Chassidim in Detroit?

amother

Sun, Sep 13 2009, 10:46 pm

We are chassidish and dh just got a really good job offer in Detroit, MI. Are there any other chassidim there or we'll be the only ones? We really don't want to turn down this job but I'm nervouse we will feel very out of place there.

Sherri

Mon, Sep 14 2009, 4:13 am

Maybe post this in the Chassidish Velt.

amother

Tue, Sep 15 2009, 11:03 am

There aren't that many around. And I'm not sure "how" Chassidish you are but there are only several people I can think of who wear shtreimels and the such.
I don't know where you're coming from either but it's a nice place to live and if he has a job lined up then good for him! That's usually the reason people don't move here (bad economy and all).

chaylizi

Tue, Sep 15 2009, 11:31 am

pm me. there are more than amother thinks.

gonnaBaDesigner

Tue, Sep 15 2009, 11:36 am

I grew up there and I can tell you that I knew one family that were chassidish/streimel, etc. It's mainly litvish, modern orthodox and chabad. Make sure the job is stable cuz detroit's already up to 20% unemployment. Good luck!

chaylizi

Tue, Sep 15 2009, 11:38 am

there are more now

amother

Tue, Sep 15 2009, 11:44 am

Detroit is a great place to live..small town thinking...its like a mixing bowel all kinds of people live here. I think everyone tries to get along. great shopping and lots of different shuls. good luck and its nice your hubby has a job because that is one thing Detroit dosent have is jobs.

chaylizi

Tue, Sep 15 2009, 12:08 pm

you know, I don't care if amother moves here or not. But you make it sound like Detroit is a stand alone community full of unemployed people. That is simply not true. The economy is doing poorly everywhere.

amother

Tue, Sep 15 2009, 12:56 pm

If you can find housing in the southeast Ten Mile - Greenfield corridor you will find a "shteibel" (note quotes) and several warm chassidishe families. Assuming you send your kids to the school they go to, you will find families who share many of your hashkafos, including a fair amount of BTs. It's a great, wholesome community and a very healthy place to raise kids. I don't think you'll lose out in such a move, all else being equal.

amother

Tue, Sep 15 2009, 9:37 pm

Op here-

Thanx everyone for your response. We did visit Detroit a few times to check it out and we were very happy of what we saw, the community seems very nice. We are really more on the heimish side, dh wears a strimel and my kids speak Yiddish ( they know fluent English as well cuz that's what we speak at home). I just don't want them to feel out of place that their father is the only one who looks chassidish or that we have diffrent minhagim. But what I see that there's a few others, which is great. We are looking at a house at the Hilton area in Southfield. We heard it's a great community. Still debating on schools though......

amother

Tue, Sep 15 2009, 10:03 pm

wow, I didnt know detroit has more then 1 shool?

chaylizi

Tue, Sep 15 2009, 10:48 pm

amother wrote:

I love this community. I was born here & lived here most of my life (so I might be a bit biased) at last count there are 7 families where the husband/father wears a streimel (mine included). there are several more who are "heimish" where the father wears a bekitshe. my kids speak yiddish and english. at least 3 of those live in the area you are looking to live in. my kids go to the regular bais yaakov & know we have certain things we do or say differently than their friends. I live within close walking distance of where you are looking & it is a lovely area with lots of friendly people with kids.

as for the amother who had that snide comment about shuls, there are at least 10-15 shuls in Detroit. 3 daven nusach sefard (that is not counting the chabad minyanim which daven nusach Ari)- bnei israel, dovid ben nuchim & my dh says there is a chassidishe shtiebel in the Oak Park area.

The school sitch is a big decision. Any YBY/BY family will tell you that school is better & the Darchei people will tell you likewise. They are both good schools with good education & dedicated mechanchim & mechanchos. I personally send my kids to YBY/BY, but that was my decision (I'm not big on politics). If you have any other questions, I'll be happy to answer them.

amother

Wed, Sep 16 2009, 10:27 am

I've lived many years in Detroit. I don't know the exact number of streimels, but there are several, and some of the men who wear them are geirim who took it on. There are many families from chassidishe backgrounds who daven nusach sefard, and others who wear bekeshes. The shteibel in south Oak Park is called "Rabbi Deutsch's shul". R' Deutsch is not alive anymore. Originally his family lived upstairs (he brought up a whole family of chasidim in Detroit), now others maintain it. I think his sons come in periodically throughout the year, but they don't live here.

amother

Wed, Sep 16 2009, 10:31 am

Some thoughts on the schools:

We've had experience with YBY/BY and YDT and there are several families here who have kids in both schools. This has been our experience:

YBY/BY is larger (students and administration), is more of a community school with a greater mix of students, has a stronger English program, and a very good Limudei Kodesh program too. YDT is smaller, simpler, and more heimish with a greater focus on Limudei Kodesh (more Ivris and Yiddish). YDT also has a no-TV rule and requires parental supervision for internet use. YBY discourages, but does not make you sign anything.

There is also Lubavitch cheder, which has more Yiddish and no Limudei Chol, and Akiva which is Modern Orthodox and co-ed, but is a good alternative for some.

amother

Wed, Sep 16 2009, 10:52 am

amother wrote:

YDT also has a no-TV rule and requires parental supervision for internet use. YBY discourages, but does not make you sign anything.

Bais Yaakov made me sign the rulebook thing. This was quite a few years ago, maybe they don't require it anymore...

Mama Bear

Wed, Sep 16 2009, 10:06 pm

One of R' Deutsch's sons lives here in willi and he was sometimes called as joke the "meshigener Roov"... Michigan'er rov... lol...

chaylizi

Wed, Sep 16 2009, 10:10 pm

amother wrote:

YDT also has a no-TV rule and requires parental supervision for internet use. YBY discourages, but does not make you sign anything.

Bais Yaakov made me sign the rulebook thing. This was quite a few years ago, maybe they don't require it anymore...

it is a school rule