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My daughter is currently in a private jewish day school (middle school). We are thinking of moving to south jersey and I am torn between cherry hill and haddonfield. I would love to put her in a similar school to the one she is in, but for high school, that would involve significant driving back & forth to the other side of Philly every day, and I am worried about the commute and workload for her. I am strongly considering that it might be best for her to switch her to public next year and get her acclimated before she begins high school the year after. My dilemma is this: I want to put her in the best school possible, but for her to still be able to maintain her strong jewish identity without feeling out of place. From what I've read and seen, Haddonfield schools are more highly rated than Cherry Hill, but there is a larger percentage of Jews in CH (East>West). CH is also known, seemingly everywhere I have come across, as a "snobby" town, especially the east side. This worries me, as we are certainly not wealthy and do not have any clothes with names splayed across the front. I have heard that there are fewer Jews in West than East in CH, with more diversity and less wealth & snobbiness in West. I can't seem to find a synagogue in Haddonfield and I assume Jews there attend services in one of the several CH synagogues. Basically all 3 high schools seem to have their good points (although with Haddonfield & East being rated more highly than West, I would be more apt to choose one of those). I would love some input of anyone who has been in a similar situation. For the record, I like the town of Hadodnfield better but in all honestly most of the places we would join would be in CH, due to religious needs. I would consider Eastern in Voorhees, also, but don't know much about it other than that it a regional high school and seems to have a pretty good rep. Please help! I appreciate any input and experiences that you would like to share.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2dogsrule
My daughter is currently in a private jewish day school (middle school). We are thinking of moving to south jersey and I am torn between cherry hill and haddonfield. I would love to put her in a similar school to the one she is in, but for high school, that would involve significant driving back & forth to the other side of Philly every day, and I am worried about the commute and workload for her. I am strongly considering that it might be best for her to switch her to public next year and get her acclimated before she begins high school the year after. My dilemma is this: I want to put her in the best school possible, but for her to still be able to maintain her strong jewish identity without feeling out of place. From what I've read and seen, Haddonfield schools are more highly rated than Cherry Hill, but there is a larger percentage of Jews in CH (East>West). CH is also known, seemingly everywhere I have come across, as a "snobby" town, especially the east side. This worries me, as we are certainly not wealthy and do not have any clothes with names splayed across the front. I have heard that there are fewer Jews in West than East in CH, with more diversity and less wealth & snobbiness in West. I can't seem to find a synagogue in Haddonfield and I assume Jews there attend services in one of the several CH synagogues. Basically all 3 high schools seem to have their good points (although with Haddonfield & East being rated more highly than West, I would be more apt to choose one of those). I would love some input of anyone who has been in a similar situation. For the record, I like the town of Hadodnfield better but in all honestly most of the places we would join would be in CH, due to religious needs. I would consider Eastern in Voorhees, also, but don't know much about it other than that it a regional high school and seems to have a pretty good rep. Please help! I appreciate any input and experiences that you would like to share.
Cherry Hill has put specialized programs in each high school. Students may attend the high school of their own choosing. I would suggest that you make arrangements to take your daughter to each of the schools on a day when classes are in session & see where she feels most comfortable.
As far as developments in Cherry Hill, you might want to look at Windsor Park, Haddontown & Woodcrest. I think that you'd find a good fit in one of those developments, if you choose Cherry Hill. I really don't think that there'd be a problem with Haddonfield, though.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,698,410 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2dogsrule
Thanks so much for your reply. I will check into those developments.
You're welcome. I lived in Cherry Hill for over 40 years. Woodcrest is the oldest of the 3. There is a newer section with larger homes. Since it was settled Woodcrest has tended to have a majority of Jewish residents. Haddontown & Windsor Park also skew to Jewish. It doesn't mean that there are not Jewish people elsewhere in town, but these 3 developpments are pretty solidly middle class.
I graduated from Cherry Hill West in the last class that was from both sides of town. Your assessments are pretty good, socially, but the snob factor is actually quite specific & limited. Each of the Cherry Hill high schools have their own web site. You should check them out. I would absolutely try to take your daughter for a tour of any high school that she might attend, while classes are in session, so that she can see the student body of each school. Since she's now attending a private school, she may very well feel more comfortable in Haddonfield High School. Just a guess, but based on what I know of the schools, there's a good chance that she might prefer Haddonfield &/or West.
Thanks! I would love to try and look at townhouses, since our stay down there will most likely be only for a few years. I know of 2 developments in CH - society hill and chanticleer, both east side. I will bring my daughter down to see the schools.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,698,410 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2dogsrule
Thanks! I would love to try and look at townhouses, since our stay down there will most likely be only for a few years. I know of 2 developments in CH - society hill and chanticleer, both east side. I will bring my daughter down to see the schools.
Are you looking to rent or buy? If you are looking to buy, I'd advise the Mews in Haddonfield, if your daughter likes Haddonfield High, or look at single family homes outside of Haddonfield. There is always a better market for single family homes in South Jersey, but you would be able to sell in the Mews faster, simply because it's Haddonfield.
Funny, townhouses are such a big draw in the northern part of the state. I assumed there was a high demand for them down there, too. The Mews is a townhouse community?
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,698,410 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2dogsrule
Funny, townhouses are such a big draw in the northern part of the state. I assumed there was a high demand for them down there, too. The Mews is a townhouse community?
I believe that there are townhouses & condos in the Mews complex.
Keep in mind that my parents moved my family to Cherry Hill in 1964. The town was semi rural. When the Campbell's plant was still in Camden, the vegetables came from the local farms. South Jersey has a very different history.
There is also a street, Lee Ave., near the Mews that is old twins. Most people don't know that the street exists. Many people have lived in those houses for generations, but occasionally one goes on the market. Google Lee Ave Haddonfield & then click for street view. Potter St. & the streets that run between Potter & Haddon Ave., are old with small properties.
I can tell you other places where yard work would be minimal, but if you want a good percentage of your neighbors to be Jewish & middle class, check the 3 developments that I listed.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,698,410 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2dogsrule
Great info - thanks so much!
You're welcome.
Keep this in mind, once you leave the ring of small old to older towns most of the development is post WWII. Townhouses were an afterthought, & are not what people tend to think of when looking in those towns. Cherry Hill has a lot more apartment units than townhouse units.
I would not be concerned about being singled out in Haddonfield because of religion. It's an old Quaker town, & while the Quakers are no longer the majority, some of the Quaker values are ingrained. For instance, at Christmas time many people put candles in their windows. It's not unusual to drive past several houses with candles in the windows & one of the houses might have a menorah in one of the windows.
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