finding a babysitter in israel!! help??

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Advanced Search Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> Inquiries & Offers -> Israel related Inquiries & Aliyah Questions

Finding a babysitter in israel!! help??

1 2 Next

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

ss321

Sun, Jul 27 2008, 6:01 pm

So being that I dont have school to worry about this coming year, we are trying to plan a trip to Israel for Rosh Hashana. We will be in Yerushalayim most of the time, but for the Rosh Hashana itself, wed like to go to Bnei Brak where both of us have relatives and stuff (we have a whole plan but I dont feel like posting it online).

Only thing is, I only want to bring the kids if I can find a babysitter for both days (if not theyre staying w my parents); I just cant not go to shul for two days. I know I could ask relatives, but we know that if we ask, theyll say, oh this and this daughter or cousin or whoever isnt going to shul and is watching our kids (and b'h they all have alot of kids), you can leave your boys with us! But first of all, I dont want to be a burden on anyone, even if they insist Im not being one...and secondly, I dont feel confortable leaving a little baby who cant talk with a teenage girl watching her 5 or 6 or more younger siblings! I would be willing to pay really anything if I could just FIND someone - russian, chinese, or whatever, who would be willing to watch our kids both days in the hotel. I wouldnt be far and would be back every hour or so to check and visit. But I dont even know who to ask or where to begin to look!! anyone on here have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

shalhevet

Mon, Jul 28 2008, 3:12 am

On a practical note, most people in Israel do not have Chinese babysitters, and double up (husband/wife or mother/daughter/niece) to hear tekios at different times with different minyonim.

shalhevet

Mon, Jul 28 2008, 4:19 am

Maybe you could try advertising on janglo or tanglo.

Tamiri

Mon, Jul 28 2008, 4:26 am

Last edited by Tamiri on Mon, Jul 28 2008, 4:28 am; edited 1 time in total

Tamiri

Mon, Jul 28 2008, 4:28 am

(1) What hotel is there in Bnai Brak? And within walking distance to shul, too?
(2) In general, people don't get baby sitters for the chagim
(3) Are you saying that you would prefer to leave your children with a strange person (who probably doesn't even speak their language) in a hotel room and go daven, rather than stay with them yourself or leave them with a trusted relative?
(4) Most young mothers daven at home, and/or go out for a short while if possible to say a few words in shul, where this is acceptable.
(5) Chinese?

shalhevet

Mon, Jul 28 2008, 5:02 am

ss321 wrote:

Only thing is, I only want to bring the kids if I can find a babysitter for both days (if not theyre staying w my parents); I just cant not go to shul for two days.

Uhh... why not? Apart, of course, from the tekios that someone else can watch them or you could take them at a pinch just for the first 30 tekios. Our tafkid as mothers is different to our tafkid as single girls.

If you leave them with your parents, who will watch them then? Your mother doesn't have young children (I presume) so why shouldn't she go to shul? If you have sisters over bas mitzva they have a greater chiyuv than you. If they are younger, can they watch two little children for a whole morning?

Akeres Habayis

Mon, Jul 28 2008, 5:15 am

ss321 u wont find too many frum mothers leaving their kids w/a babysitter to go daven (from the ones that live in israel anyway Wink

).I agree wholeheartedly w/shal and tamari and thats coming from two different hashkafot LOL

....I think

hila

Mon, Jul 28 2008, 5:57 am

Add me too !

We used to do it that one of us would go to a neitz minyan on RH , then the other would go, and swap with newighbours for a few hours too.

I found what worked best was that I would go to neitz , stay to the 1st 30 tkiot, then come home and daven musaf alone with kids around. Then take them to shul for the last few tkiot, so they "heard shofar" and meet abba.

I never had a babysitter for any davening.

THere were years when I did not go to shul for YK at all, or maybe Neila, and sat outside.
I am a big shul person myself but would not dream of taking a baby/child to shul to disturb people davening.

