Homeless: From The Posh Life Of Central Park West To The City’s Mean Streets, A FailedMessiah.com Special Report

It was mid-May 1998 and Gladys didn’t know what to do. For her entire life she had always had a place to sleep, a place to call home. But now she didn’t and it was getting dark. New York City, never a hospitable place, had shut its doors to her. And Gladys was terrified.

Homeless: From The Posh Life Of Central Park West To The City’s Mean Streets
David Kelsey and Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com

This post is part of an ongoing series on Jewish homelessness.

It was mid-May 1998 and Gladys didn’t know what to do.

For her entire life she had always had a place to sleep, a place to call home. But now she didn’t and it was getting dark. New York City, never a hospitable place, had shut its doors to her. And Gladys was terrified.

She was born a child of privilege.

Raised in a Conservative Jewish household in the Eastchester section of the Bronx, Gladys graduated Hunter College and had training from Harvard’s Institute for Arts Administration. She served as Director of Public Relations for the San Francisco Opera and later held the same position for the San Francisco Symphony.

She married a successful scientist. Eventually the couple moved to New York City where they lived in a comfortable apartment just off Central Park West.

Instead of looking for a comparable arts job in New York, Gladys decided to  open a small public relations agency of her own, something she could run part time as she concentrated more of her time on her husband and on her charity work – and that may have been Gladys’ biggest mistake.

Even though she had clients as high profile as the Bolshoi Ballet, the business did not make enough money to support her. This wasn’t a problem as long as she was married, but it became a big problem once she wasn’t.

Her relationship with her husband soured and Gladys filed for divorce, which was granted. Her alimony was enough to pay her rent with $300 left over each month for food, medical expenses, clothes, transportation and insurance.

Gladys wasn’t a money person and she made critical mistakes that she would later pay for in spades by sleeping on cots in homeless shelters and standing in line at soup kitchens.

She ran up credit card charges. She failed to adjust her spending for her new, smaller income. She lived in denial.

Then disaster caught up to her.

Her creditors seized her assets.  Her ex-husband refused to help her. There was a fire in her apartment. And then the eviction notice came.

Gladys’s denial continued – until she found herself on the street with nowhere to go and darkness rapidly approaching.

All her immediate family had passed away. She frantically called friends but couldn’t reach them. She called Women In Need, a charity she supported. It couldn’t help her because she had no dependent children.

Gladys, a middle age Jewish woman who knew nothing about the streets, was now homeless.

She spent her first night in a church and spent the following days trying to get help from friends.

Some of her friends offered sympathy but no help. Others told her she would have to find a way to work it out herself. One friend even explained that her rabbi had advised her to “stay away from the situation.”

As a long-standing member, Gladys turned to her own synagogue for help, but the temple’s senior rabbi was “unavailable,” and the junior rabbi who did not know her well declined her request for help, telling her that “we don’t do that.” And the rabbi did not bother to tell Gladys who in the Jewish community did provide help to women in her situation.

So began her saga of homelessness, which she told FailedMessiah.com she refers to as “Gladys in Wonderland,” because of her feeling of “falling down the hole, and not knowing how to get up from a world I never knew. I didn’t know about The System. I never had a friend or relative in The System. I did not know how to work The System.  And that might be a broad stroke on why it took me 8 ½ years [to get out of homelessness].”

Social Services denied Gladys’s request for help. Gladys was certain this happened because of her former address and lifestyle. Gladys eventually found a lawyer to take her case pro bono and sued the city for wrongful denial of services.

For her first first six months on the streets, she had no money and no guarantee of food – except at the Catholic shelter where she found refuge, which served dinner four nights a week.

Then the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty placed her in a “Jewish” shelter, and gave her clothing.  Although she had her own room, shelter life was difficult. None of the staff was Jewish and few of the residents were. Even though the shelter was “Jewish,” Gladys experienced antisemitism there. She was attacked. She almost lost an eye. Even so, she refers to the Met Council’s staff as “angels.”

Shortly after her shelter placement, United Jewish Appeal – where she had previously served as Chairman of NYC Relations within the Government Relations committee – enlisted her part time to speak for them in order to raise money for homelessness, an opportunity she credits with restoring some dignity.

To leave homelessness people need a sudden infusion of money, enough to secure an apartment and pay first and last months’ rent, or they need good transitional housing and a program that allows them to earn and save money while still retaining some government benefits, both near impossibilities.

“People don’t leave homelessness,” Gladys told us. “Section 8 doesn’t exist. It’s gone. It’s all gone.”

When Gladys turned sixty, she began seeking senior housing, but found out the estimated wait for such housing was ten years.

Then out of the blue, Gladys had good luck that few homeless people will ever have. Her lawsuit against the city had drawn the attention of Dateline NBC, which did a segment on her case. The publicity would lead to her ticket out of homelessness.

Lawyers offered pro bono services. Gladys won her suit against the city for denying assistance. She successfully sued the city and a storage company for losing her possessions placed in the storage facility by the city when she was evicted and then charging her for that storage anyway.

In 2007 her pro bono lawyers discovered that Gladys had been eligible for her former husband’s pension since his death in 2004, something the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services missed. That JBFCS error had left her homeless for three years longer than she had to be.

Her near decade-long descent into homelessness ended shortly after receiving her ex-husband’s pension. She left New York City and relocated upstate, where the money would go farther. She got housing and found a new community.
Homelessness cost Gladys her friends. “When people fall through the cracks, their friends disappear,” she told us. She had learned hard truths about our government and about our community, as well.

Today there are more Gladyses out there, homeless and scared, many made that way by an economic downturn of near epic proportion. Yet the Jewish community seems no better prepared today than it was in 1998 when Gladys first became homeless.

In most cities there are no Jewish homeless shelters at all and the Jewish welfare organizations in them generally serve only as referral points for city, county or state aid, telling needy Jews in crisis which government agency to turn to for what usually turns out to be meager, inadequate help. Most Jewish communities have no transitional housing and no programs meant to transition people out of homelessness. Some offer no assistance at all.

