Asking for a friend: RBS for African American gerim

amother

Mustard

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 12:39 am

Parents are gerim, 3 young children and homeschool in the States so far. Pretty black hat and both have advanced degrees in mental health. Wife will most likely teach abd/or conduct therapy online to be with the kids while husband learns part time. Sephardic and limited to no Hebrew.

They wanted to go to Tzfat initially but are unsure. People keep saying RBS but I have my reservations. Husband is French so I suggested Netanya since they prefer the North for scenery, weather, and simplicity/small town/country feel.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

amother

Wheat

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 1:17 am

RBS literally has it all. French, English, etc. Plenty of support for Olim.
Many Ethiopians and African-Americans.
Ashkenazim, Sefardim, etc.
No one bats an eyelash.
I don't know anything about Netanya, sorry.

amother

Navy

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 3:55 am

Dont know anything about RBS but wanted to say that Netanya is really not considered north!
When people say north for the scenery, they usually mean galil. Could also be golan.
Netanya is the Sharon area, very coastal. The only scenery there is the sea.

LisaS

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 4:18 am

Tell them that they will vacation in the beautiful scenery at every holiday. But for day to day they need good schools and a supportive and welcoming community that will be their second family. RBS sounds like a great place to land, and they can spend the first two years here checking out alternatives.

BadTichelDay

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 5:19 am

"No Hebrew" is something that needs to be fixed, especially if they plan to work anywhere in Israel as professionals. Best thing is to start learning already before making Alyiah, and anyway they'll need a good ulpan here. As it was mentioned that their budget is low as well, would they consider an absorption center at all for their first year? (I was in one long ago and it helped me a lot).

Ruchel

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 5:22 am

If they're French, he's neither African nor American.
My cousin is married to a black ger who never stepped foot in America, and is only of African origin - so if it matters - they went to a city they could afford and hope it goes well.
Natanya, you have to be able to afford. Many French there indeed but many of the more religious type cannot or even don't want. Even more for the Ashkenazim.

shabbatiscoming

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 5:51 am

Ruchel wrote:

the op wrote that the husband is french and that they live in the states, so........

amother

Mustard

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 10:12 am

shabbatiscoming wrote:

the op wrote that the husband is french and that they live in the states, so........

I was going to say.... his family is from France (Haitian origin... not all Black people are either American or African btw) and he came to states as a child. Further, he identifies with America more than France thereby identifying as African American. Wife IS African American. The point is, a family with Black skin who are also gerim. The mentality of Americans can be harsh to those that fit in this category so I was not sure RBS would be so friendly hence the post as I do not know enough about it there.

Cultural awareness is so important. Can't Believe It

I do not think that people coming from a place where many look at person with Black skin as one who does not belong, is a threat, or worst need to move to a whole new country and be faced with same mentality. The issues Jews of Color face in America (specifically if Black) is unreal and hardly addressed in honesty. I cannot imagine the discomfort. Esp for ones who are FFB. In yeshivish circles they still get confused stares, rejection, being called black, you name it.

Are people all of a sudden not like this here? In RBS specifically???

Rappel

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 10:28 am

So far, I haven't met any racism in the yishuvim. They would be treated as normal Jews here, and Israelis love new olim.

I've said this on many posts, but I think Kochav Hashahar is underratedly one of the best places for olim to land. Rent is affordable (1000+ for a caravan, around 2500+ for a one-story apartment), the schools are excellent, the welcoming committee is top-notch, they have a strong overall community as well as lots of sub-groups, and the town is super-international - American, French, Russian, S. American - though the language on the street is Hebrew. It's also 20 minutes to Jerusalem by car, 40 minutes by bus.

IMHO, it's the best place for an oleh to transition into Israeli society.

If they want, I can put them in contact with several established olim in the community. They would help them through all the transitions of Aliyah. Smile

(We live in Itamar, which isn't a good first stop for olim, but we would love to help them settle in as well!)

Kol hakavod to them! May they have an easy and happy Aliyah! I hope I'll get to meet them here!

amother

Mustard

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 4:12 pm

Ruchel wrote:

French and Haitian is EXTREMELY different - in mentality at the very least. No, I don't recommend Natanya more than anywhere else except for the language.

Ummm ok

thank you. I guess.... would you be Black, Haitian, of French or African decent to know the nuances? Or are you judging based off of your cousins' African American husband? Or what you perhaps think you know about any of the subgroups thereof?

nia73

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 4:20 pm

Ruchel wrote:

French and Haitian is EXTREMELY different - in mentality at the very least. No, I don't recommend Natanya more than anywhere else except for the language.

I guess what she is saying is that the husband is multicultural but in the end, experienced by American society as a Black man who speaks French/raised there but is also of Haitian decent.

I get it. The experience as a person in America by those of African decent specifically is many times just lumped as "Black" or some other terms that are derogatory as the one she mentioned. Either way, not seen in a good light in many frum circles unless they are completely white washed and even then.... does not change status in eyes of the ignorant.

We must be honest about that I think and not miss OP's point with trying to say "oh the husband is not African or American or French or whatever. Kids and wife are African American from what I gather so point remains...

amother

Blonde

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 4:48 pm

amother wrote:

Ummm ok

Ruchel Is French.

amother

Mustard

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 5:29 pm

amother wrote:

Ruchel Is French.

Ok makes since why she is missing the point of the post. A person of African decent in France has a different reality than one in America. No qualms. Just realize the difference in experience.

I am going off the reality they explain and what I have seen among as far as how people talk about Jews of Color

amother

Lavender

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 6:06 pm

I know gerim that moved to Israel to a community that was quote accepting. Let me have you know something the family is now half off the d because Israel didn't work out. Their back in USA.