Liron Orlev’s summer vacation in Thessaloniki, last year, it will forever change her life and the life of her family. “I immediately fell in love with the city and its people,” he says. She still remembers the moment when, waiting in line at the Tel Aviv airport, she and her husband looked at each other and together made an important decision.

Now L. Orleva, her husband and their 12-year-old daughter declare themselves residents of Thessaloniki. They are not the only ones. In total, about ten Israeli families have recently moved to Thessaloniki, Athens and Chalkis have chosen even more, creating small communities.

“This trend will continue in the coming years, and indeed to a large extent. We also experience it from our work, our daily life. Israelis constantly turn to us for advice on how to come, live here, and invest,” says lawyer Alkinos Konis. As he notes, there are many common features in the way of life and culture between the two peoples.

Especially for Thessaloniki, Israelis who decide to move to the city take into account its geographical position, its history, in which the Jewish presence has played a vital role, as well as the prospects for its development.

Remote work and low cost of living

Liron did not regret her choice, since the only thing that hinders her now is the Greek language. She and her husband were educational entrepreneurs, owning kindergartens in Israel. Now their physical presence is not required, they work remotely from Thessaloniki and fly to Tel Aviv every three weeks. “It’s a very simple process,” he says. She even started a new business venture in our country to facilitate the resettlement of other fellow citizens who decide to come to Greece.

“When I arrived, I realized that I needed to go through some procedures to get a VAT number, to have a car and much more. Now I help other families with all these issues,” she says, adding that ten families are already asking her for advice to move soon. In fact, some of them are associated with Thessaloniki, as their ancestors were Greek Jews who left Thessaloniki, the former Jerusalem in the Balkans, before or after World War II.

Another reason Israeli digital nomads choose Greece is the cost of living. “Greece is heaven for us because the prices are much lower. If someone wants to stay in a single-family home, its cost will be at least half as much as in Israel.”

“People Make Place”

However, a few Israelis, such as Zoabi Abdullah, decided to move because the investments they wanted to make brought them to the country. Arriving in Thessaloniki in 2016, Z. Abdala immediately felt that he could live happily in this city. “People determine how beautiful this place is. I didn’t know about Thessaloniki before, but I always loved Greece and especially Greek music.

As soon as I landed in Thessaloniki, I said, “Wow! This is a beautiful city. The people are unique and warm. I wanted to invest abroad and started in Thessaloniki, where I bought my first apartment,” he describes in Kathimerini.

Zoabi left Nazareth and now lives permanently in Greece, which he calls his “second first home”. In the city of Thessaloniki, where he lives, he has made friends of different nationalities and enjoys this lifestyle. “Rain or snow, you will see people having fun outside. In the tavern, an old man and a young man next to him can be seen enjoying the music. These are unique elements that are not easy to find in other countries.” Now, having “learned” the history of the city, he believes that Thessaloniki is on the verge of becoming a multicultural city again and exploiting its geographical position.

Confirming the above trends, A. Konis notes that the arrival of Israelis in the country also attracted other nationalities, as well as brought new ideas to entrepreneurship, which had not even existed on the real estate table before.

“They love Greece. They integrate into society and develop economically,” he says. In fact, most Israelis moving to Greece do not opt ​​for the golden visa program, but other residence permits.