These same Jewish communities send money to feed, clothe and house poor Jews in Israel – a country with a better economy than ours and with a wealthy class studies show gives almost no charity while elderly Holocaust survivors sleep in Tel Aviv parks and beg for food.

This November, the General Assembly of those Jewish Federations will be held in New Orleans. A major focus of the gathering will be “tikkun olam” and social justice. Hundreds of participants will spend a day helping various New Orleans charities still rebuilding the city five years after Hurricane Katrina and its failed Federal government response. Hundreds more will attend workshops on homelessness and other social justice issues.

What these well-meaning Federation Jews need to know is that there are Jews in their own communities who are homeless or teetering on its verge. They are there because of the devastating economic collapse or because of crushing medical bills or because of simple bad luck. These Jews need help and they need it right now.

If those workshops on “tikkun olam” bring these desperate Jews the help they need, then all is well and good.

But if those workshops result in more meetings, study commissions and declarations but no real changes on the ground, then the Federations and their leadership need to be challenged by all of us. A Federation leadership that responds to the crisis of poverty and homelessness by shuffling papers needs to be replaced, and until they are, donors should look for other avenues for their largesse.

We need to narrow the cracks in society so people don’t fall through them. That is what tzedaka means, and it shouldn’t take study commissions and workshops to make this clear to anyone.

More posts on Jewish homelessness.

Comments

[Jeff]

I don't know that the Federation and its affiliates really care, as long as the money keeps coming in, and they can afford six-figure salaries for administrators and can occasionally build a showpiece, such as an assisted living facility, so they can have something to put on display for their patrons.

In 2007 her pro bono lawyers discovered that Gladys had been eligible for her former husband’s pension since his death in 2004, something the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services missed. That JBFCS error had left her homeless for three years longer than she had to be.

I had assumed our JBFCS here in Boston was alone in its level of incompetence. I guess I was mistaken.

[Jeff]

BTW, great article, guys.

[the farshlepte krenk]

great article, thanks

[Abbi]

I can't believe this woman really had no friends to lend her a hand when she lost her home. How terribly sad to lose your home and discover you really have no friends in the world.

[Isa]

"""She left New York City and relocated upstate, where the money would go farther."""

Housing is cheap in Texas!

When I lost my job and sold my mortgaged house in St. Louis Park,MN , I had enough funds to buy a nicer house OUTRIGHT in the Houston area

No mortgage anymore! ain't it sweet

[Menachem Mendel lll]

Finally I understand what Ahavas Yisroel really means.

Thanks for bringing this heartbreaking story to our attention.

[SJ]

It's Bush's fault. XD

[SJ]

I know someone here is thinking it so I said it first. XD (jokingly)

[harold]

I am glad things worked out for her, but I am surprised that she did not move out of New York earlier. This is a cold (not temperature wise) expensive place to live. My daughter is in a community upstate for Medical School and I am shocked how much cheaper rent is - a fraction of what I see in the outer boroughs (not to mention Manhattan).

I think that more agencies, and New York City, should set up temporary shelters in affordable communities than just doling out cash to pay for expensive housing in expensive cities.

As to long term solution for the younger able bodied people, especially those without family ties, as you mention in your article ”[Israel] a country with a better economy than ours”, a fastrack to an Aliyah program would be in order. As was mentioned, some programs here are already geared to help those in need in Israel, so their infrastructure is in place in Israel, probably more than they are here and with a better economy in Israel as well as free healthcare and plenty of low rent options this should not be ignored.

[charly cohen]

one of the best articles iv ever read
thanks so much
basically most but not all of the Jewish federations
are all scams and the employees get huge salaries and some times give a small donation with a lot of noise
it should to help families who are struggling to make ends meet in this tough economy
what a shame
these article must be published more often

[Cheskel]

+++As a long-standing member, Gladys turned to her own synagogue for help, but the temple’s senior rabbi was “unavailable,” and the junior rabbi who did not know her well declined her request for help, telling her that “we don’t do that.” And the rabbi did not bother to tell Gladys who in the Jewish community did provide help to women in her situation.++++

Harold,
Was it a Conservative/Reform Rabbi/synagogue or Orthodox?

[MM]

Well, I'm sooo glad that the Federation will be in New Orleans helping with Katrina charities. They were no big help to me when I lost my home and everything in it to Katrina. I was completely dislocated after the storm and only found out that the Federation had a program of cash grants and other kinds of help by accident--because I was the seatmate of a Federation official on a flight back to New Orleans to tie up some financial loose ends and to see my house and try to salvage anything salvageable (nothing was). I applied for the $500 cash grant and was told that all the money had been spent. I don't know on whom since New Orleans is not Brooklyn and did not have an enormous Jewish population in the first place, and further much of the Jewish community lived in areas that didn't flood. Of course, the Orthodox shul Beth Sholom was in the heart of Lakeview which was completely destroyed, and all its congregants, living within walking distance, lost everything as well. I did hear that the Federation sent large shipments of shofars to Dallas and Houston to take care of the extreme shofar shortage in Texas due to the influx of Katrina relocatees.

I must, however, give my great thanks to the group of Jewish volunteers from North Carolina who removed the ruined contents of my house, including the two disgusting refrigerators, as well as to the Baptist volunteers from Project Noah who gutted the house. They found my jewelry box hidden in the rubble, cleaned the jewelry, and sent it all safely back to me. Hiring this work done would have been very expensive, given all the price gouging at the time, and would have been difficult for me, not so young and not so healthy, to arrange from afar, with no one there to supervise to be sure I was getting the work I had paid for. And so I am eternally grateful to all the volunteers who came down to help with their own two hands.

I will also say that the only help I got from the Red Cross was a bottle of water. I tried to get help from the Red Cross, both in person and by phone, and that was useless. Exactly what they did do with all the money they collected I have no idea, but I do know that I will never give them a penny.

