Where to move in Israel

amother

Mon, Jun 22 2020, 3:11 am

Success10 wrote:

OP, it seems you won't be able to get EVERYTHING on your list (like all things in life). Try to cross off a few things that are not crucial.

We know, there are things on the list that we're willing to sacrifice, but we're interested in hearing all the options and what's out there, and then deciding based on that which ones we'll compromise on in the end.

shabbatiscoming

Mon, Jun 22 2020, 3:22 am

I think you should look at yad2. That way you can see which cities have housing for under 900k.
Then from there see what things you can cross off your list and / or what that city does have that you want.
And with arabs, arabs really live in all cities. Only in Jewish yishuvim you will not find arabs living there.

amother

Azure

Mon, Jun 22 2020, 3:31 am

Very exciting that you are looking to move! You didn't mention if you have children. If so, and if they are school-age, your main objective should be finding a place where they can get services. Otherwise, I think Kiryat Gat could work.

What about jobs for you? Can you work remotely? That plays into things as well.

amother

Mon, Jun 22 2020, 3:33 am

amother [ Azure ] wrote:

We do have children BH, but more important to us than schools is early intervention. I work remotely and DH would find a local job.

amother

Indigo

Mon, Jun 22 2020, 3:36 am

I don't think your budget is realistic. I'm also a lubavitcher who spent a lot of time researching communities. I recently moved to Lod and bought a 6 room garden apartment in the chabad neighborhood for almost 2.2 million shekels and am very happy. The chabad neighborhood is like an island within Lod, with loads of mitkanim (playgrounds?), great schools, ganim and daycares within 2 minutes walk (without even needing to cross the street), there's a train to Tel Aviv (20 mins) directly across the street. Love it. Moving has made my life 10 time easier BH.

There are Arabs in the rest of Lod and Ramle but I personally don't have a problem with them. Relations are very good between us BH.

amother

Indigo

Mon, Jun 22 2020, 5:45 am

byisrael wrote:

What about Migdal Haemek - don't know about prices- but I doubt it's to expensive, but it's a nice mixed cohesive community, has big chabad presence, doesn't have a lot of arabs living but they do shop there

This was one of the places I researched. Very much ticks a lot of OP's boxes as it's cheap, great chabad community, very green.

amother

Slategray

Mon, Jun 22 2020, 5:45 am

Netanya except for housing prices.

It's cheaper than Tel Aviv/Jerusalem at least. Very few Arabs live here, but of course they visit, but overall not a big Arab presence. Very hetrogenous. You can get around by public transportation, though IMO a car would be more comfortable.

amother

Indigo

Mon, Jun 22 2020, 5:52 am

amother [ Slategray ] wrote:

I researched Netanya too (yeah I really should write a book about Chabad in Israel!) The main chabad community is in the south, which is very rundown (to say it nicely) and not even that cheap to boot. There are batai chabad throughout the city but no real anash Chabad community around them.

amother

Brown

Mon, Jun 22 2020, 7:11 am

Migdal haemek also is really close to haifa so if you need something not offered enough locally you can get it there.
Just something to keep in mind -
You don't HAVE to stick with Maccabi if everything else ticks. I worked in a setting where I had to deal with all 4 kupot cholim (trying to help people get services) and they are all pretty much the same in the end of the day - it's really more about your dr., and they all have good ones, you just need to find out who they are.

etky

Mon, Jun 22 2020, 7:24 am

amother [ Brown ] wrote:

Afula is about 20 min away too.

amother

Indigo

Mon, Jun 22 2020, 7:31 am

Happy birthday wrote:

Hi I'm chabad and live on ramet beis shemesh there are a few different areas here some are cheaper then others there schools don't see Arabs besides workers by car to yerushlyom is 40 minutes we have schools shul if I can help please pm

I researched RBS too. No way will you get something normal for under 1 million shekels.

ora_43

Mon, Jun 22 2020, 3:36 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

We do have children BH, but more important to us than schools is early intervention. I work remotely and DH would find a local job.

Doing what? Eg if he wants to work in hi-tech that's going to limit you to very specific parts of the country. And some areas that check several of your boxes (eg Tzfat) don't have many available jobs in general.

ora_43

Mon, Jun 22 2020, 3:59 pm

Like other posters said, some of what's on your list is contradictory. City + cheap doesn't go with 'green' or Jewish-only. 'Don't need a car' generally doesn't go with 'lots of green space' at all, anywhere.

You didn't ask me, but I'd give up the following:
- no Arabs. Not only is it not realistic, it's not important. Unless there are a lot of tensions in a particular area (eg some parts of Jerusalem) living near Arabs is not a downside. Really. Complete non-issue.

- Backyard. I know that having a backyard is great, but 1. if you have a lot of green space/nice parks around, your kids will have plenty of places to play without one, 2. Israeli kids mostly like to play in groups, anyway, not each family in their own yard, 3. it adds a LOT to the price of the apartment; you'll find it much easier to find a 900,000 place in a good area without this requirement.

- Aside from that, decide where on the "city amenities" to "green" scale you want to be.

ora_43

Mon, Jun 22 2020, 4:00 pm

OK, that aside, maybe Katzrin, in the Golan? It definitely has 'green.' Also a very chill community, heterogeneous, generally good schools, cheap housing (although IIRC you have to enter a housing lottery to buy). I'm not sure about the Chabad community there, and you would need a car. Also, it gets less than 30 seconds of warning for rockets coming from the north.

Naharia might be another option. Has green, reasonably cheap housing, is on the train line. Less than 30 seconds warning for rockets from the north, and I'm not sure what the schools are like.

And... Is it just me, or is this like the third time this week I'm recommending the Krayot area (north of Haifa)? Well, whatever. I'm recommending it again anyway. The Chabad communities are small (which might be a plus, if you're looking for family-like), but the schools are decent and housing is cheap. Kiryat Shmuel is part of Haifa, which has good early intervention services. OTOH, the other krayot are much cheaper.

It has most of what's on your list. What it doesn't have is a lot of green space, although there are some nice parks. Also, an apartment with a yard would probably be more than 900,000. (Unless you go for Kiryat Shmuel, in which case it would definitely be more than 900,000 - although you could find something in the 1.3 million range).

I wouldn't put this at the top of your list - I second other posters' recommendation that you check out Migdal Haemek, and maybe some of the smaller yishuvim in the Gush area. Just adding it because it wasn't mentioned yet, and because I think it's a strong candidate if you decide that city amenities are more important than being out in nature.

amother

Hotpink

Tue, Jun 23 2020, 4:34 am

Rappel wrote:

I had no idea why everyone was bringing up Arabs. I had to reread the OP several times until I got that you were all inferring them from the word "cousins" - I thought she was referring to close-knit, closed communities. LOL

Haha I had the same reaction at first! But that might be because I spent the morning thinking about an issue I'm having with a set of cousins in my kid's class!