Brooklyn, NY – A new study claims that not only is poverty high in the Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn, but many people who need the most help are either too embarrassed to ask, or unaware of the programs available to them, according to a study conducted by City Harvest.
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The study, which was just released and focused on centers of Orthodox Jewish life in Brooklyn such as Borough Park, concludes that poverty within those communities has a distinct character and needs to be addressed with this in mind. William Rapfogel, executive director of MCJP, said it was safe to assume that the poverty rates remained largely the same. “Since September 11, there has been a significant improvement in employment for all New Yorkers, but at the same time the birth rate within the Orthodox communities is high and people live longer, which means there are more elderly, and therefore more poverty,” Rapfogel said. “The two balance each other out.” Brooklyn, he said, remained “the capital of Jewish poverty.”
To be classified as poor by the federal standards, a family of four must have a combined annual household income below $16,050. This figure does not consider the cost of housing in New York, nor does it consider the high cost of kosher food or day school education, according to Rapfogel.
Poverty among traditional Jews is unique for several reasons, due in large part to costs associated with yeshiva tuition, kosher food and large families, the City Harvest study found.
Many of the poor in this community are not eligible for benefits because their salaries place them above the poverty line. But even for those who are eligible for help, shame and sometimes ignorance of “the system” are often obstacles when it comes to seeking help.
If the government would factor in Schar Limud,many people in the frum velt would become eligible for govt. benefits like food stamps etc.
The government cannot discriminate and allow Orthodox Jews and maybe Catholic Families to have different qualifying rates.
Tuition is ridiculous. But, it is still a choice. The community needs to figure out how to be self-sufficient regarding schooling.
Lobbying for vouchers or tax benefits for private schooling would be fantastic. But, asking for special benefits is a dead end, and rightfully so.
anon 140,
Why then am I not eligible with 3 girls in bais yaakov, a lovely wife to support and a daughter in Touro.
I earn between 100k-120k.
Why don’t I get govt. benefits, based on your analysis of $58,000 for a family with virtually no expenses!
The Womans Center for Education and Career Advancement relaesed The Self Sufficiency Standard for New York in 2004. according to that report, a Brooklyn family with 2 adults, 1 pre-schooler, and 1 school age child needs $58,000 per year to meet simple living expenses like rent, child care,food, transportation, health care, taxes etc.
Now lets take a Frum,Heimishe family with 3 – 12 kids plus Schar Limud.You can quickly understand why people are poor even if they are working and getting paid what is considered a good salary for the average goyishe family. If the government would factor in Schar Limud,many people in the frum velt would become eligible for govt. benefits like food stamps etc.
The cycle of induced poverty MUST STOP.
We are living in a society where young men are being born into a culture of poverty.
Think I am exaggerating?????
Then how do you explain the hundreds of modos tzeddakah in existence today and the dozens of shnorr briefen and letters received at home during the past 5 weeks?
The Agudah conventions(watch your mailbox for those coming attractions, typically held in November), etc. must concentrate on issues that will help the community get out of this problem.
Amen to 9:17 am! Let’s start by stopping “I need a learner” mentality.
Is there anything wrong if the young ones would pay their own rent instead of running to tatty?
To gabbai tzedaka 1040
Nobody is saying that poverty does not exist.
However, what is this wonderful community doing as a klal to get skills and talents out to these people so that they can earn a living?
WHat are you saying? We should just keep on throwing money at them?
Get them to go to work!!!!!!!!!!!
That will eradicate a lot of poverty.
What in the world is treif about working?????????????????
“very strange…….people are living in williamsburg in $1mil.brownstones with food stamps……very ‘poor’…yes POOR ON PAPER!!!!! “
“THis study is fishy and smelly.
YOu have to wonder if they put these numbers and statistics out in order that when they come to you to solicit money, you will be more generous.
