Daily Briefing May 29 – What are the costs of Orthodox Judaism in the Diaspora?
Reporter Zev Stub details the steep expenses carried by US Jewish communities and describes what immigrants globally seek when buying homes in Israel
Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Jewish world and real estate correspondent Zev Stub joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today’s episode.
WATCH the full episode here:
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Will Orthodox middle-class life in America remain sustainable for future generations? Stub opens by discussing how and why Orthodox Jewish communities are financially drained. He explains how — through a combination of private education, elite housing locations and larger households — the cost of living is increasingly more than families can afford. He drives home that the challenge is not only how to remain financially afloat today and mentions how one possible solution to the growing issue in the US is immigration to Israel.
We discuss Stub’s recent reporting on a related matter: With growing numbers of Diaspora Jews seeking a foothold in Israel, market players are rewriting the rules of real estate, reimagining community around rabbinic leadership, municipal planning and group purchasing models designed to meet their needs.
Stub also elucidates how, despite the attractions of moving to Israel, many American Jews harbor deep fears about exposing themselves to the challenges of life in Israeli society. Differences in language and cultural norms — from navigating bureaucracy to casual conversations— are frequent sources of anxiety that leave newcomers overwhelmed. He explains why this leads many American Jews to group together within Anglo-centric communities.
We close the episode with a brief teaser of what to expect from the upcoming Maccabiah Games in Israel. Despite concerns and cancellations from delegations from several countries following continued tensions with Iran, about 5,000 participants from more than 40 countries are still expected to compete in the two-week international competition that starts on June 30.
Check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
How much does Orthodox life cost? Increasingly, more than US families can afford
Weakening dollar cools US demand for Israeli property; French, British buyers surge
As Anglo immigration grows, developers rethink ways to cultivate communal roots
Demand rising for iconic Jerusalem homes as ‘ultra-luxury’ market takes off
In the shadow of another Iran war, Maccabiah Games in Israel set to go ahead in July
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.
Check out yesterday’s episode here: