Shomron - looking for a Torani/Chardal community

ima-ahava

Thu, Nov 21 2019, 3:31 am

Hi,
we are planning our Aliyah b'H and are still looking for where to live exactly. Smile

after many research and having lived in Eretz Yisrael for over a year some years ago, we think we would best fit in a Torani community. preferably in Shomron and not too far from Jerusalem.
any suggestions?
we heard many good things about Kochav HaShachar. is there anyone here who can help me with more information?
we have a hand full of children (our oldest is in third grade) and are working online (no need to be close to big cities bez''H).
we are looking for a very warm community with a huge focus on Torah and Chinuch... (don't have TV; filtered smartphones) we are happy to adapt of course and are not looking for the "perfect" place. but some more insights would be very welcome. also per PM if preferred.
thank you!
Bina

southernbubby

Thu, Nov 21 2019, 7:31 am

My son used to work with the Chabad shaliach in Eli and it's a lovely community. All types of housing exists there and, although I don't know the difference between Torani and Chardal, if you are interested in a religious Zionist community, check it out. The majority of the people in Eli fit the description. They have all types of amenities but not much shopping. People who need more than what the local makolet or the shops in people's homes have to take the hour ride to Jerusalem. At least this was the case a few years ago before my son moved to RBS-B. Medical care there was a clinic in someone's home and I think it was administered by a nurse or PA. Children who have special needs are bussed to the nearby community of Ariel which may have other services as well.

chanchy123

Thu, Nov 28 2019, 3:37 am

What are looking at for occupation? Would you work in Yerushalayim area or Merkaz?
If Merkaz - Har Bracha, Itamar, Elon Moreh are all good options.
Eli will have more of a mixed crowd, if you don't mind a mix (people more MO) than that opens a bunch of yishuvim in the Shomron - probalby Karnei Shomron is best because there are many Anglos.
Near Yerushalayim - you have Kochav Yaakov, Psagot, Beit El, Shilo.
Another good option is Neiriyah - which is close to Modiin so in between Merkaz and Yrushalyim (and Talmon and Dolev for more of a mix)
If you are open to more of a mix - add Ofra, Eli (which is really in between Yerushalayim and Merkaz) ,

Raisin

Thu, Nov 28 2019, 3:50 am

chanchy123 wrote:

OP said she and her husband work online so jobs not an issue.

ima-ahava

Thu, Nov 28 2019, 4:11 am

OP here. thanks to everyone! yes, job is no issue bez''H. we are not at all MO. when we lived in EY some years ago we had our kids in chareidi ganim. but after all (and after reading a lot in this forum), we think we are really this in between type. we are zionist, but we are not so open to secular influences. so we think that Torani or Chardal would be the best for us. (no problems for us to adapt - it does not have to be perfect). yes, I know that Maale Adumim is a city. could be interesting for us, too. we have been to Karnei Shomron several times - it is very nice, but it is basically very mixed, isn't it? :-) does anyone know Neve Menachem? I really appreciate our help.

chanchy123

Thu, Nov 28 2019, 5:15 am

ima-ahava wrote:

Neve Menachem is also a mix - there will be a lot of people like you, but also more "modern" people.

From north to south - all these yishuvim are good options for what you are looking
Look into Har Bracha, Itamar, Elon Moreh
Neriyah
Mevoh Choron/Nof Ayalon (expensive though - not in Yesha)
Kochav hashachar (pretty far out though - not so accessible to anywhere)
Beit El
Kochav Yaakov
Mitzpeh Yericho (again pretty far out)
Bat Ayin
Karmey Tzur
Maaleh Chever
Kiryat Arbah
Maon
you can also find like-minded communities in Ramat Gan (around the yeshiva)
Ariel
Lod (mixed Jewish-Arabic city, but a large wonderful DL community with a strong "chardal/torani" presence)
I'm not super familiar with Maale Adumim, obviously, there is a mix there but it might be large enough that you'd find enough like-minded people.

ima-ahava

Thu, Nov 28 2019, 3:23 pm

@chancy123 - thank you for this long list! very good to know that there are so many options. some of them we checked already out, but they don't work unfortunately (for example: Mevo Choron seems great, but it has not enough places to live available as far as we heard)...
may I ask if you live in the Shomron area or personally know some of these places that you mentioned?
@Rappel. thank you so much. I wrote you a PM :-)

still looking for someone from Maale Adumim. anyone there?

a friend of mine sends her daughter to Ahavat Yisrael school in Jerusalem. this would be a great fit for us, too. is there anything similiar in Shomron? (I know the same "kind" of school exists in Beit Shemesh, but this city is not so much on our agenda).

Thank you, ladies, any information is of great help!

amother

Mistyrose

Thu, Nov 28 2019, 6:02 pm

I'm in Karnei Shomron. It is mixed but if you don't mind different types all together, you can be what you want and everyone accepts everyone else. I have enough friends like me (Torani) and others different but very respectful and accepting. I really like that it's mixed so my kids see all types and respect everyone. I don't like being in a community where everyone is a certain type. We lived in a charedi city before years ago before kids. It does have challenges in a mixed place but Jews are a mix and I love everyone!