There are two morals I would draw from this story. One, if, G-d forbid, you face catastrophe, basically you are on your own. Do not assume that you will get help from charitable organizations or the government (I never did get the assistance FEMA promised). And certainly do not assume that your insurance will pay what they owe, at least not without a lengthy fight. If you do get help, consider yourself very lucky, but don't count on it. Two, when you give tzedekah, make sure that you know where the funds actually go. If the charity cannot demonstrate that the donated funds go directly to help the advertised beneficiaries, rather than disproportionately to overhead and executive salaries and perks and fancy headquarters, find another charity among the many wonderful ones that demonstrably make a positive difference in people's lives.

Fortunately, I had an adult son and daughter-in-law to give me a hand, enough of a financial cushion to survive--even though I had $300,000 of uninsured losses, and the intelligence and education to deal with the bureaucracy and red tape and other aggravation. Otherwise, I might have found myself in Gladys's shoes.

[Shmarya]

I know someone here is thinking it so I said it first. XD (jokingly)

Posted by: SJ | October 04, 2010 at 12:37 PM

Actually, Regan cut Section 8 housing, which is largely why people like Gladys end up homeless.

[SJ]

From Wikipedia:

"In response to the ensuing homelessness crisis of the 1980s, concerned citizens across the country[who?] demanded that the federal government provide assistance. After many years of advocacy and numerous revisions, President Reagan signed into law the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act in 1987—this remains the only piece of federal legislation that allocates funding to the direct service of homeless people."

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_the_United_States#1980s

Regarding section 8 in New York City, it is not accepting new applications because there is no funding for it, you can't blame that on a dead man who was a Republican after all the time that the Democrats had office.

source: http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/section8/section8.shtml

[jake]

Shmarya.
Excellent article.

Thanks!

[Moshe aron kestenbaum, Williamsburg ODA]

I wrote an essay on "Ani yeshanu velibi eir Kol Dodi Dofek," on the first few psukim of Shir Hashirim, perek 5, as a taking off point for an argument in a defense of a lover. The lover, symbolizing G-d, whom the beloved, symbolizing the Jewish people, has longed for for many years, unexpectedly knocks on the door of his beloved's tent in the middle of the night, begging her to
let him in. But she is suddenly too tired to get up and open the door. When she finally does open the door, it is too late, and he is gone, and her long years of seeking for him begin again. This lady lost her lover and history repeats. feel pity for her. or she is a mental case then I feel double for her

[Menachem Mendel lll]

Perhaps I missed the central point of this article.

Several poster have suggested that the Government dropped the ball and share the blame when it comes to heartbreaking examples such as Gladys.

That point is not in debate.

However, "gladys turned to her own synagogue for help" and the senior rabbi was “unavailable." The junior rabbi declined her request for help and her dearest of "friends could not be reached."

B"H there are goyim out there in churches and on the streets with "neshumas" and "Yiddisheh hearts" who reached out to her.

Does this mean if the Goyim are will do the Jews scut work "we" are free to close up for the winter and fly down to West Palm Beach and Bal harbor.

Apparently the answer is yes.

My family took people into our home on many occasions for Ahnast Orheim.
These so called "Orchim" where strangers who were clearly in need and we were far from well off.

For a Rabbi to say "“we don’t do that" when on Rosh Hashana I was privy to lectures about: saving a single Jew is has if you have saved the "entire world" followed by asking for donations in the same breath makes me curse the day "shelo asni goy."

[justayid]

I would want to know the rabbi's POV before judging them. The senior rabbi being unavailable could mean he was out of town or whatever. The junior rabbi's "we don't do that" what EXACTLY was he asked to do? To put someone up in the shul? To write a big check? I have been on the board of a small shul, and its not easy running a shul. Most will try to do what they can.

Money to Israel. Historically UJA was $$ for abroad, federation for local needs. At some point it was determined to fundraise together, to be more efficient. Its not federations fault that folks want to give $ to Israel. Which, btw, still has a lower average income than the USA, and much lower average income than the US jewish community. It has faster growth and lower UE NOW, because they arent going through the cyclical downturn we are.

AFAICT most folks at federations work hard, and they try to be as reponsive to expressed community needs as possible. Obvuiously there are more resources in NY - there are economies of scale in social service provision, and NYC has historically had more Jewish poverty than most Jewish communities in the USA.

And yeah, what made sense for decades doesnt necessarily make sense in the great recession. It would be nice if Jewish orgs could turn on a dime, but mostly they can't.

I am not seeing the point in these tirades against federation.

[justayid]

here is what federation in LA is trying to do

http://www.jewishla.org/pages/get-help

Note, most federations have LESS money, as donations are down with the recession, just as needs are greater.

[Shmarya]

I am not seeing the point in these tirades against federation.

I dealt with the Federations at the national level for years, and I can tell you they ignore serious problems until much damage has been done and they attack anyone who points this out or points out the need to deal with those problems.

There are always exceptions – Shoshana Cardin is a good person and a good leader, and so is Mort Mandel – but most of these Federation leaders are clueless.

They're in the positions they're in because they're rich, and rich doesn't always (or often) equal talented or caring.

[Shmarya]

I am not seeing the point in these tirades against federation.

I suppose you would if you were homeless and had to wait 10 years for shelter because the Jewish community fucked up – again.

But it's hard for you to feel empathy for those very poor people, now isn't it?

[WoolSilkCotton]

When reckless frumma drivers kill other frumma-

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/10/04/
2010-10-04_emotional_funeral_for_sarah_erdan_13yearold
_killed_in_minivan_crash_teen_driver_.html

So where's the apology from the family?

[shneerhere]

"Actually, Regan cut Section 8 housing, which is largely why people like Gladys end up homeless"

Not true. My brother had a Section 8 apartment building in Evanston in the 1990's, long after Reagan was in power. It burned due to idiots smoking in bed. By the time mods were made to bring the 1950's era building up to current fire code, he lost money on it and then some.

