november / december 2006:

Ortho-Spending 101
For the observant Jew, the prices of Jewish living can be even harder to bear. Learn more about their extra financial pressures. Click to return to the full story.



It costs a lot to be Jewish in America. But it costs even more if you’re observant. While the biggest expense for many Jews is elementary school tuition, those families who choose to send their children to Jewish high schools can expect to be out of pocket for several more years.

But outside the classroom walls is where it really starts to get interesting. For starters, there’s the high cost of keeping kosher. Besides the often exorbitant price differential between kosher and non kosher meats, there’s also the costs of an extra set of dishes and a second dishwasher to consider.

And since many observant families typically have more children than the average American family, they are also buying more food than most, especially around the holidays, when other expenses come up that can cost a fortune.

Around Sukkot, for example, observant Jews buy a lulav and etrog for themselves as well as all their teenage children at a cost of about $60 a set. Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported on the new trend of luxury sukkot dwellings, some costing as much as $5000.

Around Passover, observant families might purchase hand-made shmurah matzah (special matzah that has been “watched” since it was harvested to make sure that it hasn’t come into contact with any water) at about $18 dollars a pound. To buy enough of this matzah to feed a whole family for seven days of Passover could cost well over $400.

Forget holiday and food costs, however. Try real estate. Observant Jews are forced to live in walking distance to a synagogue. This is where supply and demand kicks in; with only so many houses in the neighborhood, the prices can shoot through the roof.

While most bar mitzvah boys get a pair of tefillin (phylacteries) which can cost more than two grand, those who attend services regularly should be replacing those with a new pair every seven years.

One of the most expensive things on the list is a wedding, especially one with kosher food. And people are spending even more not just to feed their guests, but to hire nine-piece bands, Viennese tables, and a shmorg with the most expensive meats around.

It got so bad in fact that a few years back, the rabbis of the Agudath Israel of America set in place a ban on how extravagant a wedding can be, limiting the meal to only three courses, the band to five pieces, and no more than $1,800 to be spent on the flowers. If these guidelines are not followed, then the rabbis of the community will not attend.

Some disagreed with the restrictions, but many families appreciated the formal guidelines which helped alleviate the financial and social pressure of making an extravagant affair.

In the meantime, observant woman who cover their hair once they’re married could be spending in the neighborhood of $5000 for a top-of-the-line custom-made wig. So it’s a good thing they saved money on the wedding. — C.K.C.


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