Pros or cons to being on Neve Campus

amother

↑ Almond

Yesterday at 10:56 am

amother NeonOrange wrote:

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

It's not central, but rhat doesn't mean bad. There's a lot of advantages to being apart from the rush and pressure of more central areas. A lot of girls enjoy the quieter neighbourhood, and the Jerusalem forest is right next door for anyone who wants to get out in nature a bit.

amother

↑ Watermelon

Yesterday at 10:58 am

Also since covid there a definitely cooking facilities like pots, snack witches, at some of the sems on Neve. Also girls bring Betty Crockers. There are many girls who will buy and cook as opposed to going out to eat.

amother

Yellow

Yesterday at 11:04 am

amother OP wrote:

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!

My older daughter went to a seminary on the Neve Campus a couple years ago and I have a daughter who is in a non-Neve campus seminary now. The location was not at all a factor in picking the seminaries they went to and BH both of my daughters are very happy with their choices. I agree with all the others about the advantages of being at Neve, but since you specifically asked about other possible negatives, there is one more factor. For Yamim Tovim (RH, Sukkos and my older daughter stayed in EY for Pesach) my daughter on the Neve campus had a much harder time with logistics. She needed to find places to sleep because Har Nof was too far away to walk to the meals she found in other neighborhoods. My daughter who is there now, at a very central location, was able to sleep in her dorm for Sukkos and eat meals at various places all around town, which were all walkable. Again, not a reason to pick one sem over another, but just wanted to point it out. If you know people in Har Nof (which we do not), this may not be an issue at all.

amother

Copper

Yesterday at 3:09 pm

Living in Yerushalayim and having personal connections with girls in seminaries, both on Neve campus and those in the "center" during the last few years, I would say it is a huge advantage being a part of the campus. Have you seen it? It's beautiful and cultivated and for someone who appreciates nature and space an absolute dream. (My friend took her daughter there to do wedding pictures before her chuppa.)

Also, due to the security situation (and covid before that) the girls are inevitably put on lock down numerous times during the year - being locked up in a building with 100+ girls is quite claustraphobic, on the other hand the girls I knew on Neve had gardens and places to move around and whoever I spoke to looks back at this time as a highlight of their experience.

BTW - do your own current research about the food. From what I heard in the last few years they've tried really hard to improve it and I don't think its too different than others. (Obviously there are one or two seminaries on a totally different level..) I think they just always had this reputation (which you see from the previous posters Smile

) and it became part of the name.

amother

Aster

Yesterday at 3:49 pm

I was there 14 years ago. Food was great, lots of salad options, lots of chicken for dinner.
We could always get seconds, there was tons of food there. Seems like that has changed?
I was part of the BT Nevey and we hated that the FFB girls were so loud at night. We could hardly sleep. The house moms never cared about our complaints and were not nice to us. I remember that vividly. We complained to rabbi chalkowski about one house mom who spoke in a very derogatory way to a dark skinned girl. Besides all that it was wonderful. Gorgeous campus. The hill was annoying but oh well you get used to it. The girls from different sems didnt really mix. It was us BTs, the modern orthodox girls, the french girls, then the really frum girls who were always kind and friendly (I think it was Bnos Sarah? The building right next to the gate on the left) and then the "cool FFBs" who were loud and not friendly to us. So everyone kind of stayed in their own bubble

notshanarishona

Yesterday at 3:55 pm

Campus has a lot of pro’s as far as outdoor space, places to walk, meeting other girls. Personally I loved being in Har Nof- so many good shiurm, many even on Neve itself. Neve has a lot of programming open to non students. American community and although it’s a shlep (maybe 30-40 minute walk to Geulah or an hour plus to walk to the kotel), it has all its own stores in Givat Shaul- Osher Add , Yeish, super pharm, froyo plus all the small stores on Shaulzon.
Cons-
I found the beds pretty uncomfortable and had a lot of back pain, where as a lot of newer seminaries are buying typical mattresses and not super thin garbage .
Dorms are pretty old and heimish. You can end up on the 6th floor with only steps.
Food- you have to be very non picky to eat it.
Lunch was definitely the most edible meal of the day, suppers were normally creative.
They don’t give out any snacks between meals like many of the other places started doing.
Disclaimer: it’s been 20 years and although I was there for close to 3 years and know it well things could have changed.

