I saw a promotional video for the Torah observant community of Norfolk, Virginia. It seemed really appealing [but then again every promotional video makes the product they are selling seem appealing]. Everyone seemed really nice and welcoming. However, we are told at least twice that the BEST PLACE to raise children is Norfolk, Virginia.
I take issue with people who are strongly Torah oriented saying such a thing. The BEST PLACE to raise children [all other things being equal - with the caveat that it is not for every family at every time. ואכמ"ל] is in Eretz Yisrael. This is so because [among other reasons] Hashem told us to raise our children here.
On the other hand, an average house in Norfolk goes for $189,500 [I researched it. So 10 HOUSES in Norfolk cost what a SMALL APARTMENT in Manhattan goes for....]. If one wants to get an place in Yerushalayim for that price, then he will only be able to get a basement storage room [known as a מחסן]. Apartments in the Holy City go from the 4-5 hundred thousand to the million plus. So if one can't afford it - he doesn't have to buy!! There are PLENTY of people who don't own apartments and are happy people😊😊. There is this attitude people have that they must do anything to own an apartment. I know people living in apartments they own that are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars who are heavily in debt and have no rest that could easily get out of debt if they would just sell and they could live with much less stress in a rental. Where does it say that one must own an apartment he can't afford? But people do it anyway. We are all living in rented apartments anyway and the rental expires on our day of death... Or, if a person wants to own [there are clear benefits to owning an apartment], he can buy in a less expensive place.
Norfolk is lovely, and frankly, all of Hashem's world is lovely, especially where religious Jews reside. But let us never forget where we must all dream to be, even if we can't make it there at the present time.
As we end our sedarim:
LI-SHANA HA-BAA BI-YERUSHALAYIM!!!!