BTW what does Rapfoegel earn annually? “
I am not sure what you bloggers are debating here. There is no question that we B”H live in a wonderful society with tremendous wealth and comforts. With all of the Ashiris, we do have a large population who are struggling to make ends meet. All of you Dayanim who have decided that this study is a scam must look at yourselves in the mirror and see if you are doing your part to combat poverty in our community, if you are so able. Instead of being an “expert” in who should or should not receive our Rachmonis, why not actually investigate yourself before offering your unscientific, unsolicited opinion. Ask your local Tomchai shabbos, Keren Aniyim, Masbia, local Gabbai Tzedakah or G’mach or maybe even your neighbor who if you took the time to notice his ripped shoes/pants or his children’s tight or ripped coats, you might realize that he/she is in financial trouble and the only disgrace is you not knowing or caring enough to do something about it. Are there those who take advantage of the system? Without a doubt, but how sad that it is these people that you choose to focus on instead of the Almanah with 7 children or the divorcee who simply cannot make ends meet or the regular Baala Bos who is faithfully and honorably earning $55,000 a year but requires double that to support his large family.
Not everything and everybody is a scam. Our Klal is having serious trouble keeping up and among the million dollar homes lie tragic case studies in true poverty.Yes, I know for fact, poverty exists! I am involved in a very lage NYC based Tzedokah fund for the needy.The stories are real tragic and vefified. How DARE YOU MOCK!
It is far more complicated than to sit on a blog and decide that
Yiddin are doing just great and it just can’t be true that some are really having a hard time.
Please, enough is enough! The stupidity on these blogs is shameful. The bloggers ridiculous ranting and assessments of the Klal are foolish and really do not truly reflect what is actually going on in real life outside the blogosphere.
It is high time that intelligence is used before writing whatever stupidity comes to mind. These are open sites and just because your names are hidden, the Halachah does not give you license to speak on issues with total disregard for defamation of individual or Klal.
Please forgive these harsh words and feel free to pass them along so that those of you who will ignore and mock will at least give others a chance to thoughtfully analyze them and possibly think before speaking/blogging.
My only Toeles in writing this is to ask you all to assist your local fund for needy Jews.
A gut yor to all
Somebody must explain this to me:
I am living in Brooklyn for many decades and I see on a daily basis the most opulent, ostentacious, glittering and mouth watering, exclusive type housing in the US (perhaps outside of Beverly Hills), and yet you tell me that Brooklyn is a ground zero for poverty.
Is there something I am not understanding?
IS there a serious problem with true poverty or does there exist a significant amount of artificial poverty as evidenced by falsified income tax forms filed with the local authorities which serves as the basis for the study cited in the article?
Mentchen, vi is ainker seichel? farvos leigt eir dos arous far alemen tzi zen?
Eintz leb mer takka a zeir a breita leben, in asach mar vi halb fin the mentchen vos nemen di zechan voinen in herliche dires. De Aibishter zel zich avadah merachem zien uf zei, in men zell zei nisht chappen.
Aber es is du mentchen voos haben zeir essen of di tish nor vegen dem.
anon 314 states that the real poor are those with no skills.
You hit the point on the head.
Why do they have no skills.
Because they were brainwashed into not pursuing any means of parnoso.
College is treif, doing this is treif, doing that is treif, etc. etc. Always being told in life that this and that and thatis treif.
All those going around saying not to go to college, etc. should distribute their own monies to those who are not allowed to pursue skills in life.
BIg problem; btw this may be a leading casue for the at-risk youth today in our community. Being told all things not to do but very little in the way of support to help them through.
Big Big problem.
The Jewish COmmunity has got to turn itself around.
זייט נישט קיין מוצ’ שם רע
וואס מיינט איר מען קיקט נישס דא
Deyay vos shariben dos zenen nisht enserah
A git yuar.
I agree with “out of towner”, I work hard for my money so I have to pay full tuition, high insurance costs. While some of the people I know work on cash, get food stamps and pay close to nothing for tuition…..the system is corrupt.