amother

Scarlet

Yesterday at 4:01 pm

I spent 2 years in Har Nof (one in a non-Neve seminary, one on the Neve campus in a shana bet program) and while the hill was not fun, it was great for having a built-in way to exercise!

I thought the Neve food was decent, would have liked being able to take seconds of the proteins but I understood they were on a budget.

Har Nof is a beautiful place and an amazing Torahdig community. Many of my teachers live(d) in Har Nof, which made it easy to visit them or go when invited for seudos. I miss being there.

helloo26 ↓

Yesterday at 4:10 pm

I have friend who went to Neve and loved it. She said the campus itself is spacious, green space and good views. Also good location re quick buses into Yerushalayim and also lots of families who host in the area for shabbos. Nearby shops for groceries etc.

The only consideration would be age ranges. As Neve has ladies attending of all age, stages and religious affiliation backgrounds. Therefore something to keep in mind for mixing places like the canteen.

↑ Elfrida

Yesterday at 5:09 pm

helloo26 wrote:

Neve, in Har Nof, is in Yerushalayim.

rainbow dash

Yesterday at 5:39 pm

I was there in 97 till 99. The food was amazing back then. What changed?
And yes,the campus is beautiful, I got to met a lot of new people, I was,in the bt section. The families there were amazing. Was very happy there.

amother

Lavender

Yesterday at 6:52 pm

rainbow dash wrote:

The food situation changed in or around the summer of 2015. I was there before and during and my sister was there after and you can't compare.

OP, It is important to get an updated picture of the food situation. I assume it's better now than when my sister was there.

amother

Antiquewhite

Yesterday at 7:08 pm

You have to know if your daughter is the spoiled type or not. Food shouldn’t be an issue unless your daughter has high expectations in gashmius overall.

I love the Neve campus and Har Nof. Beautiful peaceful area.

miami85

Yesterday at 9:18 pm

I was there back in the day when Bnos Chava was part of the campus. It was really beautiful. It was towards the end of the Intifada at the early 2000s so being in the confines of the campus felt very safe.

One thing that I think emphasized the importance and Beauty of the Neve Campus is that Rabbi Refson often commented--maybe not in these direct words, that was not his style-- that as much as Bnos Chava was named for his mother, we should never forget that Chazal that says that a Tzaddik can't stand in the place of a baal(as) teshuva and we were surrounded by girls who often gave up everything to be in Neve/Israel--both financially, and family, and didn't know how they were going to go home, or if they would be going home.

amother

Ivory

Today at 6:12 am

If I can make one more comment-- I went to BT Neve in the 2010s and to Shearim after so I had the chance to witness some of the changes. Neve is wonderful and I had the chance to befriend a couple girls from Bnos Sarah and Midreshet Tehilla and they were such lovely sparkling girls. One started a semi- successful chavrusa with me (despite the fact that I can't read Hebrew well). The campus is beautiful and has only improved drastically over the years in terms of comfort. The food in my times had ups and downs (bagel day for example) and I wouldn't be surprised if a new chef came and brought in better food.

amother

Daffodil

Today at 6:54 am

amother Aster wrote:

We must’ve been there together ! But I loved the house mothers and didn’t have that experience at all…
My house mother was Shana

amother

Green

Today at 7:55 am

re: Michalah
My daughter is there this year. They only get lunch but it's very well done.
They use an outside caterer. Every day there are multiple choices of soups and a salad bar. Plus more than one type of chicken and/or fish.
She is eating very well. (never mind dinner, which is another story)