But... a very good article, Shmarya, the kind that makes FailedMessiah really shine.

[Shmarya]

Reagan did dramatically cut funding for section 8 housing, which created a situation where waiting lists got full and remained full – and closed – for years at a time.

I think waiting lists were opened for a day here 6 or 7 months ago, the first time they'd been open in many years.

People wait more than a decade to get Section 8 housing.

[Shlomo]

If you lose your job or your income, you have dropped off the edge of the Earth as far as most of your "friends", relatives, and former co-workers are concerned, whether they be Jews or not. I was forced to take a "retirement package" 18 months ago at age 58 after 10 years service with good reviews. A Lithuanian Orthodox Jew was the eager corporate hatchet man. I survive only because I'm have always lived below my means and the stock market rose last year. I would like to work a few years before taking social security at 66.

But this is pretty disturbing insofar as the Jewish community is concerned. We pride ourselves on our tsedakah. And prayte endlessly about compassion for those who sleep in the dust. Most of the machers walk around with their noses up in the air; we're only there to confirm their status. Even though I belong to some of the same Jewish organizations, they will acknowledge and converse with me (an Ivy League grad) only if I were an economic equal.

Couldn't somebody have taken Gladys in, let her live in dignity until she got her act together?! Needless to say, skilled counseling would have helped Gladys sooner in coping with her situation and exploring her options. The "Federation" and her fellow Jews failed.

[Menachem Mendel lll]

Sholom,

I respectfully disagree.

The "Federation" and her fellow Jews did not fail.

They didn't give a shit.

Out of sight.
Out of mind.

No more.
No less.

[harold]

Couldn't somebody have taken Gladys in, let her live in dignity until she got her act together?!

Its a shame you were not informed of her predicament or in fact it is unfortunate that her story was not posted here at FailedMessaih at her moment of need, I am 100% sure that one kind member of this sterling community of FailedMessaihnites would have put her up.

I think we should have a sticky listing names and phone numbers of people in need so our very special community of people could reach out and help. Why do we have to delegate it out to people who don’t care when we here have so many caring people. I am sure there are lots of people here who have a spare guest room that they can put up a homeless person for a few weeks. What a wonderful and special mitzvah to help put someone’s life back on track.

[Shlomo]

Harold makes a valuable suggestion that should be considered. I was, however, thinking that that "someone" should have been one of Gladys's friends. She was presumably a trustworthy person known to her friends, not an unvetted stranger.

[Alex Schindler]

THis article is what modern-day prophecy reads like.

י שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר-יְהוָה, קְצִינֵי סְדֹם; הַאֲזִינוּ תּוֹרַת אֱלֹהֵינוּ, עַם עֲמֹרָה. 10 Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
יא לָמָּה-לִּי רֹב-זִבְחֵיכֶם יֹאמַר יְהוָה, שָׂבַעְתִּי עֹלוֹת אֵילִים וְחֵלֶב מְרִיאִים; וְדַם פָּרִים וּכְבָשִׂים וְעַתּוּדִים, לֹא חָפָצְתִּי. 11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me? saith the LORD; I am full of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats.
יב כִּי תָבֹאוּ, לֵרָאוֹת פָּנָי--מִי-בִקֵּשׁ זֹאת מִיֶּדְכֶם, רְמֹס חֲצֵרָי. 12 When ye come to appear before Me, who hath required this at your hand, to trample My courts?
יג לֹא תוֹסִיפוּ, הָבִיא מִנְחַת-שָׁוְא--קְטֹרֶת תּוֹעֵבָה הִיא, לִי; חֹדֶשׁ וְשַׁבָּת קְרֹא מִקְרָא, לֹא-אוּכַל אָוֶן וַעֲצָרָה. 13 Bring no more vain oblations; it is an offering of abomination unto Me; new moon and sabbath, the holding of convocations--I cannot endure iniquity along with the solemn assembly.
יד חָדְשֵׁיכֶם וּמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם שָׂנְאָה נַפְשִׁי, הָיוּ עָלַי לָטֹרַח; נִלְאֵיתִי, נְשֹׂא. 14 Your new moons and your appointed seasons My soul hateth; they are a burden unto Me; I am weary to bear them.
טו וּבְפָרִשְׂכֶם כַּפֵּיכֶם, אַעְלִים עֵינַי מִכֶּם--גַּם כִּי-תַרְבּוּ תְפִלָּה, אֵינֶנִּי שֹׁמֵעַ: יְדֵיכֶם, דָּמִים מָלֵאוּ. 15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide Mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood.
טז רַחֲצוּ, הִזַּכּוּ--הָסִירוּ רֹעַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶם, מִנֶּגֶד עֵינָי: חִדְלוּ, הָרֵעַ. 16 Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes, cease to do evil;
יז לִמְדוּ הֵיטֵב דִּרְשׁוּ מִשְׁפָּט, אַשְּׁרוּ חָמוֹץ; שִׁפְטוּ יָתוֹם, רִיבוּ אַלְמָנָה. {ס} 17 Learn to do well; seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. {S}

[chaim1]

In this special 'failed moshiach report' why isnt the name of this conservative shul mentioned. Is it only frum men who ... whose name has to be emblazoned on your headlines. Why are you shielding them. Is there one law for the ...
I would say their crime although not nominally directly against the law is far,far worse.
It is most likely a rich shul to which she and her husband contributed a lot of money through the years being a long standing member.
The answer to the whole story is quite simple, she was a successful lady, in high society, who 'blew' her money away. This is considered a crime, no less than being poor. As she states all her friends left her, they were friends of her money not of her. And most likely 'gloated' over her downfall.
This is common in non-orthodox shuls. On another blog http://www.michaltastik.com by a ger one reads the same constantly. Jews are only friends with money. What she really means is that once they leave orthodoxy that is the only Jewish trait that they have left and are obsessed with.
You can write against the orthodox what you like, but they dont send their destitute members to church!

