Apartment in RBS | Imamother

7crazy

Thu, Jan 27 2022, 11:24 am

Hi. My family and I are coming to Israel this summer and we would like to try it out and se if we can acclimate and make Aliya. (My whole family lives in Israel) we are looking for apartment in RBS and would appreciate any help we can get. We are not knowledgeable about locations (I have a sister in ד. But was told א might be better. I also heard amazing things about rabbi haber and his community and shul adat yeshurun. We are currently looking at the schools netzach, DN, and MA for my 1 girl (going into 7th) and boys (going into 4th, kindergarten, and 3yo gan).
I know I’m asking A LOT of things here. But if I can get help in any of these part I would be very grateful.
1. Where can I find an apartment and what is the best location to start in? (We are looking to have an American community)
2. What are the difference in schools especially for the boys. For my daughter MY sounded like is almost the only option as a place for an American. (We are not Modern orthodox, but we aren’t yeshivesh either. My husband is a Baal Teshuva, I wear leggings or no socks/ stockings in the summer, my husband is wearing colored shirts)

Thank You ☺️

sara_s

Thu, Jan 27 2022, 12:30 pm

I think Magen Avot is actually more to the right than Netzach. Netzach is officially a goverment school (even though they somehow charge tuition), and from what I understood it was trying to be more to the left than Magen Avot and Bnos Malka, and less defined as Chareidi, more as "frum". I think it's worth checking out. There is also Moriya which is right wing "chardal" - chareidi dati leumi.
You would probaly be happier in Aleph but it's very very hard to find rental apartments in Aleph. It's much easier in Daled.

Reality

Thu, Jan 27 2022, 1:05 pm

7crazy wrote:

First worry about getting your kids into school. If you are renting, it's way too early to start looking. You don't want to pay rent six months in advance.

My boys are in DN and so far we are happy. It's a very soft landing. The boys speak english to each other but all classes are in hebrew. It's a private school so more expensive than Netzach. Netzach had no space for us so DN was our only other option.

We refused to consider any of the schools that had barely any secular education. DN has a full secular education which is really uncommon in Israel in the chareidi system. I heard Netzach has full secular as well but I don't know for sure.

If you have any other questions feel free to post here or you can pm me. I'm a recent olah myself and happy to to pay forward!!!

Reality

Thu, Jan 27 2022, 1:07 pm

sara_s wrote:

I'm not so sure about that. Rabbi Haber told us flat out that if you have another child in a DL school Netzach will not accept you. DN doesn't usually either. They stress they are in the chareidi school system.

Moriah is very Israeli and not equipped for the needs of new olim.

FranticFrummie

Thu, Jan 27 2022, 1:10 pm

Please contact Barbara Lemkin, she can answer all your questions! https://aliyahrealty.com/

Don't be put off by her "Type A" personality. She's a real go-getter, and won't be happy until you are completely settled in and satisfied. She's been working in Aleph for about 30 years now. She earns every shekel of her fee, and then some. Her co-worker Aryeh is a real mentch, too.

Mazel tov on your Aliyah! It will be nice to have a new neighbor. Very Happy

PS: If you ever need a babysitter, just let me know. I have local references. Wink

7crazy

Thu, Jan 27 2022, 1:39 pm

Reality wrote:

Yes. Regarding apartment I’m just worry we will get there and we wouldn’t have an apartment.
Regarding school. Yes Same here. We care very much about yidishkeit and Torah learning and we care about are kids getting a good secular/ general studies. Does MA not have that?

7crazy

Thu, Jan 27 2022, 1:48 pm

FranticFrummie wrote:

PS: If you ever need a babysitter, just let me know. I have local references. Wink

I’ll definitely keep your name. Especially for the babysitter factor, and contact you once we’re there and ready to stay.
Does she help with rental too? I’m looking for now just a rental for the summer. We might decide to stay or we might go back home to the US to pack up our things first and go through nefesh benefesh to make the Aliya.

FranticFrummie

Thu, Jan 27 2022, 1:55 pm

7crazy wrote:

Barbara helped me with my first rental, when I moved down from Nahariya. She helped me set up all my utilities accounts, arnona, getting a bus pass, and a bunch of other official paperwork that I didn't understand. If I needed furniture she could help me find good prices. She drove me places because I didn't have a car. She handled any disputes with the landlord. She even invited me and DD over for a Succot meal!

When you are ready for a babysitter, PM Imamother users "Finallyamommy" and "Yo". They can both give you references for me. I also fold laundry, clean up toys, help with homework, make snacks, feed and change babies, and other light work. I'm upbeat, fun, and very patient.

