living in Israel | Imamother

Seraph

Mon, May 07 2007, 10:58 am

Kmelion wrote:

::smiles as she looks around her 2 story, 6 bedroom house she pays $350/month for with the most gorgeous view of the Judean Hills and Shilo::

*Is jealous*
I pay that much for my 2 bedroom apt with a backyard and a gorgeous veiw ruined by some lovely arab houses...

shabbatiscoming

Mon, May 07 2007, 1:49 pm

Kmelion wrote:

::smiles as she looks around her 2 story, 6 bedroom house she pays $350/month for with the most gorgeous view of the Judean Hills and Shilo::

wow, kemilion, how did you pull that one off? I know that it is not at all all of yesha that you pay that little.....

I know that my husband and I would looooove to live somewhere that is near to yerushaliyim that is that affordable. I dont think that it exists...

amother

Sun, May 13 2007, 11:06 am

I live on sorotzkin and am paying 1200 for a furnished 2 bedroom, 2.5 flights up. the market is going even higher now, more like 1300.
private medical insurance comes out to about 300 dollars a month. so its pretty expensive to live here, if you want to live in an american neighborhood. now we're looking to move, because its getting too crazy here.

amother

Sun, May 13 2007, 11:34 pm

I lived in israel for 2 years, in the american neighborhoods, first on sorotskin and then in ganei geula. my father supported us, 1750 a month.

$1000 went for rent and most of the 750 went for bills. we were bearly left with spending money. it wasn't easy. (I'm not complaining about what I got, but I didn't really realize how much money you need to live there)
and this is besides the once a year trips home and the huge shopping on dad's credit card bill when we were in america.

oh and btw, this was 4 years ago.

if you are going as an american, who wants to experiance the holiness of israel and has no idea how to budget, do me a favor, stay in america, build up your career, or just work in whatever you are interested and start a stable life.

I loved it in israel, and it really enhance our marrige, but in a way it did more harm than good...

shabbatiscoming

Mon, May 14 2007, 8:48 am

amother wrote:

I know that in Arzei my friend paid 1600 for a two bedroom. And I know people that have even paid 2,000 to live in Arzei.

my gosh, how in the world do ppl afford to rent in such neighborhoods? that is outrageous rent. I know where I live the rent can be up to $800 but that is for an apt with a big salon/dining area, kitchen, two bathrooms, washing room and then 4 other rooms (one being the shelter) but in an area where MANY ppl are not living on two jobs or any jobs only guys learning stipend, how do they manage?

shalhevet

Mon, May 14 2007, 9:19 am

shabbatiscoming wrote:

amother wrote:

I know that in Arzei my friend paid 1600 for a two bedroom. And I know people that have even paid 2,000 to live in Arzei.

I guess we got our answers in the threads we've had about people asking/ getting / demanding huge sums from their parents 'so that they can learn'. I also can't quite understand why some of the couples who are basically living off their parents have to live in the most expensive neighbourhoods in the country. In my town (with a large religious and/or chareidi population, kolelim, BY, chadarim) you can rent a 3-4 room apartment for about $400-$500. There are places with kolelim and all chareidi facilities, especially in the north and south (Yerucham, Netivot, Tifrach, Tzfat, Tiveria etc) where it is even less.

suomynona

Mon, May 14 2007, 10:09 am

amother wrote:

The point of living is Israel is living in Jerusalem. If not, then why live there?

well I think that's a bit extreme, but I think what you're trying to say is that the American couples who come to live here for a few years would basically not bother coming at all if it wasn't to yerushalayim.
Most people I know are here because of a specific yeshiva.

And to answer Shalehvet and shabbosiscoming, a lot of people who are paying that kind of rent are from well-off families.

Shalhevet, as my husband always says to me, women can't understand, but a man who learns a specific way can't just pick himself up and learn in any kollel/yeshiva. I know my husband couldn't.

shabbatiscoming

Mon, May 14 2007, 10:18 am

suomynona wrote:

amother wrote:

The point of living is Israel is living in Jerusalem. If not, then why live there?

I also think that that is a bit extreme. amother, my husband is learning at this moment in a yeshiva in yerushaliyim but we do not live in yerushaliyim for two reasons: 1 - it is WAAAY toooo expensive and 2 - it is the city, not suburbia.
there are soooooooooo many other places to live that you can live while taking a bus into yerushaliyim every single day. I know many many ppl who do that.

suomynona

Mon, May 14 2007, 10:20 am

so let's say for arguments sake that the ones who can afford to live near their yeshiva, do, and the ones who can't, don't.
what is the problem with that?