[chaim1]

Is this story really true! Are you scared of libel or defamation to mention them. You could choose a defunct shul. Or are you blackmailing them and they havent yet paid up.
This great failed moshiach 'special' report does you real credit! Isnt it surprising non of your great chasidim havent even noticed it.
Well let me tell you all the non frummers here would be exactly the same. They would all find 'excuses' similar to the ones I mentioned not to help her. They would even find psukim from the tnach to prove it! Do you think s'dom were plain fools. They had 'good' reasons for what they did like the 'unmentionable shul' here.
The chumash says the 'chasida' (stork) is a treifa bird. It is called chasida because it does 'chesed' but it is treifa because it only does with its own kind.
The pshat is, that these conservatives will find any excuse why they are not their own kind and therefore refuse to do chesed. THAT MAKES THEM TREIFA.

[Moshe aron kestenbaum, Williamsburg ODA]

I am in the midst of writing a deep essay on the subject of foundering marriages so i have no time now to write about these squanderers so called leaders who are derlict morons piece of shits who only think about thenselfs and show to get more and more koved and honors and are really the Devil's brethren not my jewish brethrens. One only has to go to the third peruk chapter in succah lulav Hagozal where the gemora says and quotes that dont bring me stolen offereings and how hashem doesnt appreciate stolen offerings, most of these so called leaders today belong in that category.

[Shmarya]

The pshat is, that these conservatives will find any excuse why they are not their own kind and therefore refuse to do chesed. THAT MAKES THEM TREIFA.

Moron.

There a plenty of poor Orthodox Jews who have been refused the help they need by the Orthodox community. I know of a case with Satmar where a non-Satmar haredi guy went to Satmar for help and they refused to help him while doling out help to Samar hasidim that came before and after him.

Past that, the haredi community runs by having local haredi chieftains dole out benefits to their followers. It's a form of power-building and power-retention.

The haredi leadership puts in place policies – like no secular education, for example – that lead to poverty but create an us (haredim) against them (everyone else) mentality. That keeps group retention higher than it otherwise would be. Then haredi leadership doles out "tzedaka" that is largely a combination of government money and the proceeds of theft to those poor haredim – haredim that are poor because of these same haredi leaders and rabbis.

As for whether or not the story is real, the head of the Metropolitain Council on Jewish Poverty acknowledged the story is true on a mutual friend's Facebook page yesterday afternoon.

Now go take your meds and leave the rest of us alone.

[Shmarya]

The answer to the whole story is quite simple, she was a successful lady, in high society, who 'blew' her money away. This is considered a crime, no less than being poor.

Halakha holds that a rich person who becomes poor must be supported by the community at his previous level of existence. If he ate steak three times daily and drank the finest wines, we must give him steak and those wines.

One should do his utmost to avoid having to take tzedaka, halakha holds, working at even lowly jobs if necessary, but it does *not* say a person who once was rich but who became poor by bad financial management is a criminal or a sinner, and it mandates that we restore him to his former lifestyle.

If you weren't a shoteh, you'd know this.

You'd also know that you are MANDATED by halakha to treat people like Gladys with respect, and to help them.

But you are a shoteh, a little man who sins as he beats his tiny chest and declares himself to be the true standard bearer of Judaism.

But you aren't.

[Hometown Postville]

"I think that more agencies, and New York City, should set up temporary shelters in affordable communities than just doling out cash to pay for expensive housing in expensive cities." Good advice Harold! In my small town you can buy a pretty decent house for under $100k- it's not 5th Ave, but certainly livable. A small house can be rented for $400 or less. I can't imagine how people on welfare on the east and west coasts manage with the high rents. A huge drain on gov't budgets for subsidies. Move them into the burbs and outlying small towns. We welcome you!

[Shmarya]

The reason rents are so cheap in NE Iowa is because there are very few jobs there and its economy is very depressed.

Moving poor people to Postville will only further tax an area that struggles to keep up, and will leave hundreds of people on your county's welfare roles.

What Harold suggested works (to an extent) in areas with very good public transportation, and where a person could live in an outlying suburb but work in the city. So the poor in NYC have the option of living in the far reaches of Queens but working in Manhattan.

But to think relocating thousands of poor and homeless to areas that are not equipped to handle their needs and do not have a job market to support them not only won't solve the problems of the poor – it will make them worse.

[harold]

Past that, the haredi community runs by having local haredi chieftains dole out benefits to their followers. It's a form of power-building and power-retention.

No, that’s the way we humans are. The closer the "relationship" the more one helps. To quote Achashverosh to Ester "Ad chatzi hamalka" (up until half of my Kingdom). What would a parent not do for a child? As the "relationship" widens it is natural to be less generous. First tier, wife, children, parents, then brother, sister, then uncles and aunts etc. Get my drift. Obviously if resources were unlimited one can give more to more, but with limited resources, well that’s the way it is.

I still maintain my comment that more hands on tzdaka should be done. Rent is EXTREEMELY expensive, there are countless people with spare guest rooms, bedrooms i.e. FREE (so to speak) space available. Maybe an organization could be started that would pay a stipend to someone for putting up a homeless person. They can do preliminary screening to make sure that he or she is “safe”. This I think exists in some form for Ohel (as an example), i.e. to have a family take in a child in a crisis or orphaned. Why not the Jewish homeless? What is the difference between a child that was cast or forced out of their home by abusive parents vs a person cast out by an abusive economy by a government that will not or cannot help?

Don’t just throw money at the problem, don’t just blame Satmar, Federation, Social Services, Synagogue, Rabbi etc. these are tough economic times and more creative solutions are needed. Each and everyone should say, is there anyway that I can help instead of what more can THEY do. I am sure that they do help but their priorities may not match yours, and yes, one can ask of they to change their priorities, but first look deeply in the mirror and say “am I doing the most that I can?”.

