Reply To: An Israeli want to live in North America / UK

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yytz
Participant

Why are you drawn to the Yekkes? Because of their minhagim? Or the derech of Rav Hirsch? Either way, the Yekkes are a pretty small community in the US, and it’s hard to understand why someone would want to leave Eretz Yisrael to join them (or to study in a Litvish Yeshivah, of which they are tons in Israel).

Compared to Israel, the US is not a very good place to be a frum Jew. Day school tuition is much more expensive, and there are far fewer choices in terms of schools. If your children go off the derech (which happens to even the best of families, Rachmana litzlan), they will likely marry gentiles and give you non-Jewish grandchildren, while in Israel they would most likely marry Jews and have Jewish grandchildren. US inner-city violent and property crime is much worse than Hamas rockets (and most big Jewish communities are in such areas). Real estate is crazily expensive in nearly all big Jewish communities; otherwise, you can live in very isolated Jewish communities with few Jewish amenities or frum families. There are few kosher restaurants outside of NY.

Even if there are not very many Yekkes in Israel, I’m sure there are similar communities, and if you’re looking for people interested in Rav Hirch’s ideas, I’m sure you’ll find them. There are so many Jewish communities to explore in Israel, from the chardalim, the moderate Anglo left-wing Yeshivish, the neo-hippie Chavakuk (Chabad-Breslov-Kook), the “new” charedim (chardashim, blue shirts), etc. Perhaps you would be comfortable among people who are somewhere in between MO and Yeshivish, RWMO or left-wing Yeshivish, of which there are many in Israel. There has to be something for everyone in Israel — there is something new every day.

Anyway, sorry for the rant…just thought I’d throw out some thoughts.