Yehuda S's dream, once in a lifetime (maybe) 9 month trip

[yehuda S]

@OP
Are you looking to go on a 9 month vacation,  or you're looking to (temporarily)  move there and settle in?

You/your wife are looking for work to support yourself,  or just to keep busy?

Option B and B - although some income would've helpful.

This will be a respite from years of brutal graduate school and a chance to reorient our lives.

[meshugener]

On what aspect was your question?

I asked why ate you doing this?
But you already answered in the following post.

Isn't it more of an hassle than a air out?

[moish]

do you have any friends living here?

[rots5]

How old are you? and where you coming from?

It might be a drop hard finding a place in jan. but then again there are so many people here coming and going on a weekly basis.

My building had so little traffic the past 2 yrs and then this summer there will be a total of at least 10 apts with new renters, and this is just my building. Pls PM me if you need help finding a place and trying to figure out a decent place to start off.

You said you want to go to ohr sameach then if you want an americana rea close you have tons of options. Arzie habeira, Maalot Dafna, Machal and if you want to go a drop father out theres Ramat Eshkol. Dont forget Heshy friedman is putting up around 6 new massive building next door to arzie, im sure you can rent from one of his buyers.

There are plenty of americans in these places i mentioned. you can walk into any of these places and never learn a word of hebrew. everyone speaks english, the makolets and muchdet offices, and so on. Your daughter can go to a playgroup or gan ran by americans. There are so many available.

There is work that can be found but you might have to do some advertising in the local papers or in the area. you might need to get someone to hang up sighs all over the area.

Visas are pretty simple. i dont see why you would need 2 yr visas, so you can technically come in and have your three month visa and be fine.

your daughter might like it and she might hate it. It all depends on her personality and the friends she finds there. (sounds like im thinking shes 16) but still, she can go to the park every day and it depends who the people at the park are and what type of kids they are.

An apartment can range from 1200-2k usually for a 2/3 bedroom. in arzie they (IMHO) run a bit more on the 1500 side. (sometimes it includes furniture, most of the time not) if your leaving in sept, im sure youd be able to find someone easily to take your apart. bec it will be the new zman-ish.

I think i covered most of the issues.

[Chaikel]

IMO/E the most important part of choosing where to live is where your wife will be happiest. Guys can generally adapt to any frum community, and a 4 year old generally wont have a problem adapting in any English speaking community.

[smart brit]

IMO/E the most important part of choosing where to live is where your wife will be happiest. Guys can generally adapt to any frum community, and a 4 year old generally wont have a problem adapting in any English speaking community.

+1

[meshugener]

An apartment can range from 1200-2k usually for a 2/3 bedroom. in arzie they (IMHO) run a bit more on the 1500 side.

Wow, that's expensive.
I thought only Brooklyn is expansive.

[yehuda S]

Wow, that's expensive.
I thought only Brooklyn is expansive.

That's my reaction. Wow. I have a pretty nice apartment and I don't pay that much. Salaries in Israel are much less than here but I guess they know who their clientele are: Rich Americans (all Americans are rich).

[Chaikel]

That's my reaction. Wow. I have a pretty nice apartment and I don't pay that much. Salaries in Israel are much less than here but I guess they know who their clientele are: Rich Americans (all Americans are rich).

He's talking in his neighborhood/building. Across the street you can get 2 bedrooms for $1000 or less

[yehuda S]

He's talking in his neighborhood/building. Across the street you can get 2 bedrooms for $1000 or less

Across the street where? What street/neighborhood?

[churnbabychurn]

Across the street where? What street/neighborhood?

Ramat beit shemesh, 2 bdr ~$500, at least a couple of years ago.

[yehuda S]

Ramat beit shemesh, 2 bdr ~$500, at least a couple of years ago.

That's more like it! :-)

But do you need a car there?

[churnbabychurn]

That's more like it! :-)

But do you need a car there?

Nah, buses all the time. Obviously a car is a plus but definitely not a necessary.

[rots5]

He's talking in his neighborhood/building. Across the street you can get 2 bedrooms for $1000 or less

Thats maybe 2 dinky disgusting apartments in the area... who we kidding chaikel?

[PlatinumGuy]

You might want to consider spending more money on a shorter period of time. Better have a short powerful memory.

[yehuda S]

You might want to consider spending more money on a shorter period of time. Better have a short powerful memory.

Interesting idea but it takes a while just to settle in. 9 months is already less than the year I was hoping for but we want our daughter to start the school year back home with her classmates.

[yehuda S]

Thats maybe 2 dinky disgusting apartments in the area... who we kidding chaikel?

Any idea what prices are like in Ramat Beit Shemesh? Or Places on the outskirts of Jerusalem?

[shauly]

I live in Rechavia (in Yerushalayim). It's one of the more expensive areas, but there is an abundance of English speakers, and around Succos/Pesach time, half of New York is here. We have a renovated 1 bedroom and we pay ~$1200 a month (4200 shekel). You can find two bedrooms in the area starting at 4500 shekel, if you are lucky. Most will be at least 5000, with the really nice ones being 6000 or more.

Depending on how much you eat out, and if you are willing to buy Israeli brands instead of the expensive imports, you could spend four or five hundred dollars a month on food. Probably won't be too much less, but definitely could be more.

