Can anyone tell me about Moshav Matisyahu?

amother

Tue, Mar 25 2014, 4:06 pm

DH and I have always tossed around the idea of living in Israel casually without ever really being serious. Now that we have kids in preschool we feel like there is a window of opportunity in the next few years to move without too difficult of a transition for our family. I don't know if this is the decision we'll make or not but we would definitely want to live in a place we'd be comfortable coming from the US. We're litvish/modern yeshivish, DH works and I'm a SAHM. I recently heard someone talking about Moshav Matisyahu and it sounded intriguing. I don't know much about it, can anyone help me out? TIA

allthingsblue

Tue, Mar 25 2014, 4:32 pm

The rav, Rabbi Zev Leff, is unbelievable! He is a tzaddik, so practical and reachable and helpful and understanding and knowledgeable and grounded!

The community seems to be chilled American, more like chardal/dati leumi than chareidi.
I would suggest you try to contact Americans who live there to find out more.

boysrus

Tue, Mar 25 2014, 4:37 pm

I really think that you are talking about somewhere different. moshav matisyahu is not like that at all. all families nowadays send their kids to elem school in kiryat sefer which is highly chareidi. definitely not a carelbach moshav. I think it is quite american charedi. can I suggest that you search imamother for other posts about it?

mamaleh

Tue, Mar 25 2014, 4:38 pm

Meiraleah wrote:

Poster above, I think you are confusing moshav modiin with moshav matisyahu. moshav matisyahu is R Leff's community near Chashmonaim. (sorry, I dont have any more information really than that)

I think you mean Mevo Modiin.
Thank you Meiraleah, I was trying to figure out what she was talking about. Now it makes sence.

OP- I have alot of info but posting it will probably give away my identity. Feel free to PM me & I'll tell you what I can.

motherinisrael

Tue, Mar 25 2014, 4:47 pm

Meiraleah wrote:

Poster above, I think you are confusing moshav modiin with moshav matisyahu. moshav matisyahu is R Leff's community near Chashmonaim. (sorry, I dont have any more information really than that)

THIS!!
NO HASH BROWNIES IN MOSHAV MATISYAHU!!
That being said it is a chilled American place. It is physically connected with Kiryat Sefer- right next door, so there have many services associated with a large population I have been there for Shabbos and walked over for Rabbi Leff's shiurim which was awesome. Houses are nice, grounds are beautiful. People are genuine and friendly. Some black Kippas, some knitted.It did look like to me that they may have been building houses next to some sort of electric or cell phone towers, which I would check into before I would buy. (But I am not sure about this)

amother

Tue, Mar 25 2014, 5:24 pm

I fully apologize, you are all correct, that's what happens when you are on imamother at 11:22 pm, going on 3 hours of sleep from the night before and have not taken a nap today, but I did clean 2 rooms for pesach.

I am asking Mechilah for my mistake in what I said and will delete my post so no Lashon Hara will be taken and spread from this post.

amother

Tue, Mar 25 2014, 7:55 pm

OP here
Thanks so much for all the responses. Anyone know about the rules of the moshav? I read a couple old threads about it but got kind of confused. I don't really understand if you own your house, can build, have a trial year, etc. Another question, if you have to send your kids to the schools in Kiryat Sefer, what if they don't want to accept you?
In general, what is it like living on a frum moshav versus a city?
Mamaleh - I plan on PMing you

amother

Tue, Mar 25 2014, 8:44 pm

We did a lot of research into moshav matisyahu and ultimately decided against it. Our biggest concern was the educational system in kiryat sefer. We felt that even if we were willing to accept the rules of chareidi society, kiryat sefer has less tolerance and flexibility than other chareidi communities and we felt that was putting our kids in a difficult position. The people we spoke to on the moshav had really nice things to say about it. People also liked the girls schools in KS but the boys schools were really hard core chareidi.

mandksima

Wed, Mar 26 2014, 6:42 am

I have a sibling there as well the spouse's extended family. If you want a contact there to ask any questions, PM me.

I think people like the ideal of an American laid back charedi life in Israel but other posters are right - neighboring Kiryat Sefer is much more hard core charedi and if you send kids there to school, you really have to fit in with the school and therefore can't really be like a laid back American. Understand also that the Israeli neighbors don't usually fully accept the moshav's residents to be as frum as them. Being American means being more modern to many there even if it is not the case. I know many of the moshav families have had a hard time getting into schools there in general because they will accepted after all the Kiryat Sefer residents are taken first. My contact there can perhaps help you understand the current happenings. It is easier for a retired couple in that case than a family with young kids but many have done it and it has worked out okay.

It is a very unique place but it is still small and closeknit, sometimes too small for many who want some privacy. It is expensive now to move there. You have to agree to abide by the rules of the moshav which is set by the rav's specifications. For example, if suddenly the rav says a certain hechsher is unreliable, everyone has to stop using it so everyone is able to eat at everyone else's house. For most, this shouldn't be an issue but I wanted to make sure you understood what kind of place it is.

amother

Wed, Mar 26 2014, 6:54 am

Its a pretty place, they are building nice houses there now BUT it's definitely charedi or at least- they are trying to make it more charedi. My friend thought of buying land there and was rejected because apparently her and her DH are not charedi enough (he works, wears colorful shirts etc.). So be aware that thought many of the older families there are very chilled americans, the new people coming in are supposedly more charedi.
Also I've heard there are a lot of politics there but I don't know enough about it.
Good luck!

Onisa

Wed, Mar 26 2014, 7:51 am

Looking on the map it is Kriat Sefer. So only if you dont get anywhere without a car or you live only in this tiny little area ( socialize there, go to the park there..) then you dont get an idea living in ks.
But reality is different you will shop in ks, go to the clinics in ks, use ks services and ect.
Some people find kriate sefer nice hareidi place some cant be here for more than one hour, depends.
Matitiahu is reAllly tiny, but cute, but still tiny.
There are places like Hashmonaim, light MO crowd in Modiin with some number of mo-hariedi, mevo modiin and moshavim after the green line.
Be aware bthw that ks and matitiahu are also after the green line.

Moving in matitiahy you have to understand that you are also moving to ks from some percpective.
Also ks and matitahy are not olim stations. I meAn that ulpan is only in modiin ( in maccabim ) and all the papers should be filled in modiin, jerusalem or bneybrak.