Jewish families have back-to-school struggles
Rabbi warns of hidden crisis of uniform costs as cost of living affects families
As the new school year gets underway, many Jewish families in Australia are facing a hidden crisis – the mounting costs of basic school necessities.
That’s according to Rabbi Yaakov Lieder, founder and director of the Jewish Family Centre.
“The ones who are suffering the most are those who are not poor enough,” explains Rabbi Lieder.
“When they’re not poor enough to get support from Centrelink or other places, but they’re struggling… that’s a very big struggle.”
The organisation has already distributed approximately $50,000 to families in need, with a particular focus on supporting single mothers and families with multiple children.
“When they have to go back to school, families with three, four kids, and every kid needs to buy the uniform and school shoes… it’s a major expense, and they are panicking. They don’t want the kids to start school on the left foot,” Rabbi Lieder said.
Drawing inspiration from the Jewish teaching, Rabbi Lieder emphasises prevention over crisis intervention.
“It says in the Torah, ‘when your brother is about to fall down, hold onto him.’ It means that it’s much easier to help someone before they completely fall down.”
The Centre provides comprehensive support, including counselling services, Shabbat meal invitations, and financial assistance for professional psychological care.
While primarily serving the Jewish community, the organisation maintains an open-door policy, assisting non-Jewish families as well.
Rabbi Lieder notes that awareness of these challenges remains limited, particularly among more financially secure community members.
“People who are in the 50-year-old age group… they’ve never faced the problem. Like one woman told me, ‘I go to private school, it was never a problem.’ They don’t realise.”
The current cost-of-living crisis has exacerbated these challenges.
“The people on the low economical scale live on a wage where the wages have not increased that much, and the costs of uniforms and stuff is considerable,” Rabbi Lieder said.
He emphasises the profound impact these financial struggles can have on children’s education.
“A child who comes from a typical family, whether it’s a single parent or low economic family, already has some self-esteem issues… when they walk into school on the first day, and they don’t have a proper uniform, it doesn’t fit them properly, or they don’t have the proper setup… that means maybe really putting a big load on the entire school experience.”
Rabbi Lieder urges community members to take action.
“You don’t have to make a donation to our organisation, but… ask your neighbour. Ask around. Get aware that this is a problem and help your fellow neighbour” he said.
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