You have a chiuv to hear Shofar. I am sure in Bnei Brak tehre are people who blow tkiot for women after the tfila.

ora_43

Mon, Jul 28 2008, 6:04 am

I also haven't heard of people using babysitters to go to shul here, but there are other ways to get to shul:
1) Early/late minyans, as shalhevet said. Your husband can go to a 6-9 minyan and you can catch the last end of an 8-1 minyan, for example.
2) Family members. If your relatives know someone who is already staying home to watch kids, why not leave your boys with her? I can understand why you wouldn't want to leave them with an already busy teenager, but what about another mother who is staying home with her young children? It doesn't have to be a burden--you could offer to trade with her (you watch her kids the first day, she watches yours the second) or bring a nice gift.
3) There are many shuls where kids are welcome. Depending on your kids' ages, their general level of noise-making, and what part of the service you want to go to, it might work out without any babysitter at all. If your main concern is hearing the tekiot I'm sure you could take the kids to listen with you.

ss321

Mon, Jul 28 2008, 1:05 pm

Tamiri wrote:

ok so maybe alot of people on here come from a different hashkafah from me or just have different views on parenting. at home in ny, I was very particular when I did get a full time babysitter that she be a frum jewish woman. that is generally where I amcoming from. this is for one day though, and maybe things are differentin america but
1: two hotels (wagshall and vishnitz) both within walking distance to dozens upon dozens of shuls.
2: ok so maybe its different in israel! every year so far ive gotten a babysitter for rosh hashana and yom kippur in ny.
3 if you want to put it that way (even though it sounds like a bit of a "guilt trip" type of way of putting it,) YES. 'trusted relative' = second cousin watching 7 other kids. while I might trust her (whoever she might be-whichever daughter is the designated babysitter) say with my money, or changing a diaper, my point is that I would kindof like my children to have a bit more personalized attention thanthat. if I were ok with my children being left with a group of 7 other kids of all ages, I would just use a daycare, not a babysitter in my home, no? and no, I am not ok with davening on yk in a hotel room. maybe it is a hashkafah thing. for shabbos, sure. but yom kippur? it wouldnt really mean much to me. thats me. maybe others are different.
4. maybe in israel I dont know!! but here, pretty much all my friends who have younger kids (meaning dont have 5 or 6 kids all under bar mitzvah age!!), get to shul on yom tov, because they have babysitters/cleaning ladies/someone on the block-whatever-somoene who will watch them for the day!
5. I have no idea what they do in israel...I was assuming it would be very hard to find somoene who is not "foregin" being that YK is the one day that like the entire country is in shul. I obvoiusly meant someone who speaks english, but I meant a foregin worker who wouldnt be violating halacha to accomidate me.

Tamiri

Mon, Jul 28 2008, 1:23 pm

Oh, "those" hotels. Sorry. I was thinking along other lines :lol: .

Crayon210

Tue, Jul 29 2008, 9:45 am

Ladies, I know this is an extremely heated topic on which many of you have very strong opinions.

This is posted in the Inquiries section, though, and the OP has made it clear that she doesn't want parenting advice, she wants leads to help her find a baby-sitter.

If you'd like to discuss parenting methods, start a new thread in the appropriate section.

(Posts were edited or deleted due to being considered off topic.)

freidasima

Tue, Jul 29 2008, 10:16 am

Well to call a spade a spade there is probably no way you can get a babysitter here on yuntif, certainly not in Bnai Brak. So start looking into other possibilties.

The people I know from the states who were so into babysitting had brought a non jewish au pair with them when they came on a trip over chag and the kids were with her all the time anyhow so yuntif wasn't a problem.

Sorry I can't be of more help but it is worthwhile already now to look into other childcare plans.
What you suggest is not feasable anywhere in EY as far as I know.

