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amother


 

Post Thu, May 23 2013, 9:16 pm
I have some questions about the SI community. Thank you in advance to anyone who can help.

What mix is the Willowbrook and RJJ community in terms of yeshiva-ish to MO for like families with kids pre1 age and younger?

What schools do RJJ kids go to for high school? Do many boys get into the Chofetz Chaim associated yeshiva in SI?

If we are yeshiva-ish or maybe a little modern yeshivaish would we worry about our kids feeling left out because they can't go to movies with their classmates and neighbor friends when they get older? Would they feel left out now because of other observance differences, like if we don't let our 5 year old ride a bike on shabbos, even in a backyard? Would my daughter feel like the only one in her class who wears stockings on Sundays when she is older?

I'd like to learn more about RJJ, but it is hard for me to think of specific questions to ask. Ideally I like my kids school to be frum, make learning exciting, have engaging teachers who really enjoy children and remember to treat them with respect, talk to them at eye level, etc. For Hebrew studies I'd like my boys to have the option of going to high schools that encourage graduates to continue learning, and my girls to really feel like they learned a lot and have a positive, love of Torah experience. For English I want my kids to be good readers and to know how to learn so that if they choose to go to college after high school they are prepared with good study skills and will not be behind in high schools that cater to college bound students. Where I live now there is no perfect school and of course each teacher of every grade and each rebbe is different, but at least we have choices here. I wish I knew how to learn if RJJ would be a good fit.

Do the majority of families with couples in their 30's in SI have in laws or parents living in SI as well? If we had no other family in SI would we feel like orphans or are there friend groups without family there who help each other when someone has a new baby, make yentiv together, etc?

I've heard that some shuls are encouraging new families to move to the community. Is the YI for instance only interested in families that would daven there?

In such a small community like Willowbrook do things tend to get gossipy and does everyone know everything about everybody?
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amother


 

Post Sun, May 26 2013, 5:13 am
Very Happy
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amother


 

Post Sun, May 26 2013, 7:32 am
We've lived in willowbrook for the past few years. My kids are all in rjj. We love it here and are so happy. We are yeshivish. The schools are neighborhood are a mix. Most classes have kollel families and young Israel families. everyone is very accepting of everyone and respects each other differences. There is another school jfs which is mo. The schools are small which means more individualized attention. the principals know your family and your children. The learning is on par with other schools and kids go to a variety of high schools later from yeshivish and bais yaakov to mo. Shabbos afternoon most families strange groups for their kids, and of you have a preference with playing ball evt.. you can choose which group to go to.
my daughter and many others wear knee highs even though hot summer. There are a few shuls in the neighborhood besides for yisi. A lot of young yeshivish crowd daven at Rabbi Pollack green room minyan. There is a kollel, choferz chaim, which have really been changing the face of the community and has been helping to bring in young families. I have not found the neighborhood to be gossipy. They are concerned and run to help when there is a need but I have not found that people are overly concerned in other's business.
I'm not sure if I answered all your questions. You should come for a shabbos and check it out. Hatzalacha!
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amother


 

Post Sun, May 26 2013, 10:11 am
We have lived here in willowbrook for the past few years too. We are MO but I will try to answer some of you questions if I can.
We have friends who are yeshivish and have kids at RJJ. I don't know much about the school other than my friends seem to like the it and I have heard nice things about the teachers. If you called them I am sure they would be happy to let you come for a visit if possible or answer whatever questions you have on the phone.
The YI has a program going where you can arrange to visit and stay with a family for shabbos. While I am sure its main purpose is to get new members to move here I think it is also to get new jewish families to move here.
I find it to be a nice mix of people and everyone is nice to each other. It is not a huge community and we all have learned to live in each others space. Even the schools (RJJ and JFS) share a building!
When you go to the playground (we have 2) on shabbos you will find little girls in knee socks or stockings playing with girls in sandals.
The neighborhood does have different areas. It is of course not official and of course you live where you can find a house but I have found that near Rabbi Pollacks shul and the kollel is where a lot of yeshivish families live. If you go more towards/past the young israel you will find more modern families.
I find the most people that move to staten island do have a connection here. Usually it is a parent on one side or sometimes even both. I did not know anyone my age when we moved here but I made a lot of friends when my kids started to go to school and shabbos groups. When I had my last baby a new friend set up a week of meals for me. Some of the meals were made by people I hardly even know! It made me feel like people here really care about each other and want to help when they can.
Overall I have not found it to be a gossipy place.
I hope I was helpful and that you do move here! It is a nice place to live.
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amother


 

Post Sun, May 26 2013, 4:19 pm
I'm the first amother who responded. I as well as many people I know here do not have relatives in Staten Island. There are a lit of second generation families that live here with their families, but many that moved here solo. The neighborhood is very supportive and helpful.
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amother


 

Post Wed, May 29 2013, 10:39 am
Thank you amothers!