Shalhevet was talking about towns which aren't commutable to yerushalayim. In those cases, the person would have to switch yeshivos.

lst

Mon, May 14 2007, 10:23 am

Yerushalayim is not the only place with Kedusha. Is that a serious question? Yes, everyone loves Yerushalayim, but for many many reasons, a lot of people dont want to live there. If someone is coming to live for a year or two, I can see why they would want to live in Yerushalayim. Someone who lives here permanently can give lists of reasons why they want to live in other places. No one is going to say they dont like Yerushalayim but to say that there is no point in living anywhere else in Israel how can you say that? You're going to say that living in a land full of Kedusha is the same as living in New York if you're not even living in Yerushalayim?

shalhevet

Mon, May 14 2007, 10:25 am

amother wrote:

The point of living is Israel is living in Jerusalem. If not, then why live there?

I must be really dense. I don't understand you at all. Is there a mitzva of yishuv Yerushalayim and not EY? Do the mitzvos hatluyos ba'aretz only apply in Yerushalayim? Doesn't it say that avira d'Eretz Yisroel machkima (the air of EY makes one wise) or does it say that just about Yerushalayim?

Today there are flourishing frum communities all over the country with kolelim, yeshivos, BY, chadorim, gemachim and the special ruchniyus of EY.

Would you like to explain what you mean?

Last edited by shalhevet on Mon, May 14 2007, 10:26 am; edited 1 time in total

suomynona

Mon, May 14 2007, 10:25 am

I know that if I would end up living here for good, I would probably want to move out of yerushalayim. Without family here, I would need a more close-knit community. And I'm not used to city life for other reasons too.

shabbatiscoming

Mon, May 14 2007, 10:28 am

shalhevet wrote:

amother wrote:

The point of living is Israel is living in Jerusalem. If not, then why live there?

I must be really dense. I don't understand you at all. Is there a mitzva of yishuv Yerushalayim and not EY? Do the mitzvos hatluyos ba'aretz only apply in Yerushalayim. Doesn't it say that avira d'Eretz Yisroel machkima (the air of EY makes one wise) or does it say that just about Yerushalayim?

Today there are flourishing frum communities all over the country with kolelim, yeshivos, BY, chadorim, gemachim and the special ruchniyus of EY.

Would you like to explain what you mean?

shalhevet, you made me laugh. I also was thinking the things that you wrote about the mitzvor and thriving jewish communities.

but it is possible that b/c we both do not live in a kehilla in yerushaliyim we see things differently. I know that the community that I live in has many kollelim and many ownderful yeshivot and chaderim etc...and gemachim, wow, I could go on for pages:)

who knows.....

PinkandYellow

Mon, May 14 2007, 10:45 am

yes, I've heard ppl say b/4, if I don't live in y-m I might as well live in america. I still don't understand it.
in terms of yeshivos, B"H we are in E"Y, there is an abundance of yeshivos here. each with their own style and pace and derech and mehalach. there is something for e/o here. in the summer dh was looking for a new yeshiva, he was looking at 6 or 7 of them. each one with their own thing and dh was able to pick the one to suit him best for where he's holding and what he wants. in brooklyn, there are a few options, but you cannot have this taina here.
btw, I noticed that alot of these guys living in ramat eshkol (etc) and being supported, learn in the mir, (probably) one of the only non paying kollels.

shabbatiscoming

Mon, May 14 2007, 10:50 am

Quote:

[quote="MosheDovid'sMom"]yes, I've heard ppl say b/4, if I don't live in y-m I might as well live in america. I still don't understand it.

me neither, it baffles the mind, to my mind at least. there is just no place like israel, fine there are definintely places that have less kedusha, but there are places that are so abundant with kedusha that its a very big WOW feeling.

Quote:

btw, I noticed that alot of these guys living in ramat eshkol (etc) and being supported, learn in the mir, (probably) one of the only non paying kollels.

they dont get paid? then how do they live there, really???????/

suomynona

Mon, May 14 2007, 10:57 am

MDM didn't you mention that you lived in yerushalayim when you first moved here? Remember we are talking about people who are coming to live here for a couple of years. It's a very different story than all of you. These people aren't interested in living among Israelis (with all the culture clashes than entails), integrating into Israeli life, and living on Israeli standards etc.

Quote:

they dont get paid? then how do they live there, really???????/

they are being supported by their parents (who in most cases have the means to support them). I'm sure you already realized that from all these threads, I'm not sure why you are asking.