You can get on Meuchedet health insurance for ~$70 a month, and you don't even need a visa. If you get A3 visas, after about 6 months you are eligible for Bituach Leumi (national health insurance) which covers a lot more, such as childbirth. If you save your receipts for medical expenses before you got onto it, they will reimburse you.

We spend about $2000 a month, but we don't have a kid yet. I know diapers are expensive here though, so you'll have to account for that. Electric can be expensive when it's really hot or really cold out, but if you are careful it should only be around 450 shekel per cycle (6-8 weeks) max. Water is usually 200-250 shekel per the same cycle, but again it depends on your usage. You also have to account for arnona (yearly renters tax, the more your rent, the more you pay), vaad bayit (building upkeep, it's usually not so bad unless you are in a luxury building), and the usual surprise expenses you get anywhere.

Visas can be a difficult process, and I don't know anything about anything other than a student visa. If you are in a kollel, you should be able to get a student visa, and then add your wife and children onto that one (make sure you bring your marriage license, if you don't have one, then get one). There is a man in Bayit Vegan somewhere named Dagan who supposedly takes care of visas, Bituach Leumi, and some other things for you for a fee, but I have no experience with him.

There are plenty of Anglo neighborhoods, and as suggested above, you might want to take a pilot trip to find the one that suits you best.

Feel free to let me know any other ways I can help you out.

[yehuda S]

I live in Rechavia (in Yerushalayim). It's one of the more expensive areas, but there is an abundance of English speakers, and around Succos/Pesach time, half of New York is here. We have a renovated 1 bedroom and we pay ~$1200 a month (4200 shekel). You can find two bedrooms in the area starting at 4500 shekel, if you are lucky. Most will be at least 5000, with the really nice ones being 6000 or more.

Depending on how much you eat out, and if you are willing to buy Israeli brands instead of the expensive imports, you could spend four or five hundred dollars a month on food. Probably won't be too much less, but definitely could be more.

You can get on Meuchedet health insurance for ~$70 a month, and you don't even need a visa. If you get A3 visas, after about 6 months you are eligible for Bituach Leumi (national health insurance) which covers a lot more, such as childbirth. If you save your receipts for medical expenses before you got onto it, they will reimburse you.

We spend about $2000 a month, but we don't have a kid yet. I know diapers are expensive here though, so you'll have to account for that. Electric can be expensive when it's really hot or really cold out, but if you are careful it should only be around 450 shekel per cycle (6-8 weeks) max. Water is usually 200-250 shekel per the same cycle, but again it depends on your usage. You also have to account for arnona (yearly renters tax, the more your rent, the more you pay), vaad bayit (building upkeep, it's usually not so bad unless you are in a luxury building), and the usual surprise expenses you get anywhere.

Visas can be a difficult process, and I don't know anything about anything other than a student visa. If you are in a kollel, you should be able to get a student visa, and then add your wife and children onto that one (make sure you bring your marriage license, if you don't have one, then get one). There is a man in Bayit Vegan somewhere named Dagan who supposedly takes care of visas, Bituach Leumi, and some other things for you for a fee, but I have no experience with him.

There are plenty of Anglo neighborhoods, and as suggested above, you might want to take a pilot trip to find the one that suits you best.

Feel free to let me know any other ways I can help you out.

This is great information! Thank you so much.

[rots5]

I live in Rechavia (in Yerushalayim). It's one of the more expensive areas, but there is an abundance of English speakers, and around Succos/Pesach time, half of New York is here. We have a renovated 1 bedroom and we pay ~$1200 a month (4200 shekel). You can find two bedrooms in the area starting at 4500 shekel, if you are lucky. Most will be at least 5000, with the really nice ones being 6000 or more.

Depending on how much you eat out, and if you are willing to buy Israeli brands instead of the expensive imports, you could spend four or five hundred dollars a month on food. Probably won't be too much less, but definitely could be more.

You can get on Meuchedet health insurance for ~$70 a month, and you don't even need a visa. If you get A3 visas, after about 6 months you are eligible for Bituach Leumi (national health insurance) which covers a lot more, such as childbirth. If you save your receipts for medical expenses before you got onto it, they will reimburse you.

We spend about $2000 a month, but we don't have a kid yet. I know diapers are expensive here though, so you'll have to account for that. Electric can be expensive when it's really hot or really cold out, but if you are careful it should only be around 450 shekel per cycle (6-8 weeks) max. Water is usually 200-250 shekel per the same cycle, but again it depends on your usage. You also have to account for arnona (yearly renters tax, the more your rent, the more you pay), vaad bayit (building upkeep, it's usually not so bad unless you are in a luxury building), and the usual surprise expenses you get anywhere.

Visas can be a difficult process, and I don't know anything about anything other than a student visa. If you are in a kollel, you should be able to get a student visa, and then add your wife and children onto that one (make sure you bring your marriage license, if you don't have one, then get one). There is a man in Bayit Vegan somewhere named Dagan who supposedly takes care of visas, Bituach Leumi, and some other things for you for a fee, but I have no experience with him.

There are plenty of Anglo neighborhoods, and as suggested above, you might want to take a pilot trip to find the one that suits you best.

Feel free to let me know any other ways I can help you out.

He can be on BL max for 3 months and thats if he gets a visa the day he arrives....

Like i wrote before, you just stick with your student visa you get when you arrive into the country.