I thought the Kollel was somewhere else. It is in Willowbrook? Why did I think it was in ardendale (?) or somewhere closer to the boys campus?

Does R' Pollack's shul or R' Weiss have a website? I've found them online but at sites like findaminyon and godaven etc. I guess my next step would be to call them and ask about learning more about the community. I won't be able to spend shabbos anywhere for a while, but we have visited a couple of times. We played in the playground while watching Sunday baseball. We went to Willowbrook park to feed the ducks and missed the carousel which I imagine are things families who live there do on low key weekends, but I didn't see anyone frum there. We got ice cream on Jewitt.

RJJ has a useful website. If it is a small school does that mean it is still possible to get in for September? Do they take new families mid year? (Though I do hate to do that to my kids.) I guess I should just call them. In Brooklyn schools act like you should be begging to attend them and it is hard to question the school and ask what they are about so I'm not use to calling a school and asking how we would fit in. What are the day camp options? I noticed YI had something but wasn't sure if different crowds use different places.

What kinds of things do pre-school age kids who's mothers don't work or work part time do after school like between 4pm and bedtime? I think I want to try and hang out there, get dinner, and silly as it sounds put my kids to sleep in the car so that my husband can try out the express bus home and I can be there to pick him up.

I actually went to college at CSI a long time ago so I know the area a little bit, but some things have changed, I definitely see more yeshiva-ish looking people (or maybe I didn't notice before) and obviously as a college student I had quite a different life than I do now.

Is there an area within the eruv where most kindergarten or pre1a age RJJ kids live or is everyone spread around the eruv?
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amother


 

Post Wed, May 29 2013, 10:57 am
Ok ...I don't know if I can answer all your questions...but I'll do my best to write what I know. We moved here recently , so my knowledge is kind of limited...
Housing here is very affordable
I would say we are not very modern but Der not Yeshivish ( ex: I wear skirts, cover my hair)
My oldest is in Jen..middle will start SEP.
What I love about the school is that they are very warm and welcoming...and it's a mix of all kinds of people
My husband davens @ R Pollack and YI AND he thinks both places are great
What I think best describes the comm is that it's not judgemental
I do think YI had an older crowd but also has young married minyan.
I think Eruv covers all of Willowbrook
RJJ LITTLE kids have Shabbos groups in classmates houses ( like on rotation bases)..afternoons
Yi also has a Shabbos groups during davening
Kollel is by R Pollack
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amother


 

Post Wed, May 29 2013, 10:59 am
Forgot to add Rjj took my son in middle of the year
But I did call prior to to say we are moving
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amother


 

Post Wed, May 29 2013, 10:59 am
Forgot to add Rjj took my son in middle of the year
But I did call prior to to say we are moving
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amother


 

Post Wed, May 29 2013, 11:19 am
I wish I could quote everyone easier and make a more cohesive post, but I'll try. Very Happy Very Happy

Where do RJJ moms send for day camp preschool age?

Do more RJJ preschool age kids live "up the hill" close to Brielle, Rupert, etc or all over?

I really thought most SIers have at least one set of parents in the area, so that is nice to hear that we won't be the only ones without close family nearby.

Do most mothers work full time, part time, at all or is it a mix? I stay home, but I hope to work part time. Sometimes I feel like it is me and a bunch of babysitters at play group pick up though.

Is R' Pollack's shul the kollel?

Does anyone here commute or married to someone who commutes using the x31? I think it stops running at a certain time.

What sort of out of the house things can you find the community doing after school or on Sundays?

