“Reading Rabbi Emanuel Feldman’s column is akin to enjoying a luscious dessert following a delicious seudah”
I’m writing in response to the kollel wife who wrote in to Inbox regarding the high costs of hosting meals in Israel for family and friends. Her letter triggered some emotions that I’ve been holding in for a while.
There’s a well-known stereotype that young American couples who start off in Israel are here on Daddy’s credit card. While that may be true in many cases, for most couples, it isn’t.
While we were dating, my husband mentioned that he wanted to start off in Israel. Not for a honeymoon, but because he felt pulled by the authenticity and purity of living in Hashem’s home. I agreed, not wanting to get in the way of his dreams.
We both come from middle-class families, and while our parents help out, the support we receive doesn’t fully cover the rent of even the most basic old apartment. (It wouldn’t have covered a basement in Lakewood, either.)
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