7crazy

Mon, Jan 31 2022, 12:02 pm

Hi. I’m coming back here because I just had a zoom meeting with DN. The principal seems incredibly warm and sweet. But he mentioned and I may have understood wrong. That it’s very Yeshivesh just differ in the fact that they care about secular education such as math, science English etc. - and there is a dress code regarding the kids/ parents and type of family that goes there. And from there most boys go to Maarava (which I know about a little and like their derech-) and another school that I forgot it’s name. He also mentioned that MA and Netzach are more Charedi-lite which I’m still trying to understand what it means exactly.
I’d like to know more about the schools:
For boys-
Toras Moshe
Magen Avot
Netzach
And for girls:
Bais Yakov Harama or Bais Yakov in Gimmel
Bnos Malka
Magen Avot
Netzach
If I go to one school which school would I not be able to go into?
We would want a school that is more American rather than Israeli. And has a setup for olim.

In short. We are shtark/ care very much about Torah. Would want our kids to have high level of Torah and be thought with enthusiasm gentleness and excitement to Torah (not harsh)
I wear leggings, cover my hair fully, with snoods and wigs depends on where I go. We care very much about secular education. We want our kids to be able to support themselves, and go to higher education if they wish to. My husband is a Baal Teshuva- me an Israeli American. Grew up in Israel but we do not fit and believe in the charedi Israeli system. We are Sephardi (I know it’s an issue in Israeli systems). Best to describes us is that even though we were never Modern orthodox you can describe us as moderen upgrade. We care and very enthusiastic about Torah life (we chose it) but we also very much can relate to the scholar world. We care about worldly ideas and especially education wise (secular). We are not quite yeshivesh but we are not modern orthodox (American style) or DL (Israeli) we tend more toward the yeshivesh lifestyle but my husband work, does not always wear white button down shirts (also colored button down) I wear leggings and in the summers especially when we go on vacation my legs are bare. Not so much sandal wearing (except for summer vacation I’d wear flip flops) , but I’d wear slides.

Hope that helps.

Reality

Mon, Jan 31 2022, 2:29 pm

From what you posted, I'm really not sure why the principal of DN didn't think you fit in.

Many of the fathers wear colored shirts, including to school plays, pta etc. The fathers go to work. The mom's cover their legs but nobody is inspecting. Plenty of dark nail polish.

I wouldn't call the parent body very yeshivish at all. Plenty of the mom's don't dress chareidi. Tznius but not hard core chareidi.

In general, I find that schools like to paint themselves as more right wing than they are to potential parents.

7crazy

Mon, Jan 31 2022, 3:59 pm

Reality wrote:

Thank you 🙏🏽 that makes sense. I also have noticed that about school trying to coney and look more to the right as they are.
Regarding the principle he haven’t said we wouldn’t fit in. But he did mention that they are VERY MUCH yeshivesh with the added secular subjects. and netzach and MA might be more charedi lite. As well as a mention (and this one I might have understood wrong) that if a family sends there you can’t really go to DN too

Reality

Mon, Jan 31 2022, 4:23 pm

7crazy wrote:

I really don't know the answer. From the people I have met who send to those schools they applied to all three and sent their kids to the school they got accepted to.

7crazy

Mon, Jan 31 2022, 4:24 pm

yihyetov wrote:

I'm following this post with interest as I would love to make Aliya in next few years and you sound similar to us...just curious if all your kids are vaccinated and if israeli schools are requiring kids to be vaccinated? I'm also wondering if you can get into Israel without the kids being vaccinated? Not judging you at all just curious for my own plans what I can expect...thanks!

I started a new chat/ topic as I felt that this topic with the subject of apartments wouldn’t reach many that might have answers for me.
But to answer regarding vaccination.
My kids aren’t vaccinated. My oldest will be 12, 2 days after we arrive this summer (not moving yet. Mostly costing and checking it out to see if it id possible for us- somewhat like a pilot trip) I have an almost 9 also once we arrive, a 5 a 3 and a 2yo. I’m Israeli and my husband also has an Israeli passport. So I think we can go into Israel, I’m a little worried if I’d have a scene regarding my kids but since they are under 12 or 16 I think they’ll be okay but we might need to quarantine for 5days. Regarding the school allowing kids unvaccinated I pretty sure they do. With the kids there weren’t yet that much strong about. But probably better to ask someone that has children in the system already Very Happy

Reality

Mon, Jan 31 2022, 4:27 pm

yihyetov wrote:

There is no vaccine mandate in Israel. Even during the hight of corona Israel allowed all olim in regardless of vaccine status. It never even came up as a question.

Schools always allowed kids to attend but rules for non vaccinated were stricter. I wouldn't worry about this because the rules change constantly.

Reality

Mon, Jan 31 2022, 4:28 pm

7crazy wrote:

I don't know how much more info you are going to get on this site. Not too many people from RBS seem to post.