[chaim1]

There a plenty of poor Orthodox Jews who have been refused the help they need by the Orthodox community. I know of a case with Satmar where a non-Satmar haredi guy went to Satmar for help and they refused to help him while doling out help to Samar hasidim that came before and after him.
You idiot, that may be wrong but they don’t send their ‘own’ to church like the conservatives like you admit they help their own.
The answer to the whole story is quite simple, she was a successful lady, in high society, who 'blew' her money away. This is considered a crime, no less than being poor.
Halakha holds that a rich person who becomes poor must be supported by the community at his previous level of existence. If he ate steak three times daily and drank the finest wines, we must give him steak and those wines
You idiot again. I said that is what must happened in the conservative shul which you continue shielding, not that it was correct.

[WoolSilkCotton]

A monthly MetroCard in NYC is now $89.

A monthly NJ Transit Pass from a typical NJ suburb about 35 miles away, into Manhattan, costs $328.

You are screwed out of a good piece of your take home pay just from the cost of getting into NYC.

[Shmarya]

You idiot, that may be wrong but they don’t send their ‘own’ to church like the conservatives like you admit they help their own.

They didn't send her to Church. She found shelter in the church by herself. The synagogue simply refused to help her, just the way Satmar refused to help the non-Satmar haredi I mentioned.

[chaim1]

I give up I called you idiot sorry youre not even that.
satmar helped their own.
the conservatives did not help a long standing member of the shul you are still shielding who had no doubt donated over the years thousands to it.

[Shmarya]

satmar helped their own.
the conservatives did not help a long standing member of the shul

Satmar distributes GOVERNMENT money meant to help all poor.

The non-Orthodox synagogue in question refused to give PRIVATE money to Gladys.

Past that, even if your twisted understanding of the situation had been true, what in your twisted little mind makes you think that it is okay under Jewish law to help a fellow Satmar but not help a Pupa or Bobover or Litvak?

Where in halakha do you see that it is okay to turn down a person that comes to you for help just because he isn't part of your sect?

You are a shoteh, a fool, a sick, deranged, offensive little man.

Gei kakken affen yam.

[DK]

The authors did not specify the synagogue at the request of the subject of this piece.

[Bartleby]

I'd say that Gladys brought this on herself. She is the only one to blame. All you bleeding hearts make me sick.
(Now I'm going to run for cover.)

[Menachem Mendel lll]

Mr. Rosenberg,

I remember my lessons very well WRT you statement that "halakha holds that a rich person who becomes poor must be supported by the community at his previous level of existence."

If I recall correctly halacha goes one better than that.

The 'community' is required to provide to this now destitute person X7 what he or she had previously.

Does this sound familiar to you.

Perhaps I'm mistaken or have lingering thoughts about a "dream" I had about my religion and the values of decency, Ahavas Yisroel and Tikkunkeleh Olamkeleh my Hebraic-Judaic religion stands for and represents a la Avraham, Yizhok and Yacoub.

[Bartleby]

Hey, MM III and Shm-a-r-y-a,
I guess you two also think that the "community" should help out Bernie Madoff so he can live at his previous standard (or 7 times that). Let's send caviar and champagne to him in the federal pen. It's da halacha! Gimme a break.
I don't fell sorry for "Gladys". She got better than she deserves.

[Menachem Mendel lll]

Bartleby,

I understand where you are coming from and respect your point of view.

Mr. Rosenberg and I do not think or believe that convicted criminals and felons who committed unspeakable acts against society and the government should be forgiven or to quote you helped out.

This does not only apply to Madoff it applies to Rubashin, jewish rapists, jewish murderers, jewish embezzlers, jewish child molesters and men like Meir Lansky et al.

It does apply to member of the Jewish community who unselfishly gave of themselves to help others in need.

Clearly you missed my point.

I trust you now understand where we are coming from in accordance to halacha.

[Bartleby]

Gimme a break MM III,
The following sentence broke me up:
"It does apply to member of the Jewish community who unselfishly gave of themselves to help others in need."
This is "Gladys"!!! Gimme a break.
Not as she is described in the bubba meiseh.
Hey, MM III, there are still a few conservative Republicans with black yarmalkas on their heads - who give a lot of tzdaka - but not to Gladys'.

[WoolSilkCotton]

I'll have to agree with Bartleby on this topic.

The story reminds me of professional athletes and entertainers who made millions and then blew millions. Now they are looking for donations.

http://www.thisis50.com/profiles/blogs/
seven-world-athletes-who

So then she sued NYC for denying her 'right' to get welfare checks, and then she latched on to her late ex-husband's pension.

She's a real heroine of the Women's Movement.

Maybe I'll send a check to Mike Tyson.

[Menachem Mendel lll]

Bartleby,

In my haste to enlighten you about human decency I failed to mention that you lied to me.

Your 8:53 AM post stated: "Now I'm going to run for cover".

You did not run for cover.

You ambushed me.

I trusted and believed you will not attack me since you were running for cover but in fact you were lurking waiting to pounce when I was most vulnerable, trusting and unsuspecting which is typical of your "breed." No wonder you have no empathy, sympathy or compassion for a middle aged homeless and destitute woman.

I get it!

Please include your name to my above list.

Moshiach Uber Alles!

[harold]

Satmar distributes GOVERNMENT money meant to help all poor

Wow, what a heavy responsibility for the govt to bestow upon Satmar to help all the poor! Just how many billions did they give?

[Shmarya]

Wow, what a heavy responsibility for the govt to bestow upon Satmar to help all the poor! Just how many billions did they give?

Idiot.

Satmar gets millions of dollars in money from various federal, state and city anti-poverty programs.

Legally, the money must be used for anyone regardless of religion or ethnicity or sect affiliation who qualifies for help.

What Satmar does is scam the system to keep the money inside Satmar and closely affiliated groups while screwing everyone else.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Government money given to the Satmar community should be distributed within the Satmar community, because that's what it's meant for.

