Poverty in our Own Backyard
… "There Shall Be No Needy Among You" …

At its November meeting, the Community Relations Committee embraced the National Anti-Poverty Campaign as its domestic public policy priority for this year. The goal is to raise awareness about the Jewish poor in our community and strengthen connections between the services we provide and the policy positions we advocate in the MetroWest Jewish community.

Case Study (provided by Jewish Family Service of MetroWest)
Pat is a 41-year-old, single mother of two elementary school age children. She divorced an abusive husband three years ago. In the last two years, despite a court order, the ex-husband has only sent child support twice. Part of the divorce decree mandated the sale of the home in which they lived, but the money Pat received from that sale is almost gone.

Pat moved into her mother’s apartment about a year before her divorce was final. Pat’s mother is in her late 60s, has multiple health issues, and receives SSI. Pat works as an administrative assistant in a large insurance agency and is concerned about her ability to hold the job much longer. Her small children require after-school care, which her sickly mother cannot provide and which is not provided by the school district. Pat has found a great day care center in which to place the children after school hours, but the cost is prohibitive, even on a subsidized basis, and Pat’s mother cannot help her financially. Pat is caught between needing to keep her job and needing care for her children after school. Not knowing what to do, Pat was referred to the Jewish Family Service in MetroWest by the school guidance counselor.

As a result of financial strain, the entire family is stressed. In an effort to cut down on expenses, Pat is trying to eliminate certain expenditures and “go without,” like cutting the children’s hair at home, skipping birthday parties of other children to avoid buying gifts, buying herself and the children clothing at the local thrift shop and using the car only when absolutely necessary because of the price of gas. She feels desperate and is depressed.

Jews facing poverty is a growing crisis in New Jersey. In the MetroWest area alone, JFS is seeing an increase in three different groups: those used to living an upper middle class life style, who are now living pay check to pay check, above their means and in great debt; those who are elderly, immigrants, and mentally challenged; and those suffering from divorce and medical emergencies.

While Jews are largely viewed as an affluent minority, we in the organized Jewish community know the more complex reality. American Jews experience poverty at rates similar to their non-Jewish counterparts, with approximately 15 percent of the American Jewish community (737,000 people) living at or near the federal poverty line. In the New York metropolitan area alone, over 348,000 Jewish people live at or below the Federal Poverty Line, an income level well below what is required to meet basic needs and achieve self-sufficiency.

This joyous week of Hanukkah occurs at the darkest and coldest time of the year – when America’s most vulnerable populations are forced to make decisions between paying for the rising costs of utilities or paying for other basic necessities, like food or medicine.

The CRC is committed to making the MetroWest community aware of the issues regarding poverty, both locally and nationally, to advocate on behalf of appropriate legislation, and to activate the community to take action. The CRC will be working on the campaign through its public policy and synagogue social action initiatives.

To get involved in the anti-poverty campaign contact the Community Relations Committee at or (973) 929-3087.