TO ALL ABOVE
From the report is seen that was just not compiled from the tax returns it was done thrue research
“but many people who need the most help are either too embarrassed to ask, or unaware of the programs available to them”
can you guys explain this with your post
and even if you make 40,000 a year (eqv to $3330 a month )and have a family of 3 children
you pay about
$499.50 taxes
$1500 rent
$400 Grocery bills
$135 Butcher bills
$250 for school child 1
$250 for school child 2
$375 for playgroup child 3
This already equels to a negative
plus utilty bills and cloting
זייט נישט קיין מוצ’ שם רע
וואס מיינט איר מען קיקט נישס דא
Yes, there are thousands of frum Yiddin living in true poverty in NYC without a question. Ask any yeshiva administrator. Of course there are the phoney ones, but having worked for a government agency, I came accross many who were truly poor with no off the books income or inlaws paying the bills. Aside from the hundreds of not fully functioning singles in our community, there are families who have gas shufoffs each winter because of non payment and frum families are evicted each year.
The poor are not just those who spend years in kolel or chinuch, but those who have no real skills and have large families to support on very modest wages.
I don’t care what Willie Rapfogel earns! He and his dedicated staff at Met Council have accomplished wonders and are always there to help those in need.
Yes, you see the obscene displays of ostentatious wealth in Boro Park and Midwood. The poor members of our community don’t flaunt there poverty, but they are amonst us.
Raboisay let’s net forget whatever we write on a blog is like writing on a post card everyone can see it !!(other elements too ) let’s not hang our laundry in public. !
A gutten kvittel un a gutten Yur !
the big problem is that those who need it can’t get it because so many who don’t take advantage. I know first hand a few famalies who collect, wic, food stamps, and sec 8. Live in beautiful homes (they own in someone elses name) with new kitchens and beautiful furnishings. they take scholarships at yeshivas and us honest folks pay full price, live modestly and don’t take chol homed vacations to amusuemnt parks and hotel stays.
from an out of towner – because we couldn’t afford boro park anymore!
Salary for Willy Rapfogel is 296,245. See guidestar.org for form 990 section V.
“Nu so what is the Eitza?”
Ban kollel. Tell people to get jobs!
“people are living in williamsburg in $1mil.brownstones with food stamps……very ‘poor’…yes POOR ON PAPER!!!!!”
not eveyone owns their $1 mm brownstone
“Like a hole in my head these boro parkers are poor. How is it that on every corner there is a bank that just opened up but there is “no money”?”
I believe that you have a hole in youre head. Just because some people have obscene amounts of money and build monuments to their ostentatious materialism doesn’t mean their neighbors are as well-off.
“YOu have to wonder if they put these numbers and statistics out in order that when they come to you to solicit money, you will be more generous.
BTW what does Rapfoegel earn annually?”
Did you take stupid pills today or were you just born an idiot?
“”Countless” homeless heimishe people, you say. Very vague and nebulous.
GIve me a number. I don’t believe you. It is fictitious. Prove what you are saying.
GIve me an address to the heimishe homeless shelter and I want to stop by and will leave an appropriate donation.”
You don’t sound smart enough to sign a check. Better keep your money. You may need it one day.
This is mamish unbelievable!!! It is nebach soooo true!! I personally know a few families’s that hat to move in with others for Yom tov just to be able to put food on the table.
A gut Kvittel to all & Parnaso berchoved……
Who are those anonymous fin ensera? I don’t think so, always bashing us DISGUSTING!!
“Countless” homeless heimishe people, you say. Very vague and nebulous.
GIve me a number. I don’t believe you. It is fictitious. Prove what you are saying.
GIve me an address to the heimishe homeless shelter and I want to stop by and will leave an appropriate donation.
Yes and on the other hand there is Masbia that serves hundreds of homeless jewish people. If there would be enough money would such an organization have to open. There are countless of heimishe homeless people in Boro Park who sleep every night by a nice person that gives them housing.
THis study is fishy and smelly.
YOu have to wonder if they put these numbers and statistics out in order that when they come to you to solicit money, you will be more generous.
BTW what does Rapfoegel earn annually?
interesting…………….
But they mostly hav cash businesses……
Like a hole in my head these boro parkers are poor. How is it that on every corner there is a bank that just opened up but there is “no money”?
Banks would not open up unless they knew it was worth the time and money!!
very strange…….people are living in williamsburg in $1mil.brownstones with food stamps……very ‘poor’…yes POOR ON PAPER!!!!!
Nu so what is the Eitza?
A gut Kvittel to all