At one point, we almost moved as my dh's work was very far away. I'm so glad we didn't as the quality of our friends and the chessed of people here is really great. Yishuv life is amazing for kids' independence.

ima-ahava

Mon, Dec 02 2019, 3:59 am

Op here. Thank you, dear ladies. your information is really helpful!
I really appreciate your help.
the mother above from Karnei Shomron (or anyone else living there): sounds interesting, too. May I ask you, what makes you "Torani" - what is the difference to your friends? do you send your kids on the same schools or are there differences?
may I write you my questions per PM? (if so, can you write me first as I can't see your name). ;-)

on our list are so far: Kochav HaShachar; Shilo/ Shvut Rachel; maybe Karnei Shomron.
if anyone has more information about the yishuvim in Shomron, please feel free to write me a PM.

after reading some more posts in this forum and realizing that Aliyah is a challenge to the whole family, we realize that more than anything we want our children to succeed in growing in the ways and love of Hashem. we don't care so much if they will choose to be Torani, Dati Leumi, Chassidic, Chareidi or whatever in the end (as long as they live within Halacha, of course), but are happy and proud Jews.
(we have 5 children under age 9.) I know the biggest part is on us and our prayers, and we are trying our best bez''H, but still...

based on this, what yishuvim would you consider the "best one" for us? are there any among them that are known for getting their kids very smoothly through the teenager years and above?
I feel it is a sensitive topic (I don't want to cause anyone to say something negative publically!). so please share only positive information and/or feel free to send a PM.

Have a great day!!

amother

Turquoise

Mon, Dec 02 2019, 5:47 am

I'd like to add Kfar Tapuach just for the sake of more information, also if other readers in the future look at this thread. It's half way between Itamar/Elon Moreh and Eli/Shilo on the North-South axis towards Jerusalem. If there is no traffic jam, it's 45 minutes by car to the northern entry of Jerusalem (tzomet hizmeh). During rush hour it's longer.

Kfar Tapuach is a dati leumi yishuv and new housing units are being built. A dl mamad primary school and several kindergartens and a ma'on for very small children are in the yishuv. However, it's not a chardal place. There are some chardal people in the yishuv but the majority is dl mainstream. In recent years there is a trend towards dati lite dress styles emerging (as in very partial headcovers, shorter skirts etc.) However, there are shiurim and Jewish learning activities for men, women and children ongoing. It's a tolerant kind of place covering the entire spectrum from dati lite over dl mainstream to torani to chardal. There is also a small Chabad community. And eidot hamizrach - Yemenite (the original founders of the yishuv) and Morrocan. The yishuv used to have a reputation of being Kahanist but (to my sorrow) that's largely a thing of the past. The place has mellowed out, mainstreamed and with new expensive houses also gentrified somewhat. There are only a handful of Anglo families. It's a very "Israeli" yishuv.

chanchy123

Mon, Dec 02 2019, 7:12 am

ima-ahava wrote:

OP how is your Hebrew? How about your kids' Hebrew?
If you want a softer landing language-wise Karnei Shomron might a good choice for you.
I grew up in Karnei Shomron and my family still lives there. There are many many Anglos and even a lot of second generation Israelis speak English with their children. It has a very wide range of people, not everyone will be interested in spiritual growth and Torah centered. A certain portion of the moms in their 30s wear jeans and don't cover their hair (or very partially) for instance, if that kind of thing is important to you. There is a torani boys elementary school but not one for girls. So there is only one elementary school option for girls and two for boys. There is a co-ed separate class 1st-6th grade school which is tagged as a torani school (and I gather that it is torani, some of the more liberal families are upset they have no other options). There are two yeshiva high schools locally and two girl's highschools that the girls bus to.
Bat Ayin has an Ahavat Yisrael school that caters to the more Torani families in the Gush (a lot of my neighbors send there).
I strongly recommend you check out Har Bracha. It is a very warm community that is focused on learning Torah and chinuch, it has local schools and a lot of amenities for good prices. The rav is a very strong presence in the yishuv, if you connect with this rav's derech it is a really wonderful place to live. Sounds like what you are looking for. Especially if you are working from home.
Edited to add, that I have close family in Nof Ayalon as well. I think it would be a good fit but it is very expensive. Maybe check out the new neighborhood in Shaalavim.

ima-ahava

Tue, Dec 03 2019, 1:56 am

op here.
Our Hebrew is not so great, but we are working on it und definitely are willing to integrate into Israeli, Hebrew society. ;-) our oldest kids know how to write and read and have been to an Israeli Gan years ago. (we don't speak English at home, so Ivrit will be the new language for our kids - and we will have to learn, too).
thanks for commenting about Kfar Tapuach! any information is so helpful, though this is not what we are looking for. Smile

I think Revava is too far from Jerusalem from us (some of our main contacts are living there) and a little more mix is ok with us. not everyone has to be or look like us. I think it is healthy for our children so see that there are all kind of Jews and we have to respect and love everyone.
we check out Har Brakha, thanks!!