A woman born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and then moved to Israel decided to settle in Romania. Although her husband is Romanian and she declares herself in love with this country, the woman still has a lot of dilemmas.
Brașov is among the cities appreciated by foreigners. PHOTO: Pixabay
Terrorized by an endless war, a woman from Israel decides to move to Romania, but she has great emotions. Married to a Romanian, she says she has already made the decision to come here, but she still needs some details. In a post on Facebook, on a group dedicated to Romanian expats, she appealed to Internet users for advice.
“Hello! A little story. I was born in St.Peterburg, Russia, but I have been living in Israel for more than 20 years. My husband is Romanian, but he lived in Greece for 20 years. We have two young children who speak 3+ languages. Here in Israel we live in a very small village in the community of amazing people… in the north. Well, the whole last year has been hard to digest everything that is happening in our region, but the last month and a half has become too much for us to stay here with the small children. We decided to move to Romania in a month,” she began her post.
The problem is that moving to a foreign country is always a big challenge, and the woman realizes that she has a more than important decision to make.
“I love Romania, but it’s still a very difficult decision, I have more questions than I can fit in my head. Especially when it comes to children. I still don’t know where in Romania we will settle, most likely Brașov. I would probably prefer a small village or town as we are not city people. Could anyone share any information on child rearing, especially more natural like Montessori or Waldorf style”the woman also wrote.
Brașov, Iasi and Sibiu, among the recommendations
Her message did not go unnoticed. The post went viral, and hundreds of Romanians and foreigners already moved to Romania tried to come back with advice.
“Try Râșnov, it’s close to Brașov. Even for children to go to school in Brașov is only a 20-minute drive away, much smaller but with easy access. Brașov is not big, not even as a city, and has a small town vibe“, someone suggested.
Someone else told her that she would have to seriously consider the fact that both she and the children would have to learn the language and obtain residency here. “The children are Romanian citizens and speak the language”replied the author of the post.
“Then focus on areas where you can live and children with access to schools, extracurricular activities, work life balance for you. If you have to commute a lot and the kids don’t have friends, it’s hard. We live in a town like this. I would choose to stay closer to the big cities and I would think not only of Brașov but also of other places closer to the borders. (By the way, I’m from Brașov and many of my friends with children returned to Romania and did great)”someone wrote to him.
Others suggested Iasi or Sibiu, although the woman had specified that she would like a small town. However, there were also messages that were difficult to understand.
“I don’t like narrow-minded people”
“Oh, don’t come to Romania. Go to Italy, Poland, Greece”a Romanian wrote, without explaining why. However, he was contradicted and questioned by several Romanians, and one of them called him “Gică contra”. “I would gladly trade you for the lady and her family. I don’t like narrow-minded people.” it was a replica.
“There are many beautiful options. Râșnov is very beautiful, and you can also visit the Saxon villages around Brașov, such as Harman or Prejmer. You will also find a Waldorf school in Brașov, about which I have heard only good things. Good luck, I think you will love Brașov!”, was another message.
“I am French and my wife is Romanian from Bucharest. We are thinking of moving to Brașov. In Brașov you have The Forest Kindergarten Romania”someone else wrote.
“If your husband and children speak Greek, you better move to Greece. However for Romania, if you are looking for special educational systems you can only find them in Bucharest. No chance in the country”he was answered.
Better in Romania than in Greece?
“No, not in Greece, please don’t make that mistake“, replied a Greek, who explained that in recent years the quality of life in Greece has decreased, that the standard of living is low and the jobs are poorly paid, and the transports are bad. “Most young people are thinking of moving from Greece”added the Greek. “Next year I want to move to Romania”he pointed out.
“I live in Brasov, but in Schei, near the forest, and I go to the city once or twice a week. Here in Schei near the forest, it’s like living in the country. Râșnov is another option, but I’m not sure about the education options there,” wrote another foreigner.
“It is sad that you feel you have to leave Israel. Anyway, Romania could be a good place to raise your children and life in general is much safer than in Israel. I would choose Bucharest by far… Bucharest offers the widest range of educational possibilities, there is even a Jewish school, also the largest Jewish-Israeli community. The only downside – if it’s relevant to you – is the price of housing, buying or renting, especially in and around the center of the CBD -. All other facilities are best arranged in Bucharest. On the rural side, I would say a categorical no, an Israeli “village” is completely different from a Romanian one, especially in terms of schooling and all other aspects…….. I also add that I travel regularly in Romania a place of my own in Bucharest and I am well informed etc“, another expat wrote to him. “I like being close to a park in Bucharest, Herăstrău, I like it a lot. It’s paradise and I don’t even feel like I live in the city.”
It is not an isolated case
Among those who answered him was another Jew born in Russia, raised in Israel and moved to Romania.
“Hello! I have a story similar to yours, born in Moscow, raised in Israel, married to a Romanian woman. I don’t have children, but I lived in Bucharest for the last 8 years. I don’t know if you will find such schools outside a big city or the suburbs to be honest, but even 20 minutes from Bucharest you have very nice green areas with a lot of less traditional education settings, especially in the parts Nordic (Pipera, Băneasa, Voluntari, Tunari…). The cost of living is much cheaper, it is very safe, and Romanians are extremely friendly to foreigners and Israelis. If you have any questions feel free to message me and take care!”, wrote this to him.
