weizmann Institute, an internationally-known center for scientific research originally chartered by Chaim Weizmann, the first president of Israel. Transportation logistics to and from Rehovot is very easy considering it is not one of the larger cities in Israel.
Rehovot has a stop of its own on the IsraRail national train. On average, trains pass through the city about once an hour. To get to Rehovot from the Airport, there is a way directly by train, although since you will just be arriving in Israel, I might suggest getting a taxi from the airport. Delightfully expensive, but worth the convenience for your first day in a new country! It should be just fine to say "Main Gate of the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot" to the driver, and he'll know where to take you. If the driver is really new to the jobx, you can say "Herzl Street," which is the main street that runs through Rehovot, and you'll pretty much see the giant gate saying Weizmann a mile into the city limits.
Food
There are two grocery stores within easy walking distance of the Weizmann Institute that are accessed by walking either direction on Hertzl Street. Both have good selections of the basics but nothing fancy. There are three cafeterias on the Weizmann campus that are subsidized for students and employees and make for a good (and cheap) lunch. Favorite restaurants include Matrix (for good sub sandwiches), Aroma Espresso Bar (for coffee and sandwiches), Falafel Yerushalmi (for falalel obviously!), and Herzl Bar -- all within a 5 minute walk of the Institute southward. There is also a fairly good night life/bar scene in Rehovot near the Insitute, if that interests you. Snazzier restaurants are more within reach of a 15 minute walk, going northward, toward the new Science and Industry "park." Here you can find good Italian, an Irish bar and pub, and many more places that I didn't get a chance to see while I was there. There is also a very cheap Grocery Store called Yochananof in the area, where I did a lot of shopping. I found out that this one was A LOT cheaper than Shufersal, the competing grocery store which is found ~8 blocks south from the Weizmann down Herzl street.
Shopping
All along Hertzl street towards the mall as well as the mall itself have a lot of clothing and other stores.
Transportation
In terms of every-day transportation, Rehovot allows for high accessibility with Sherut and Taxis. Taxis run through Herzl street all the time. The sherut to Tel Aviv leaves from the central bus station in the mall and goes right past Weizmann on its way to Tel Aviv, so you can flag one down right outside the front gate. The 252 line takes you toward Tel Aviv city; the 162 line is useful for getting to Ramat Gan, Bar-Ilan University, and those environs. Getting to Jerusalem is a little harder without public transportation, but you can get one sherut to Tel Aviv and from there another to Jerusalem. There may be sherut service directly to Jerusalem in the future.
Housing
Housing is most convenient through the dormitories of Weizmann, which are fairly good although not exactly luxurious either. Most of these rooms are suites with kitchenettes, showers, and bathrooms per 4-6 people. There is an international house, Beit Klore, where I stayed (and where you probably will to), right at the corner of Herzl and ha-Nasi ha-Rishon street. If you are certain that you are going to be staying at the Weizmann, the best way to get in touch about housing there would be to contact the coordinator of the summer internship programs, Greta Rosenberg (G.Rosenberg@weizmann.ac.il).
Just For Fun
Activities at the Weizmann are fairly easy to come by. If you don't get "quite" as consumed in your research as I did, you can find time to do a lot of nice fun stuff at the Institute. There are several "clubs" that meet, as organized by the student council (they have an English website here: http://www.weizmann.ac.il/students/new_pages/activities.html), including "non-credit classes" in things like Arabic and Ninjitsu. Pick-up soccer games are easy to come by. If you love science (which of course you do!), there are TONS of amazing seminars that come to Weizmann. (website: http://www.weizmann.ac.il/perl/calendar/calendar.mperl?check=open1) A lot of the time, it was fun to go into Tel Aviv for beach-stuff, bars, etc. If you are staying until late August, definitely look into the Student Holiday (Yom Studentim) that Weizmann hosts, although the one at Technion (in late July) is far better, and if you can get yourself to Haifa for that, you won't be disappointed. I had some friends who were addicted to rock climbing and consistently went to tel aviv a few times a week to go to a place called Performance Rock (http://www.performancerock.co.il/). If this interests you... well, you can be like them. Of course, for me, my favorite pasttime was just relaxing in the lobby of my dormitory or at Kafe Mada (a coffee shop on campus, meaning coffee of science), normally with coffee in hand, discussing science, politics, and other stuff with friends.
