Poverty makes the city untidy and dangerous.
Let’s start with the dry facts: 59% of the population of this city officially lives below the poverty line. 93% of the population receives public insurance Medicaid, which is for people with low incomes (for comparison, in depressed Newburgh, only 33 percent of residents receives such insurance). 57% of the city’s population receives food stamp benefits (non-cash money that can be spent only on food). 99,2% of the population is white, but only about 8% of residents speaking English at home language. About half of the residents speak English poorly or not speak at all. While the city has no slums, no abandoned buildings, no homeless people, and other problems inherent in the poor places. And there is virtually no crime.
So what kind of place is this?
The city is located in the state of new York, in Monroe County, just an hour drive from Manhattan. To many this place is known for a large outlet Mall located in nearby Woodbury. The city is quite young, it was formed in 1977 and is called Kiryas-Joel. The name, frankly, not very typical of America. This is not surprising because the city was founded and inhabited Samarskii Hasidim and named in honor of Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum — their religious leader. In his appeal, the community moved from Williamsburg to new York to get away from the sins and temptations of the big city. Teitelbaum believed, if not to create conditions of isolation, the Jews will lose their spiritual character, their culture and their identity. The withdrawal, therefore, should be the most rigid. Now, being surrounded by hills, forests and fences, they build a life according to the laws of the Torah, strictly following the observance of all rules and regulations from both local residents and visitors.
In 1977 this area, there were only 14 of the Hasidim. Now in Kiryas-Joel is home to about 23,000 people and the number of its inhabitants continues to grow steadily. According to the data of 2011, Kiryas-Joel was the poorest city in U.S. among human settlements, home to over 10,000 people. More recent data on this subject I have not found, but I’m sure that even if the city and dropped in the ranking of the poorest cities in America, that is not much. Samarskij Hasidic community is the most influential and wealthiest Hasidic community in the world. According to the Washington Post, she controls various companies and properties, which cost more than $ 1 billion.
Externally, the city is quite similar to the place where the poor live: neat rows of neat dwelling-houses, parked nearby and far from the cheapest cars. Walk the streets of new environmentally friendly buses, and large office buildings will be the envy of any regional center.
There is a problem with garbage (its a lot on the streets), but it is in any Hasidic neighborhood. The Hasidim he was not paying any attention. In the picture the path leading to the lake, where on Shabbat romantic walk a young couple. The track runs among the trees and piles of debris.
The median household income in Kiryas-Joel is 24 $ 430. This is two times lower than the national average ($53 657) and 12 000 lower than in the County. There are several reasons. First, the size of Hasidic families: the average is 6 people (two parents + 4 children). Far from rare families in which for 8-10 children. A large number of children makes Kiryas-Joel is the youngest city in America. The average age of its inhabitants is only 12 years old. The second reason is the specificity of the social structure of the Hasidic families in which the wife almost all his life engaged in home and children, and the money earns the husband. With so many dependants on the shoulders of one working spouse, it’s easy to fall into the category of the poor. Thirdly, the specifics themselves Hasidim, who do not stop to cheat the government for social benefits. Major fraud schemes are several:
Conclude a religious marriage, but do not register their relationship at state level. As a result, the woman becomes the mother of many children alone with a bunch of entitlement benefits.
— Do not pay the estate tax, arguing that their home synagogue (churches and other buildings of the cult tax exempt). For this they pray each time in a new house, skirting around the entire community. As a result, the budget of the district receives less money that is spent on funding schools, repair of roads, operation of water supply systems and Sewerage, fire and police, but most importantly — on social benefits, which the Hasidim are actively get.
— Do not show their real income, and thus taxes are not paid in full. Most works in the Hasidic companies, where the practice of salaries in envelopes and other schemes to hide income (vehicle registration on the company, etc.). Therefore, according to the documents, they can be poverty and galatanu, but to live a completely normal life.
— Cheating from insurance, loans and social benefits, making payments on a nonexistent or even dead people.
The government knows about all this and occasionally catches a particularly blatant members of the community. Unfortunately, violations are far more widespread, but authorities do not get involved in the Affairs of the Hasidim, since those have money and political influence. No, they don’t have their own policy but they can give a lot of money in the election Fund, and, more importantly, can provide a large number of votes during the elections. They love to play the theme of anti-Semitism, when the blow aimed in their direction. “We want to punish, not because we have something wrong doing — they say — but because they don’t like Jews!”. Problems within the community they decide solely by means of religious courts, which prescribe punishment for certain offenses. Their opinion on a particular issue often at odds with the views of the state as based on religious laws, not the laws of the United States. One Hasid once arrested for raping a boy, so the rest came out and demanded to be released. The journalist asks the protesters: “How so, because he raped your children, and you want to let him go?”. And those to him: “Yes, he’s a scumbag, but he is a Jew, and the Jew should not be in prison. Give it to us and we’ll see”.
