From: dfs@doe.carleton.ca (David F. Skoll)
Subject: Re: The Cost of Living Jewishly (was Re: O-C-R debate)
Organization: Dept. of Electronics, Carleton University
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 18:34:19 GMT

In <1992Jul24.180420.7764@umbc3.umbc.edu> shimoff@umbc4.umbc.edu
(Eliot Shimoff) writes:

>In article <dfs.711993117@ro> dfs@doe.carleton.ca (David F. Skoll) writes:

>>Remember, a real Jewish education in North America is quite expensive.
>>There was an article in the NYT a while ago which showed how expensive
>>it is to live a "full" Jewish life in NA - ie, complete adherence to
>>Kashrut, sending kids to Jewish schools and Jewish camps, belonging to
>>a Shul, participating in the community, etc. - and concluded that most
>>Jews can't afford it.

>Sorry, but I just don't believe it.  I don't know of any Jewish
>day school or yeshiva that will refuse admission to a kid whose
>family simply can't afford tuition.  I don't know of any synagogue
>which will refuse membership or seats to a family that can't afford
>it.  (I consider going to overnight camp a luxury, and the day camps
>I know of will also readily cut fees if necessary.)

There is a definite stigma attached to asking for these allowances,
and many people will not do it.

>Living a full Jewish life is, I must admit, expensive.  Kosher
>food costs more.  Yeshiva tuition is high, and going higher. 
>Tzedaka takes a big chunk of income too.  But "can't afford it?"

>I won't plead poverty, but in my community (Baltimore), lots of
>Jews make it, even on relatively low salaries (we're not all
>MDs, lawyers, Egged bus drivers, or even college professors).

Egged bus drivers live in Israel, where it's much easier.  People who
live in large Jewish communities also have it easier.  But let's take
the example of the small Jewish community in St. John's:

Kosher food - had to be flown in from Montreal.
Mohel - had to be flown in from Ottawa.
Kosher restaurants - ha!
Jewish day camps - A 1000 km trip to Nova Scotia.

That's extreme, I will admit.  And I suppose you could argue that
serious Jews "shouldn't" live in such a place.

But take my 5-year-old niece in San Diego.  Her Jewish day school fees
(1992) are more expensive than my university fees were in 1990.
Clearly, that's absurd.  And just as clearly, most people are too
frightened/ashamed/nervous to ask for the fees to be reduced or
waived.

>But I simply don't believe that there are many who truly want to
>be obervant Jews (O,C, or R) who can't do so because of financial
>considerations.

I believe there are a substantial number of Jews who do not
participate in a Jewish community because of the expense.  There are
many financial dis-incentives.  For example, many synagogues charge
virtually the same for a couple to be members as for a single person.
Clearly, this discriminates against singles, and that's why many shuls
are missing young, single members.

--
                     |         | "Step up and shake the hand
David F. Skoll       | ||||||| |  Of someone you can't stand,
|_ _ _  __   __ _ __ |  \\V//  |  You can tolerate him if you try..."
 / |  | |_|   | |  | |  __|__  |  -- Tom Lehrer, "National Brotherhood Week"
_____|________________________________________________________________________
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish