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Advice for making Orthodox Jewish friends?

My husband and I moved from Israel to the USA a few months ago, and we have been living in a Jewish neighbourhood in New York City. We are Sephardic dati leumi, but go to a mostly-Ashkenazi Modern Orthodox synagogue and “blend in” just fine. (My husband has Ashkenazi family members and is technically half Ashkenazi. He has the stereotypical Ashkenazi look.) We are both graduate students at Yeshiva University, my husband is a full-time administrator at Yeshiva University, and we are a young couple.

However, we can’t really seem to make any friends. People here seem pretty closed to outsiders (even though we met the community’s new rabbi, with whom we are friendly). It seems everyone here knows each other because they grew up together, they went to Yeshiva University for BAs, or their families have friends.

Everyone is nice – nobody is rude or nasty – but we’ve been here for a few months and know almost nobody. In Israel, all the Jews of American descent were always super friendly, upbeat, and eager to get to know people. Here in this neighbourhood, it seems a little “colder.”

Do you have any advice? I have no friends or family (besides my husband) in this country, and I’m trying not to grow a disdain for American Jewry, but it’s honestly really hard given our situation. Thanks for your time.

submitted by /u/EshetChayilA
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Source: Reditt