If Satmar started giving it to anyone and everyone, you would have every druggie, drunkard, derelict and drifter from all over New York lined up along Lee Avenue.

[WoolSilkCotton]

I wonder if Satmar yidden in need showed up at the Rev. Al Sharpton's government funded aid programs, or at any of the Hispanic community's government funded aid programs in Williamsburg, if they would be approved, since "the money must be used for anyone regardless of religion or ethnicity or sect affiliation who qualifies for help".

[Shmarya]

Government money given to the Satmar community should be distributed within the Satmar community, because that's what it's meant for.

No, it is not meant for exclusive distribution in the Satmar community. That would be illegal.

Any funds Satmar wants to keep exclusively in the Satmar community have to be privately raised.

If Satmar started giving it to anyone and everyone, you would have every druggie, drunkard, derelict and drifter from all over New York lined up along Lee Avenue.

No you would not.

The governments fund many local organizations across NYC.

The money is meant to help the people who live in their area and anyone else who might show up.

So, in Williamsburg, Satmar is expected to help Latinos and Hipsters as well as hasidim from the various hasidic sects in Williamsburg and any other people who live there or who come there for help.

Again, Satmar can exclusive help its own hasidim only if the money it disburses and that pays for the services it offers is wholly private.

[Shmarya]

I wonder if Satmar yidden in need showed up at the Rev. Al Sharpton's government funded aid programs, or at any of the Hispanic community's government funded aid programs in Williamsburg, if they would be approved, since "the money must be used for anyone regardless of religion or ethnicity or sect affiliation who qualifies for help".

Please.

Those programs are very under-funded because Satmar brings in much more government cash. Why? Because Satmar bloc votes.

Past that, Sharpton's group would be breaking the law if it acted as you discuss.

[Menachem Mendel lll]

I look forward to knockin' on the doors of Mr. Farrakhan's and Mr. Satmar for a hand out.

I suspect my Nation Of Islam buddy & friend Louis baby will treat me like a mensch relative to my Jewish relatives.

Anyway, I like his retro bow ties and Liberian accent.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Maybe I'll send a check to the Rev. Al Sharpton. He is obviously another victim of the Satmar Power.

Shmarya, are you actually claiming that Sharpton's uber-corrupt National Action Network is underfunded by the government, and that it's at least partly the fault of Satmar?

http://www.villagevoice.com/1998-12-29/news/
freddy-s-not-dead/

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=1527

[Shmarya]

Shmarya, are you actually claiming that Sharpton's uber-corrupt National Action Network is underfunded by the government, and that it's at least partly the fault of Satmar?

What I'm claiming is Williamsburg Latino groups are seriously underfunded, and Satmar squeezed them out of subsidized housing and other programs.

I'm also claiming that you don't care very much if the law is followed or not, so long as the victims of that lawbreaking are non-white, non-Jewish people.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Oh, those evil Satmar, so powerful and oppressive over their poor Hispanic neighbors, who are the victims of Satmar Power.

I'm also claiming that you don't care very much if the law is followed or not, so long as the victims of that lawbreaking are white, Jewish people.

[Shmarya]

I'm also claiming that you don't care very much if the law is followed or not, so long as the victims of that lawbreaking are white, Jewish people.

Please.

I said if Sharpton's group was acting as you claim, it has broken the law.

Oh, those evil Satmar, so powerful and oppressive over their poor Hispanic neighbors, who are the victims of Satmar Power.

There was discussion early last year in the high reaches of the federal government about the problem of haredim – primarily Satmar – misappropriating federal poverty funds.

The fear was, any stimulus money sent to that part of Brooklyn would disappear down that big Satmar hole, and leave everyone else hungry and desperate.

It happens that Vito Lopez's misbehavior reached the papers first, but don't expect that silence on Satmar to last long.

[WoolSilkCotton]

For some reason, the millions and millions that disappear down the National Action Network hole, and the various Hispanic groups that get millions and millions in federal aid that seems to disappear, never seems to garner much outrage.

[Betzalel]

The best way to really understand how the world really works is to become poor or sick. Then you see that the norm is that everyone is out for themselves alone. Granted, there are people who really care, but these people are few.

One cannot depend on his or her fellow human beings for support through poverty. One must depend on God alone.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Is this story really a good example of 'Jewish poverty'?

Rich successful Jewish woman wastes a ton of money, makes a lot of stupid decisions- both business and personal- and now cries poverty? If that's the example of Jewish poverty, how can you expect anyone to take us seriously?

Should the African American community offer- as examples of their poverty cases- the financial ruin of Scotty Pippen, MC Hammer, and Mike Tyson?

[yidandahalf]

WSC, some folks on this blog have little interest in anything verging on commonsense. The blogmeister pays virtually no taxes because he doesn't own anything. In future when he finally realizes any concrete taxable assets, he will perhaps change his proverbial tune. At this time he is happy to blow whistles on anyone not jumping the gun to give money away to parasites.
I am sorry this woman had a hard time, actually I don't give a shit. It took her too long to wake TF up and of course, one wonders why none of the folks who ACTUALLY KNOWS her would not help her out. Everyone has a hard luck story. Save them folks, do good deeds, do what you need to do to survive and then shut the fuck up about it. Just sayin',just sayin'.

[Menachem Mendel lll]

With Hebrews like you guys we don't need any enemies.

Moshiach Uber Allles!

[WoolSilkCotton]

++her alimony was enough to pay her rent with $300 left over each month for food, medical expenses, clothes, transportation and insurance++

Absolute bullshit. I'd like to see her Case Information Statement, and the Settlement Agreement.

If you gave this woman a check for $50,000 right now, how long before she would squander it at Bergdorf Goodman's? The check wouldn't last 5 minutes in her hands.

Perhaps MC Hammer needs our donations so he can buy himself another solid gold toilet.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Perhaps she could have sucked the marrow out of her late ex-husband's skeleton, sold it, then used the money to pay the rent on her Central Park West luxury apartment.

