Need real numbers

[SupermanZW]

depends where in T.A./Jerusalem

there are places in T.A. and Jerusalem that you wouldn't consider as livable. In the livable places 6000ILS/month for a single isn't enough, unless for you living in low living standards is enough.

 

[SupermanZW]

I agree we have a choice

I also think it's important to show reality as it is and not to sell illusions, 6000ILS/month isn't enough for most people but a lot of people don't have a choice but live with that or even less than that. I believe that the person who asked was interested in real data, so I gave the most realistic data I could, without trying to make things look better or worse. When you don't develop false hopes it's easier for you to face reality.​

 

[alizainphilly]

Need real numbers

I'm into planning everything to the highest possible amount of detail, and I would appreciate any possible input on a couple of numbers: 1. Nefesh B'Nefesh says you need about $1,300/month for expenses if you're single... can anyone comment on whether this is realistic? 2. NBN also says that rooms are smaller in Israel than is standard in the U.S.... I'm living in an old apartment in Philly now with bedroom sizes of 12 x 14- would my double bedroom set fit in an Israeli apartment? Thanks for any feedback you have. Aliza

 

[SupermanZW]

Answers

1) $1300/month would allow you very low living standards as a single (though there are a lot of people who earn much less than that, every 4th Israeli is poor and a lot of people live in pathetic living standards even if they're not considered poor here statistically), in order to live in average living standards as a single you'll need about $1750/month. 2) Rooms in Israel are a lot smaller than in the U.S., an average room in Israel is about 7' X 11'.

 

[yeshtikva]

Quality of life

I'd like to disagree slightly I currently live in London - OK, it's not the USA of course. I am surprised at how so many things in Israel are better than here. The first thing I notice is the sense of community, which is partly a sense of Jewishness (I think), which is very much stronger in Israel than in England. I feel safe walking on the streets, which I absolutely don't in London. The customer service in Israel, is, surprisingly, far better than in England. It's a different culture, so things like telephone manners etc are different. Different does not mean worse. I'm not going to start talking about food, which is indescribably better in Israel. Go to a British supermarket and look at our miserable looking prepacked vegetables, then go to an Israeli one. My fiance earns less than the figure you give, and he loves the life he leads in Israel. I'm really looking forward to my Aliyah and to starting my new life in Israel. I know that some parts of this will be hard, but I know that my quality of life - the things that really matter - will improve beyond measure.

 

[SupermanZW]

Response

Naturally, the sense of community is better for jews in Israel than in England, but you can't measure it financially, life quality means a lot more than living standards, I only referred living standards and nothing more. There are people who are content with low living standards, that's ok but that doesn't make their living standards average, and anyway nobody would like to live in much lower living standards than what he/she was used to.

 

[aradalumni]

good numbers

Hi Aliza, Contact me off forum and I can give you some good comparisons. Danny Philly to Jerusalem '05 [email protected]