At the risk of waaaay over-generalizing, I have forced myself to include only 2 or 3 descriptive words under each column.
Remember, this chart is as much for my own reference and Ted’s as it is for yours.
Okay, maybe more so.
Also, our time is VERY limited and our needs are pretty specific. If we have omitted your favourite town, please don’t take it personally – though please feel free to suggest it anyway!
*** Clarification: I have never been to ANY of these places. “Good” and “bad” are distilled from others’ comments. Please don’t assume that ch”v these are my views. I have no views yet; hence, the pilot trip!
| City | Population | Anglo | Good | Bad |
| Ramat Beit Shemesh | 4300, but 70,000 in Beit Shemesh | 40% | easy, lots of services | boring, inauthentic |
| Maaleh Adumim | 40,000 | 7% | beautiful, close to Jerusalem | expensive, political |
| Raanana | 80,000 | 20% | beautiful, merkaz klitah | expensive, “snooty” |
| Rechovot | 120,000 | 10% | friendly people, affordable? | climate |
| Nahariya | 52,000 | 5% | beautiful, north, train | Lebanon, boring |
| Maalot | 21,000 | 5% | beautiful, north, climate | Lebanon, remote |
The last two are part of a Go North group pilot trip run by Nefesh b’Nefesh. I am grateful, because it’s exhausting enough organizing four destinations, let alone six. And even though we are viewing more southern destinations as well, I haven’t ruled out north… it’s still definitely in the running.
Addendum: Places I’d love to go see, but we’re not – mostly because we’re all out of time…:
- Zichron Yaakov
- Pardes Chana
- Yavne’el
Addendum: Places we’re going to see, but probably not going to live:
- Yerushalayim
- Beit Shemesh
- Har Nof
- Tzfat
- Karmiel
I’d love feedback on any or all of these spots… !
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteAn important consideration, which I do not see factored into your table is employment. It sounds like you and your husband will likely be employed in the hi-tech sector, which runs from "Hadera to Gadera" with the greater Tel Aviv area as the center. To commute from Maalei Adumim or Jerusalem is difficult (salaries are also lower in Jerusalem). There is a big difference between the salaries of hi-tech and the rest of the workforce.
The "weather" has two sides to it. Yes, Rehovot and all the cities on the coastal plain are humid at the peak of the summer, but the flip side is AMAZING! I love winter here. When we visit friends in Jerusalem, we ask ourselves how they cope with the damp cold in stone apartments.
Another consideration is balancing the ease of living in an supportive Anglo community and the downside of living in an Anglo ghetto. I think that kids that live in a predominantly Hebrew-speaking community, with a small group of Anglos seem to flourish.
My two cents anyway(now rounded down to zero in Canada)
Stephen