Choosing school/camp in Jerusalem

chanchy123

Mon, Apr 19 2021, 1:32 am

I am a graduate of mamad schools and send my kids to mamad schools.
This is the public religious school system of education.
There are different types of schools within the system.
Basically like everywhere in the world I imagine public schools reflect the population that feeds into them. Especially in very urban areas some mamad schools, have a lot of kids who come from traditional families and not necessarily observant families and a lot of the frum kids will go to private or semi private schools. In other areas there might be more of a mix. I live in an area that has like 99% dati population so obviously almost all the kids in the school come from shomer Shabbat families.

I can’t imagine that there are more OTD graduates of the Mamad system than other systems (but who knows maybe there is such data somewhere). However, because some of the schools have such a mixed student population, in certain areas a lot of the kids will go to mamad elementary schools but secular high schools - because that suits their families level of observance.
There are a lot of great mamad schools even in cities, but it is worth doing the research to see which specific school suits your family’s needs and derech (for example, some of the schools have boys and girls in the same class - others have separate classes, others separate schools - same goes for variation in dress code, etc.)
A lot of people davka send to mamad so as to strengthen the public system and not force everyone into the private elitist schools.

amother

Brunette

Mon, Apr 19 2021, 2:05 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Reading more in to it- maybe we need chardal. But can’t tell. What type is Chardal. Black hat only? Or more modern than that?

Your definitions aren't going to translate exactly to Israel. Here, Zionism and army service are the dividing line.

Chardal (a portmanteau of charedi Dati leumi) means philosophically charedi in terms of limited interaction with secular culture and reliance on daas Torah, and strongly Zionist in terms of seeing religious value in the modern state.

Dress code is very tzanua, but not the black and white you'd find in charedi circles. Sheitels are rare - you will see women in mitpachot covering all the hair. Men in shirts of all colors, large kippa sruga, tzitzit out.

And just to nitpick, modern doesn't mean halachically lax.

chanchy123

Mon, Apr 19 2021, 2:18 am

amother [ Brunette ] wrote:

Yes, this.
OP
Please tell us more about yourselves. You say that you are very machmir in all other areas besides dress, can you give an example?

essie14

Mon, Apr 19 2021, 2:19 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Reading more in to it- maybe we need chardal. But can’t tell. What type is Chardal. Black hat only? Or more modern than that?

Chardal in Israel does not have a comparison in the US.
I don't think I know anyone who identifies as Chardal who wears a black hat.
usually kippah sruga
As said above, Army service and believing in the modern state of Israel are the dividing lines.
My neighbors do not allow their kids to have smartphones, although the parents do.
Filtered computer
Army service and sherut leumi are expected.
No co-ed youth groups, but defininitely the single gender ones.
Fully tzanua - knees, elbows, collarbones. But socks are not required.
Married women fully cover their hair.
Israeli flags flying, Hallel, music and shaving on Yom ha'atzmaut.
Tefila for the medina and tzahal in shul

salt

Mon, Apr 19 2021, 2:24 am

OP's kids are under 10, and they are only coming for 1 year.

I think more important to find a school with as much English speakers as possible, so that your kids can make friends immediately. And and area to live in where you and DH feel comfortable.

No need to worry about army, hesder, black hats, tichels - in elementary school, for 1 year.
Kids don't pick up on the differences so much.

shabbatiscoming

Mon, Apr 19 2021, 4:55 am

amother [ Yellow ] wrote:

Mamad means mamlachti dati. They are more lenient as regards halacha, but I think it's rather an exaggeration to say they mostly go off the derech. They are staunchly Zionistic and will normally consider themselves dati. The girls might go to the army instead of doing sherut Leumi. They'll eat a wider range of hashgachas, and might not worry too much about what they wear, but they will keep Shabbos - though again, they are more likely to take a lenient interpretation of the halachos.

Yellow amother, your interpretation of mmad school and the people who go there is so off, Im wondering if you just felt like making things up.
People who send to mamad schools are all dati leumi. Following halacha and where in the world did you get that they are mostly going off the derech? That is both not the case and extremely offensive. Most dati leumi girls do sherut leumi. In terms of dress, its live and let live. Some people cover up fully and others dont, but everyone is still dati. And again, about halacha, most dati leumi people follow halacha, all the way.
I really dont understand where you got your interpretations from. They literally are mostly wrong.

salt

Mon, Apr 19 2021, 5:04 am

shabbatiscoming wrote:

It was batmelech1 who said mamad pupils go off the derech.
Yellow was correcting her.

shabbatiscoming

Mon, Apr 19 2021, 5:11 am

batmelech1 wrote:

Mamad is plan religious. But it’s usually the people who are very lenient and the children who go there most of the time go off the derech..
Torani is the frummer version of the religious Zionist’s.

So I quoted wrong before.
Batmlech, where did you get such information? Completely not true.

lech lecha08

Mon, Apr 19 2021, 6:34 am

I don't know which schools are in the area where you're looking, but the Noam network of schools is considered torani. For example, my nieces who go there wear kneesocks/tights and that's definitely not a requirement in mamad schools.

Last edited by lech lecha08 on Mon, Apr 19 2021, 7:04 am; edited 1 time in total

amother

Gray

Mon, Apr 19 2021, 10:50 am

I was also going to suggest Rappaport (Ahavat Yisrael). There is one in RBS and also one in Y-m.

Some years ago, my family came for the year. The 3 schools that were suggested to us were Noam, Chorev, and Rappaport. I ended up at Chorev and did not have a good experience. Rappaport would have been the better option because it's more "middle of the road frum" for a family from chul. Chorev was seriously dati leumi but as an American, I had no concept of that hashkafa.

amother

Thistle

Mon, Jun 14 2021, 5:17 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Can I bump this up again to ask about camp
What’s the difference between Liga and All Star hashkafically?
Do you think I should start a new thread?

I have kids in Liga. They have girls and boys seprated for swim.
There are girls who wear shorts/t-shirts but there are definitely some in skirts, 3/4 sleeve shirts
IIRC there's some kind of tefilla in the morning

amother

Mon, Jun 14 2021, 10:37 am

lech lecha08 wrote:

I'm not sure when you're planning on coming, but you should be aware that because of corona, they decided to extend the school year 3 weeks. Camps aren't starting until late July.

Thanks! We are in Israel
Luckily some camps are still running early July despite that.

shabbatiscoming

Mon, Jun 14 2021, 11:06 am

lech lecha08 wrote:

I'm not sure when you're planning on coming, but you should be aware that because of corona, they decided to extend the school year 3 weeks. Camps aren't starting until late July.

Huh? Where did you see this? I havent seen this anywhere.
And just remember, they wanted that last year too, but the teacher's union faught and won against this.

Teomima

Mon, Jun 14 2021, 11:48 am

shabbatiscoming wrote:

Huh? Where did you see this? I havent seen this anywhere.
And just remember, they wanted that last year too, but the teacher's union faught and won against this.

It's true. Through 6th grade. But it's optional. And free. It's also unclear if it's the same staff or different staff, and if it's going to be run like school or like camp