The city’s two bus routes that serve the new buses. They are financed from the budget of the community.
The bus-stop.
And this is the bus that goes to the Jewish districts of new York. The route is licensed by the state and subsidized by the government. Inside segregation. Women travel separately from men.
The Hasidim are very low levels of education. Only 39% of the population have completed all 12 classes and only 5% have higher education. Without exception, all the children go to religious schools — yeshivas, where they study the Torah, Yiddish and a little bit of everything else. As a result a significant part of the community speaks English very badly. But all speak Yiddish. The education system, like so much else in the life of the Hasidim is part of a policy of self-isolation. With such a wealth of knowledge and skills they just can’t survive in the ordinary world.
A very important part of the life of the Hasidim is decency. It is expressed in a strict dress code when they all go only as described in laws clothes, covering almost all the body. Men go all year round in white shirts, black pants, coats and hats. The monotony of men’s suit is a bit diluted on Saturday when they wear large fur hats. Women must wear a wig or a scarf that covers their hair and can’t wear anything tight, bright or provocative. In the wardrobe only calm tones, long skirts and thick tights Granny’s arrow. Such clothing is designed to get rid of unnecessary thoughts and instincts. Bright colors can be found only in children.
Home of the poor.
Mercedes photos clearly vagrants. Likely belongs to one of the guest workers who build, repair and maintain the house. Never seen Hasidim in the German car. They mostly drive Japanese minivans. For it in new York a Honda Odyssey Honda is calling Moses.
The street is one of the poorest cities in America. Kiryas-Joel is one of the few American cities where there is no television. The Hasidim do not watch TV, not go to the movies and read secular books. Internet they also do not use. On a cell phone (approved by the Rabbi of the model) you can just call. Even a text message cannot be sent.
New homes for the poor. All this misery is impossible to watch without tears.
The delivery of kosher food.
The Hasidim are very strict gender segregation. Women and men share from childhood. This applies to public transport, schools, synagogues and even the streets.
A sign forbidding women from entering school for boys. So they are going through on this account that even the Russian wrote.
A few years ago the city opened a large Playground, the news of which went to all the local media. The fact that the city refused 195 000 dollars that were given to the state in its construction. An unprecedented act on the part of the Hasidim! And why? Yes, because in the city area is complicated and was built under the strict supervision of the Committee on decorum. Is there such an influential body in local government. Children of different genders play it in different zones and does not intersect with each other. I would take money from the state would have to meet the standards, where no segregation could not be. And so private property and their rules. The village has four zones: one for boys, one for girls, one for boys with dads and fourth, it is not difficult to guess, for girls with their mothers. That is shared not only by children but even their parents. What to do the dad, who’s one daughter I did not understand.
Zone not just posted, and are color identification: blue for boys and red for girls.
On entering the town you are met by a sign informing local rules. This is another creation of Committee on decorum. It will baffle any layperson. Especially coming from new York, where the main rule is no rules. In the city you can only wear a long skirt or pants. No cutouts in the area of the collar is not allowed. The sleeves should close the elbows. It is necessary to speak exceptionally well and have to observe gender segregation in all public places. In the end you thank them for approval to their values respect and enjoy the visit.
Enjoy a visit from you most likely will not work. Special if you checked in there on Saturday. Then you will all be seen as the main enemy of the Jewish people, who defile by their presence on local streets. Can even something to throw in your direction. I, unfortunately, got lucky for the first time to be there on this day. No one cheated, but the atmosphere of “kindness and friendliness” I was filled completely.
If you decide to take a walk with my camera around the city, you most likely also have a problem. Think you very quickly get to know the local police called “Public security”. They are not the police, but actually very even. Most likely, the first counter Hasid will announce the person with the camera over the radio and soon the car will appear with a flashing light and a green stripe. Next you will be asked questions and will be asked to leave. To use phrases like “does America or where?” they will be deaf. I will say that it is possible to withdraw only with the permission of the Rabbi. And no permission — good bye! Google car, removing streetview, could only walk a couple of blocks away. Then he was spotted, pulled over and drove out of the city. I’d not photographed. Rode a couple of laps, took off the video and clicked out of the machine. And shoot there is, frankly, nothing — the city is extremely dull and monotonous. And can and Hasidim in Williamsburg pofotkat. There they are accustomed to people do not rush. Moreover, they are all the same as if they were on the same plant cloning produce.
The cars, “Public safety”, Kiryas-Joel. Interestingly, according to the laws of the city, local women are forbidden to drive cars.
Other interesting facts: community samarskij of the Hasidim, strongly opposed to the state of Israel, because their leader believed that the creation of a Jewish state until the coming of the Messiah is a serious violation of the Torah. So they are staunch allies of Palestine.
School buses carrying Chassidic children home after school. A lot of children, so the buses go by caravan.
The exits of the city are arranged so that the accident can not come out. The fence is to the roadway, and on it hang warning signs.
