Monday, May 14, 2007

Schnorring

I'll be honest. I hate this. I can't stand it when a schnorrer comes to my door asking for money so some schmuck can sit in Yeshiva or kollel in Bnei Brak or Yerushalayim while my wife and I are struggling 7000 miles away to make a living and make ends meet, which we are not most of the time.

My wife and I are in financial trouble because of the yeshiva thing, because I decided not to take early responsibility and instead of going to work, I went to yeshiva. Now, my wife and I are paying the price, and it's a heavy one.

What's worse is, even if I gave this guy money, would he respect me as a Jew? He came to my door in full gear, funny round hat, white shirt (no tie, must be Chassidish), kapota (long black coat), and nice long Paiyos. I told him I don't give, and I told him that "Aniyei Ircha Kodmin" - the poor of your own city come before those of another. This is a guy probably from Me'a She'arim or Bnei Brak, and if I and my wife walked down their streets, me wearing jeans and her wearing a tichel and a denim skirt, he'd probably be first in line to through bleach at us, declaring us to be dressed in a non-Tznius fashion.

These Schnorrers are sucking the funds out of our communities, and they have no Hakaras Hatov. Our communities are already in trouble financially with schools that are too expensive and living expenses that are very high because frum Jews tend to live in more expensive neighborhoods. We don't need these Schnorrers coming 'round and taking funds away from our own city to support some schnook sitting in kollel, some schnook who would consider us beneath contempt because we're not like him but who would take our money just the same.

Whatever.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

it would be soooo nice if they'd just take the thousands of dollars they would have spent to fly all the way to America and all over America and contribute THAT to the yeshiva... and hello, doesn't all this schnorring take away time from learning? If you don't believe in earning a living, fine... go learn, even though I don't plan to support you..... but what are you doing taking all this time from learning to go schnorre?

The wedding schnorrers are the worst though. sheesh---- grab some Jewish men and a chuppah and get married--- you don't need a fancy wedding. We used to have a little money, and we used it on our wedding--- years later we're $200,000 in debt and wishing we hadn't spent the only $17,000 we ever had on a wedding.

Am Kshe Oref - A Stiff-Necked People said...

Jeez, Heat! You're up to 200k?! How the hell did that happen! I know, I know, it's names are Reena and Chananya...:)

Anonymous said...

we've been at 200 K for a while actually. And the correct spelling of his name is Chananiah! :)

Without all the debt payment we'd be considered rich in this neck of the woods. But paying $4000 a month in payments to credit cards and such doesn't leave enough for utilities, rent, food, clothes and life in general, so the cycle continues. Just waiting for my income to increase enough that we can start making bigger dents in the debt--- but it's hard to increase my income TOO much right now while I'm the primary stay at home parent --- I still make as much as hubby does, but I Can't quite double or triple his income-- yet!)

Orthonomics said...

We used to have a little money, and we used it on our wedding--- years later we're $200,000 in debt and wishing we hadn't spent the only $17,000 we ever had on a wedding.

Guest post? Guest post?

Rafi G. said...

we were raised to never turn a Jew away empty handed. At least to give a token amount. If you don't like the organization he is collecting for (unless there is something specific wrong with it of course) or the issue he is collecting for, give a dollar and send him on his way. You do not need to give $18 or $100 to everybody who comes by.