Akeres Habayis

Tue, Jul 29 2008, 12:53 pm

I dont think we were giving "parenting advice"but it just "isn't done in the chareidi/DL circles to hire a babysitter to watch the kids while she goes to daven.it would be a......faux pas in the frum world in EY...unless she brings her own w/her.

ss321

Tue, Jul 29 2008, 2:48 pm

freidasima wrote:

Well to call a spade a spade there is probably no way you can get a babysitter here on yuntif, certainly not in Bnai Brak. So start looking into other possibilties.

thanks for your honesty and for staying on topic!! I really want to avoid bringing a babysitter (and paying for a ticket and a room for the entire trip! plus, I really dont need, save this one day...)
I really appreciate your honesty. chanes are the kids will be staying w/ my parents. or at least the baby...

Akeres Habayis wrote:

I dont think we were giving "parenting advice"

could be YOu were not, but I considered some of the posts that were edited out to be unsolicited parenting advice.

Akeres Habayis wrote:

but it just "isn't done in the chareidi/DL circles to hire a babysitter to watch the kids while she goes to daven.
it would be a......faux pas in the frum world in EY

I dont know much about israeli culture apparently! in america its done all the time, and for the yomim tovim weve spent in yerushalayim (either succos or pesach with my parents or in laws), the hotels are literally swarming with israeli babysitters (not au pairs brought from america) watching 2,3,4 kids at a time while the parents eat and go to shul. I guess thats just "imported american culture," but I dont care about a "faux pas," to tell you the truth, I would really just like to be with my children (ie bring them along), but daven in a shul on YK-ie best of both worlds. whatever its months away ill see what transpires...

grin

Tue, Jul 29 2008, 2:55 pm

there may be a teen who's willing and able. She would need to eb also English-speaking, I presume. Maybe advertise?

(The Lubav's bring the kids wiht them to hear shofar, BTW.)

Last edited by grin on Tue, Jul 29 2008, 2:56 pm; edited 1 time in total

mummy-bh

Tue, Jul 29 2008, 4:13 pm

grin wrote:

there may be a teen who's willing and able. She would need to eb also English-speaking, I presume. Maybe advertise?

(The Lubav's bring the kids wiht them to hear shofar, BTW.)

Sorry, but I wouldn't want MY daughters working this babysitting job (purely theoretical since I have no teens yet and we live rather a long walk from Bnei Brak).
I would want them staying a whole day in shul. Their place is to be davening, not even babysitting for me let alone taking a paid job.

ora_43

Tue, Jul 29 2008, 4:29 pm

ss321 what does your rabbi say about hiring a Jewish worker?

The problems with non-Jewish workers are that most are almost certainly working already (as caretakers) on RH and YK, and that those who haven't been here for a long time don't have references.

What does your rabbi say about Jewish workers? It seems like it would be very problematic on Yom Kippur, but maybe it would be a bit less so on Rosh Hashana?

ChossidMom

Wed, Jul 30 2008, 4:27 am

I agree with OP and Crayon that this is not the place for unsolicited parenting advice and "how can you???" etc.

I'm with Freidasima. You're not going to find a babysitter on Yom Kippur. I once had a friend's 9 year old daughter come to my house on Yom Kippur and she watched the little ones while I got to go for Shachris or something. That's the best I ever got. Rosh Hashana - no babysitters. In Israel the mommies watch their own kids or go to a regular minyan after the daddies daven netz. I'll be very surprised if you find a babysitter for the Yamim Noraim. And it's also just not feasible, being you're still there and the various non jews you might want are over here.

grin

Wed, Jul 30 2008, 4:41 am

mummy-bh wrote:

grin wrote:

there may be a teen who's willing and able. She would need to eb also English-speaking, I presume. Maybe advertise?

(The Lubav's bring the kids with them to hear shofar, BTW.)

well, I certainly appreciated it when my own teen opted one year to take care of the kids so I could daven in shul. Not every year, for sure.

Page 1 of 2

1 2 Next