What do you miss, if anything, about living where you use to live if you are not from SI?
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amother


 

Post Wed, May 29 2013, 1:40 pm
Not sure if I'll answer all your questions but I'll try. the kollel is in rabbi pollack shul. his son is Rosh kollel they are the warmest and nicest rabbonim. They are chassidish but shul and kollell aren't. People live all over willowbrook, but it's more yeshivish closer to rabbi pollack shul.
my husband as well as many of my friends commute in the express bus. It's a pretty smooth and convient commute. One can also take ferry.
After school people hang out outside, or at park. There are a few camps, Revach which is run by kollel, yisi, and two chabad camps. Each attracts different types.
Some mothers work and some stay home. there are both, but probably more working.
Though there are many part time.
The schools are small, they don't close out like Brooklyn schools. Unless you're child's grade happens to be un-usually large. ( like 22 kids)
I don't miss traffic, or honking, or alternate side of street parking. Only thing would be nice is large kosher supermarket. But moishas, gourmet glatt, and marine park glatt delivery here once a week.
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amother


 

Post Mon, Oct 21 2013, 6:27 pm
I'm considering moving to Willowbrook as well, and think the community is great, but I'm wondering - does anyone know how the rigorous/respected the secular studies are in both RJJ and JFS?
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cutekids




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 21 2013, 8:17 pm
both rjj and jfs are excellent schools with a great education. you need to research both of them if you are undecided where to send your kids, bc they are each very different.
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dhithere




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 13 2015, 11:33 am
Hi, so I come from a semi chasidish background but more openminded. I send my girl to bais yackov bp. Im mid contract with a house in staten island. I dont know anyone living there but im open to get to know new pple. My hub and I are done with living in the heart of bp.too much traffic and too much nosyness.. im open to hear more abt the community and school's there. And if there is transportation to bais yakov bp from staten island,or ill need to carpool. I have a 2 year old son who will need pre nursery for the coming year. Any tips would b appreciated.
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working hard




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 13 2015, 11:54 am
I thought the Kollel was somewhere else. It is in Willowbrook? Why did I think it was in ardendale (?) or somewhere closer to the boys campus?

Just to clarify. There are 3 frum areas in Staten Island. Willowbrook is the largest one with a big mix of types. They have a Kollel by Rabbi Pollak... You have a lot of info above.
There is also Eltingville. There are 2 Kollelim there as well as Rabbi Mottel d!ck's Yeshiva - Yeshiva Heichel HaTorah. There is a Young Israel there as well. Oorah's preschool, Torah Spot and Chill Zone is also in Eltingville. It is more of a Yeshivish community with not much of a mix. The Young Israel has about 10 members. Oorah people come here but do not live here.
A third area is the Yeshiva area/Pleasant Plains where the Staten Island Yeshiva is located. That community is basically only the Yeshiva families - staff and Kollel.
I hope this was helpful.
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amother


 

Post Tue, Jan 13 2015, 12:29 pm
We moved here not so long ago and it worked out fine. It really is a good community. Hashem was very good to is. Rjj is good for everyone, it's a community school( unless I guess you are very to the left or chassisish) , I'm not sure. People are friendly . You get to know people as you send to school here. My husband Ravens both @R Pollack and YI. He is extremely happy with both. Kids are little but happy in school. There are Shabnos groups both in YI, during davening and Rjj has groups on kids houses in the afternoon(rotating). For reasons I don't fully understand, but some people I know that moved here are happier living in areas around R Pollack shul, versus lower down. I am not sure, I just know people felt more of a community here.
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amother


 

Post Tue, Jan 13 2015, 12:34 pm
I'm the another fr above....:I really do miss convenient shopping and having kosher food @ your fingertips. I really hope this new supermarket will be awesome😄. I mean you can do your shopping here : shop rite, stop and shop , Costco has good things but still it's not the same. I also miss having availability of kosher restaurants . Again, it's totally fine there are some things here, and Brooklyn is close, we do drive there to go out....but it does get complicated, with babysitting and husband working long hrs. But still it's worth it.
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amother


 

Post Tue, Jan 13 2015, 1:10 pm
Regarding van to bybp, I know that there is a van which takes kids to schools in Brooklyn. I am not sure where and how it works.
Your best bet is to try and call rebitzen pollack junior and see what she can advise and help you out with. I have heard that there is someone who moved recently who is running a playgroup from their house with a more chasidish flavor.
I think you could also have your husband speak to any other new chasidish ppl in rabbi pollacks shul to get more relevant into
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dhithere




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 13 2015, 1:29 pm
Thanks for the info. I would consider ourselves more heimish then chasidish. I think rjj sounds great but I would hate to take my daughter out of bybp.she just started this year first grade and loves it there. I guess ill contact rabbi pollaks wife.thanks alot.
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amother


 

Post Tue, Jan 13 2015, 1:40 pm
Have you looked into rjj at all ? Some of the younger classes especially have a lot of yeshiva kids fr the other part of the island and are quite yeshivish
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