The Overburdened Jewish Congregant

BROTHER CAN YOU SPARE A DIME

 
       WHEN MY GRANDFATHER LIVED  WARSAW POLAND CIRCA 1893, THE JEWS THEN DIDN’T HAVE  A POT TO…LET ALONE SUPPORT A RABBI. THE RABBI WAS FROM A WEALTHY OR MIDDLE CLASS MERCHANT FAMILY AND WAS NOT ONLY ABLE TO GO TO  GRADE SCHOOL BUT TAKE  THE EDUCATION ALL THE WAY ONTO COLLEGE, WHERE AS THE AVERAGE JEW IN THOSE TIMES  HAD TO LEARN A TRADE AT AN EARLY AGE AND HAD TO GO TO WORK IN ADDITION TO  HIS LEARNING A TRADE AND NOT ONLY COULDN’T AFFORD THE COST OF SECONDARY EDUCATION , IT WAS PARAMOUNT THAT THEY BROUGHT INCOME INTO THE HOUSEHOLD.

WHEN A RABBI RECEIVED HIS  RABBINICAL DEGREE HE WAS BASICALLY SELF SUPPORTING.HE LIVED OFF BOTH HIS AND HIS FAMILIES FUNDS. THIS WAS THE WAY IT WAS IM AMERICA WHEN JEWS  CAME TO AMERICA CIRCA 1870″S TO WORLD WAR 11’s.

SOMEWHEFE ALONG THE LINE THE RABBIS GOT THE SMART IDEA THAT THE CONGREGATION SHOULD PAY DEARLY FOR THEIR  SERVICE SO TO SPEAK . A HOUSE OR APT MUST BE BOUGHT AND PAID  FOR THEM AS WELL.

IN ADDITION A HUGE SIX FIGURE  SALARY AND ALL EXSPENCES ARE PAID BY THE CONGRGATION  HAS NOW BECAME  A GREAT BURDEN ON MANY TO SEND THEIR KID TO HEBREW SCHOOL FOR A JEWISH EDUCATION . THIS MUST BE ADDRESSED BEFORE ITS TO LATE. YES AND IT’S AFFECTING ALL THE ENTIRE JEWISH COMMUNITY ALL ACROSS THE NATION

 Don Lerman Blog  Administrator and Editor