Manchester | Imamother

amother

Tue, Jun 02 2020, 11:27 pm

Hi

We are considering returning to the UK, and more seriously would consider Manchester rather than London. We have been in Israel a number of years and have children ranging in age from 1 to 10.
We would be looking at Charedi schools which teach secular subjects.
I was wondering what Manchester is like now? Community,schools? Is it hard to get into the schools?

Thanks

amother

Babypink

Wed, Jun 03 2020, 1:50 am

Community has really grown and I think it's a great place to live. It's a lot cheaper than London and people are moving to areas that previously no one frum lived. But there still aren't all that many schools. It can be hard to get into schools, but I don't think it's any different to London. Do you know much about Manchester?

amother

Maroon

Wed, Jun 03 2020, 3:04 am

They are more schools but still not enough.
You also got so many different shuls or minyanim.
And yes more different areas are being used by us, it really has grown.

😂The weather however hasn't changed, still as rainy and grey. (Apart from this year where it was sunny by the lockdown, a helping hand from hashem in my eyes)

amother

Black

Wed, Jun 03 2020, 3:16 am

Manchester is a rainy place thats why we don't live in Manchester.

If you are haredi yeshivish Prestwich would be a good place for you, there is a nursery for kids stheibels like the stheibl from Rabbi Goldberg (who lives next to my parents in law) and Beis Mordche. There are kosher supermarkets around and butchers.
It's a tight knitted black hat community, on the edges of Prestwich and Salford you find the more MO and MY community.
Salford is chassidish don't know about that, but there are viznitz, satmar and belz shuls and they go to their own schools of what I've heard.

For your children if you are chareidi I would say Jewish Grammar and Yesode ha torah a good fit, you can look for Broughton Jewish as well but that is way less chareidi. There is also a Bais Yakov my SIL went there, my other SIL to the more MO school. Hatzlacha

amother

Lavender

Wed, Jun 03 2020, 3:19 am

I agree with the above, it's a great place to live. There are a few schools for you to chose from depending on how frum you want. The frummer the school the harder it is to get your child in (at least that's what it seems)

We are actually one of those who were brave to buy in an area that's just becoming more heimish. We bought 3 years ago, and delighted with the friendly area. (I mean it's only a 10 minute walk to the main heimishe area) school is very near to us still. We drive there mostly anyway. (We used to 😆)
We have 2 cars which helps.

The weather has been glorious the whole lockdown, we've been unbelievably lucky. Thank you Hashem! Today has just started to turn colder & rainy.

Let us know if you'd like more info. Do you have any friends or family here?

amother

Lavender

Wed, Jun 03 2020, 3:22 am

amother [ Black ] wrote:

Yes, we live in prestwich and send to Jewish day. I have a son in a frummer high school than Jewish grammar (etz chaim) but they're both very good schools.

I personally think it's silly not to live in a place bc of the weather. It's not that much different to London and housing is SO much cheaper here.

amother

Black

Wed, Jun 03 2020, 3:29 am

amother [ Lavender ] wrote:

You probably know who my family is then TMI

my dh cousins went to etz chiam we are in a whole different country with one frum school, where there are not even sheital restrictions or internet/tv phorbitions. TMI

amother

Lavender

Wed, Jun 03 2020, 3:46 am

amother [ Black ] wrote:

You probably know who my family is then TMI

my dh cousins went to etz chiam we are in a whole different country with one frum school, where there are not even sheital restrictions or internet/tv phorbitions. TMI

Possibly! Are you from here? I was brought up here, in Salford. Btw salford isn't only chassidim. They also have the oldies litvish like my parents 😁 the chassidim don't typically live in prestwich though.

And my son only just started at etz chaim, he's in his first year of high school so we don't know that many people. We know who Reb Shmuel Goldberg is obviously 😁

amother

Black

Wed, Jun 03 2020, 3:49 am

amother [ Lavender ] wrote:

No I'm not from there. My husband is from there. I know chassidim don't live in Prestwhich but I find the places where they live way nicer.

amother

Lavender

Wed, Jun 03 2020, 5:01 am

amother [ Black ] wrote:

No I'm not from there. My husband is from there. I know chassidim don't live in Prestwhich but I find the places where they live way nicer.

Yes they have bigger houses usually etc but the 'new area' where we live is way nicer than the prestwich that you know. BH paid way less for our house too. We now have a kosher grocery store on our road. Bh we got lucky. It's not easy moving from Israel. It's a big adjustment! My dh found it very hard after we moved back from Israel. He's from London. I was fine bc I'm from here and have my family.

amother

Babypink

Wed, Jun 03 2020, 11:27 am

I'd also add one of the things I love about Manchester is that I've found it very accepting (I know there may be those that disagree). I have neighbours that are barely shomer shabbos and others that are extremely frum and don't let their kids read non-jewish books. Yet we are all accepting of each other. There are all different stripes of Jews living here and we all manage to get along.
The standard of living also varies-there's the neighbours with their 4 floor extension house, and the ones who once in a while have meat on Yom Tov, and again there's acceptance. There is no standards that one HAS to follow.
My friends in London talk about how snobbish the community is and how their kids have to be in matching and have this designer and that. The standard of living is much much higher.
[BTW re the weather, if you look at statistics, Manchester does not get that much more rain than London]

amother

Lime

Wed, Aug 05 2020, 3:52 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

There are more schools opening all the time. Tiferes is a girls school also teaching secular subject, quite a high standard.
And yes, most schools its hard to get in but if you have older children it may be easier if there's space in the year.

Salford has all kinds of people, especially in Broughton Green and Kings Square. There is now lower Broughton area where mainly chassidishe people live or Windsor road and on the other side of Middleton road. The community is growing big time.

Good luck with all your decisions!!