Description of the Community
Journalist: This is Kiryas Joel, a village of 44,000 Hasidic Jews in upstate New York that primarily speak Yiddish, have an average of seven kids per family, rely heavily on state assistance and welfare benefits like Medicare, SNAP, housing assistance, and tax credits from their many kids.
Asking Hasidic Jews About How Many Kids They Have
Journalist: How many kids do most people have out here?
Hasidic Jew: 17, 18.
Journalist: How do they afford 17, 18 kids?
Hasidic Jew: They are proud to do what the Torah says, that you need to be modest and fruitful.
Journalist: Wow, how do people afford to have like 10 kids out here?
Hasidic Jew : The community is based on this, so…
Journalist: Okay, so is it wealthy members of the community give charity?
Hasidic Jew: Yes, mostly.
Asking What They Do For Work and Welfare Benefits
Journalist: What do you do for work?
Hasidic Jew: Nothing.
Journalist: Are most people on welfare benefits like Medicaid, SNAP, EBT?
Hasidic Jew: I don’t know. I don’t know. I can’t speak for other people.
Journalist: What about you?
Hasidic Jew: I’m not going to tell about myself.
Journalist: The one thing I am curious about, though, is the welfare use. Are you on welfare benefits?
Hasidic Jew: No.
Hasidic Jew: The Jewish people, just in case, Kiryas Joel, their taxes covers everything that we take back. They pay a lot of property tax.
Journalist: Do you know anyone on welfare benefits here?
Hasidic Jew: I won’t comment on that question.
Journalist: What do you guys do for work here? You guys have like businesses, work and jobs, study Torah.
Journalist Ask Shop Owner if they Take EBT Welfare Benefits
Journalist: Excuse me. Do you guys take EBT?
Shop Owner: We do.
Journalist: What percentage of people would you say use EBT welfare benefits for their groceries here?
Shop Owner: A hundred percent.
Journalist: A hundred percent? What percentage would you say?
Hasidic Jew: Thirty-five percent.
Journalist Goes into Synagogue During the Day
Journalist: A little bit difficult to conclude what to take away from that. Let’s pop in here and say shalom. Lots of people praying. I’m not sure of the schedule exactly, but nine o’clock sharp, they’re not at work. Question for you. What do most men do for work here? Can you give me some ideas? I’m just asking the Hasidic Jews out here.
Journalist: Do people here survive off of welfare benefits? EBT?
Hasidic Jew: Like all of the communities, if you have eight kids, you can also get welfare benefits.
Weekday in the Middle of the Afternoon and Nobody is at Work
Journalist: It’s 2:59. Why aren’t people at work? These are all teenagers. You’ve got to wonder what these people do for employment. So if you want to talk about Sharia law and people living in a theocratic ethnic enclave, look no further. Curious Joelle is an example of only Hasidic Jews living here, and a lot of them are tapping into welfare benefits.
