Pros or cons to being on Neve Campus

amother

OP ↓

Yesterday at 9:08 am

Are there any pros or cons to going to a seminary that's located on Neve Campus?

This is if I have a choice of sending my daughter to a Neve Seminary versus an independent one.

I guess if anyone has an opinion on that location in general as well, Har nof, please share!

amother

Forsythia ↓

Yesterday at 9:11 am

I loved the campus. We had so much area to walk around, study on the grass outside, walking to class outside every day and getting fresh air, it was a nice experience overall. The food they serve is not great, but we did buy our own and cook. I was there years ago so not sure of the state of the dorm. But when I went to visit my friends who were in a building and had classes, the dorm, and the dining hall all in one place it was very claustrophobic. And Har Nof is beautiful. Really nice people, had stores you can walk to, and I loved it.

amother

Saddlebrown ↓

Yesterday at 9:12 am

I really liked being on neve campus and in har nof. If she has friends from before in any of the other sems on the campus, it’s fun to be able to visit them easily when you’re sick of your seminary friends.

I’m from a suburb and really liked the quiet in har nof. It was a quick bus ride to get to the action when we wanted it.

My sem provided their own food, we didn’t eat in the neve lunchroom.

amother

↑ Forsythia

Yesterday at 9:15 am

amother Saddlebrown wrote:

Which one provides meals separate from the dining hall?

scruffy ↓

Yesterday at 9:27 am

The food was not great when I was there, could be it's improved. Proteins were portioned and limited, you couldn't go back for seconds until the end of the mealtime. A lot of people told me that before I went and I laughed it off but I didn't realize how much would affect me (and I'm not a super picky eater)

I loved being on Neve campus, having space to spread out, trees etc. I also loved sharing space with girls from such diverse backgrounds.

I didn't mind being in Har Nof, to me it was an advantage to be in a more quiet neighborhood. I think the one con was the time it took to get to intercity buses and the Kotel.

amother

↑ Saddlebrown

Yesterday at 9:30 am

amother Forsythia wrote:

Which one provides meals separate from the dining hall?

My sem closed down a few years ago. Not sure which seminaries eat separately these days on the campus.

amother

Violet

Yesterday at 9:34 am

I wasn't on neve campus but dormes in har nof and can't recommend enough. It's a beautiful neighborhood and super convenient. I used to walk to the kotel Friday night and it was definitely a doable walk and super easy to get to the tachana mercazit from there.

blima1

Yesterday at 9:53 am

Its beautiful but the hill is really annoying
I wouldn't choose a sem based on if its on the campus or not cuz I feel like there are so many other factors that are more important but the campus is really nice
I work there btw
this year I haven't gone to the lunchroom yet but last year the food was pretty decent and I got lunch often, much better than the year before
I heard they switch kitchen staff often

amother

Ecru

Yesterday at 9:55 am

amother OP wrote:

What could be bad about being on a campus of all girls? What cons are you thinking there might be?

I went to a different sem almost 30 years ago, not neve, that was on a campus. It was wonderful.

amother

Mayflower

Yesterday at 9:57 am

The campus and Har nof are beautiful.

The food was a big issue though. And I'm not a picky eater I'm pretty easygoing about food. We had no kitchen facilities so I basically lived on bread and tuna a whole year.

amother

Almond ↓

Yesterday at 10:05 am

amother Ecru wrote:

What could be bad about being on a campus of all girls? What cons are you thinking there might be?

You're not just living in a seminary bubble, but surrounded by so many seminaries, you are living in a seminary bubble squared! It can get a bit intense.

Overall, a campus is so much better than being in a single building.

amother

Cyclamen

Yesterday at 10:14 am

Echoing others, the neveh campus is beautiful and peaceful. I’m curious those that say the food was such an issue do you know if it was way more of an issue than other seminary foods? I feel like any food that’s cooked for large crowds isn’t going to be great? Unless you’re in a tiny seminary with a home chef?

It had its ups and downs not being in the center of everything.

I did appreciate having my old friends who were in other seminaries on campus close bye so that was nice. But not a guarantee that she’d have friends who’d go to other seminaries on campus there are so many nowadays!

I grew up in a kiruv oriented town so I appreciated that part of neveh and befriended some girls who were becoming frum. Mostly everyone else in my seminary ignored them but I appreciated having them on campus.

And for the one who mentioned the hill, that was the worst 😂

I’m sure there are pros to living in an “isolated” seminary that’s not part of a bigger institution but I obviously didn’t experience them to know what they are.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Yesterday at 10:33 am

Wow. Thank you all so much for the replies! So nice to hear the positive replies and experiences!!
And the negatives do not sound like anything that would make us stay away! Like a hill and food Smile

If there's anything else please let me know!

amother

Whitesmoke

Yesterday at 10:34 am

Can someone please post seminaries that have good food? I went to Michlalah almost 30 years ago and there was very limited food and it was not American style. I had a very bad year food wise. My daughter is IY”H almost ready for seminary and for me, good food is a huge priority for her. It’s such a shame because when I was in Israel during that time period, the Neve food was delicious and very healthy.

amother

Thistle

Yesterday at 10:39 am

I was on neve campus 20 years ago.
Loved it.
Food had lots of soups and vegetables.
My friends were big walkers and adventurous. We walked everywhere (when we could - there was intafada then)

amother

Peach

Yesterday at 10:43 am

The biggest issue with Neve is the food. It's terrible. Besides that it's a beautiful campus and Har Nof is special. I was there for sem and Shana rishona. It definitely shaped me into the person I am today. I will always have warm and fuzzy feelings about Har Nof. Also, there are nicer and older American families there who like to host the sem girls. Nice shopping area. Bus is super easy. I'm getting all nostalgic now!!!

Elfrida ↓

Yesterday at 10:46 am

amother OP wrote:

If there's anything else please let me know!

I can imagine that if someone wanted to go to Seminary A on the Neve campus, and instead got accepted by Seminary B, also on the Neve campus, it might be a bit hard for her to every day be seeing those other girls where she wanted to be. It would be important that she have the right attitude to deal with it positively.

amother

NeonOrange

Yesterday at 10:52 am

The problem with the Neve food is not that it’s bad, it’s that there’s not always enough and it’s only served for a very small window of time, so if you have chessed or are busy you are stuck with no food, no kitchen, nothing.

Also compared to most BY seminaries in Yerushalayim, Har Nof is considered a bad location, not central.

amother

Watermelon ↓

Yesterday at 10:54 am

amother Whitesmoke wrote:

There are definitely sems that have good food, I know Mesores Rochel does and I'm sure there are more. Neves food is industrial as they are cooking for hundreds of girls. There are a couple of meals a week that the my girls considered edible.