Jessica Fishman answers questions about her life in Israel

Why did you move to Israel?

I was looking for a safe, quiet place to live where the cost of living was low and there was a sophisticated infrastructure. But honestly, mainly for the weather . . . and the beach.

In all seriousness, the reason I moved to Israel is rooted in my Jewish identity and it goes so much deeper that I had to write an entire book about it.

What do you like best about Israel?

The high-quality of customer service. It is strange how Israelis can be some of the most caring people in the world, but if you put them in a customer service position, they turn into rabid dogs. Only in Israel will a customer be screamed at when they are being told that they are wrong. I also particularly enjoy the slow and painful bureaucracy.

But really, it is the people . . . and the weather.

What do you like least about Israel?

There are a lot of Jewish people in Israel.

What was it like to live in Tel Aviv?

A lot of time is spent looking for a parking spot.

What was it like to join and serve in the Israeli army?

Boot camp is sort of like joining a sorority, but with target practice. After boot camp, most of the time is spent counting down how many months are left until being released. The best part about the army is the people. The worst part about the army is the people.

What is it like to date Israeli men?

Sort of like dating a teenager.

How hard was it to learn Hebrew?

It felt sort of like having a speech impediment for a few years.

When did you feel like you had finally become Israeli?

After I started stuffing used tissues into the center of toilet paper rolls.

Once I began to understand the jokes about Israeli culture was when I really started to feel Israeli. A big part of understanding the culture was learning the language.