Welfare Use in Hasidic Community

This is Curious 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 programs like Medicare, SNAP, housing

assistance, and tax credits from their many kids.

How many kids do most people have out here?

17, 18.

How do they afford 17, 18 kids?

They are proud to do what the Torah says, that you need to be multiple and, and

fruitful.

Wow. How do people afford to have, like, 10 kids out here?

The community is based on this, so-

Okay, so is it wealthy members of the community

give charity?

Yes, mostly.

I don't talk to suspicious persons.

How, how am I suspicious? Do you study Torah?

You work for Hamas?

What do you do for work?

Nothing.

How do you make, uh, money?

My wife.

Your wife?

I'm doing ca- home care.

Uh, brokerage and construction.

Are most people on Medicaid, SNAP, EBT?

I don't know. I don't know. I can't speak for other people.

What about you?

I'm not gonna tell about myself.

The one thing I am curious about, though, is the welfare use. Are you on welfare?

No. The Jewish people, just from Curious Joel, their taxes

covers everything that we take back. They pay a lot of property tax.

Yeah. Do you know anyone on welfare here?

I won't comment on that question.

Come on.

No.

Why not?

No, no.

Um, what do you guys do for work here?

Do you guys have, like, businesses, work a job, study Torah?

I have a job.

Uh, what do you do?

I'm in sales.

Uh, what do you sell?

Food.

Okay. What food do you sell?

Chocolate.

What? I feel like I'm getting bamboozled right

here. Excuse me.

Do you guys take EBT?

We do.

What percentage of people would you say use EBT for their groceries here?

100%.

100%? What percentage would you say?

Mm, 35%.

A little bit difficult to conclude what to take away from that.

Let's pop in here and say shalom. Synagogue?

Yes.

Okay. Lots of people praying. I'm not sure the schedule exactly, but

9:00 sharp, they're not at work. Question for you: What do most men do for

work here? Can you give me some ideas?

Oh.

I'm just asking, uh, Hasidic Jews out here if they don't-

No.

What do you mean? Do people here survive off of welfare,

EBT?

There is a percent, like all of the communities,

you have eight kids, you can

also get benefits.

It's 2:59. Why aren't people at work?

These are all teenagers.

How old are you?

I'm 21.

You gotta wonder what these people do for employment.

So if you wanna talk about Sharia law and people living in a theocratic

ethnic enclave, look no further. Curious Joel is an example of

only Jews living here, and a lot of them

are tapping into welfare benefits.