[Shmarya]

Absolute bullshit. I'd like to see her Case Information Statement, and the Settlement Agreement.

If you gave this woman a check for $50,000 right now, how long before she would squander it at Bergdorf Goodman's? The check wouldn't last 5 minutes in her hands.

Perhaps MC Hammer needs our donations so he can buy himself another solid gold toilet.

The only absolute bullshit around here is you.

She got a lump sum settlement for the back pension owed her and another for her stolen items in storage.

She used that money to get out of NYC and resettle upstate, where she's lived for a couple years.

The problem you have, WSC, is that just like you hate brown and black people you also hate divorced women.

You didn't like what happened in your own divorce and you project that onto everyone else.

[WoolSilkCotton]

You accept her side of the story in its entirety. Excellent reporting.

Nobody is allowed to question the accuracy of her claims, her truthfulness, nor her role in creating her own mess.

Let's all just shut up and hand over our money to her.

Sorry, but my money is going to the Latrell Sprewell Fund. After all, as Latrell said, a $21 million contract wasn’t enough money to feed his family.

[Shmarya]

You accept her side of the story in its entirety. Excellent reporting.

You really are a fool.

As I noted above, the head of the Met Council commented on this story (on a friend's Facebook page) and did not dispute any of the facts in it.

Past that, there were court cases (note that I mentioned them in the article) that document much of the facts you dispute.

Now, be honest. You're a vindictive bigot who hates divorced women because you view them as being money-grubbers the way you say your ex-wife is.

Nobody is allowed to question the accuracy of her claims, her truthfulness, nor her role in creating her own mess.

You'll also note her role in creating her own mess is noted in our article. It's there because Gladys told us about it.

As for you, you're really nothing but a vindictive bigot with a bit of a reading comp problem thrown in the mix.

And you're so blind to your own failings that you can't even see it.

[yidandahalf]

Shmarya, you need to settle the hell down. Whenever someone criticizes one of your favorite cause celebres your knickers twist themselves into disappearance. You are obsessed with "people of color" who plainly do not return the interest. I propose that WSC is not motivated by bigotry, rather he is sick and tired of having these polically correct race based sob stories shoved down his throat. The same way we are tired of having the Rubbishclan proponents shove their persecuted Jew shtick down our collective throats. Take five bucks out of my last donation and throw it her way and have done with it. One question for her, when she shlepped up and down Lexington and any other luxury haunts in her fur coat (and you fucking well can bet she had a fur coat(s)), I wonder how many times she gave tzedaka to beggars on the street? Huh? How many times did she give something up?

[harold]

So, in Williamsburg, Satmar is expected to help Latinos and Hipsters as well as hasidim from the various hasidic sects in Williamsburg and any other people who live there or who come there for help.

So the government gives money to the Satmar Chassidim to distribute it to anyone and everyone who enters through their doors. Just why did the Govermenment choose the Satmars and not the Latinos or Blacks to be the distributers of the money?

[harold]

A small house can be rented for $400 or less

I am packing my bags!

[WoolSilkCotton]

Oy, if there is a Facebook comment on the story, it must be true!

And all the court documents supporting her side of the story are here for us to see. i can't seem to find them anywhere here. Must be my own fault.

I am sending my tzedakah to Latrell Sprewell, as per the Shmarya Torah. Otherwise, I might be accused of being a bigot.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Harold, renting a Port-A-John costs more than that!

[harold]

I think we should help in a small way. Let us have a sticky that highlights the plight of one of our homeless, one per week. Hopefully a FailedMessiahnite will "adopt" him/her and help them on a path out of the hole that he or she finds themselves in. Remember to set up a homeless in apartment means paying for their rent, utilities, and food. However if you could give them that spare guest room till they get on their feet there is no issue of rent, utilities, lease or food. This is a unique thing for a blog to do!

[Alter Kocker]

I am not going to comment on the accuracy of the story however I will comment on the evolution of the welfare associations that were present in many jewish communities and were a force up to the 1960's. I can remember Jewish fraternal organizations set up to ensure that a Jewish worker would have sick-benefits or a family that lost a father or mother would have enough money to see the children through the rough times. The fraternal organizations either ceased to exist, were absorbed by the federations, or exist in severely diminished capacities with few and extremely old memberships.

In today's economy, the need is great, and we should not and cannot afford to send the funds overseas or to fund massive arts projects while our children and elderly need financial aid. In my city, a jewish school for children with learning disabilities went wanting while funds were put into a new community center. Why, for up to date athletic facilities? For a nice Kosher Restaurant on the premises? For better offices for the federations?

Charity begins with helping out your fellow man, your neighbour, not for institutions with ideals that are rarely met.

[Moshe aron kestenbaum, Williamsburg ODA]

We are arguing with passion about this, How about Tachlis , How about making an appeal here for this lady so she doesnt starve. I am giving the first $10. Nu do I hear $20?

[Menachem Mendel lll]

Interesting how the comfortable, the well off and those of you who are at a safe distance pass judgement without so much as blinking an eye.

That all changes when tragedy happens to someone you know or perhaps to your family member. Only then do the mitigating circumstances have true relevance.

Some of you are such lowlifes and dirty assholes with zero empathy for no one but yourselves.

Don't worry one day the baton will be handed over to you either in sickness or in health.

Correct me if I am wrong Mr. Rosenberg, this article is not so much about a woman with a fictitious name. It is about my dirty Jewish brothers and sisters who are in position of power and influence and opt to do nothing except for those they deem worthy of their help paid for by other people money while not a single red cent comes out of of their own personal account.

Interesting how when it comes to connected individuals who also had big money but they greased the wheels and lifestyle of others are thought of and defended even though they were convicted beyond a shadow of a doubt in a US court of justice.

Screw you and I wish on you what you wish on the poor and destitute who cannot stand up and help themselves.

[Shmarya]

Oy, if there is a Facebook comment on the story, it must be true!

I realize reading comp has never been your strong suit, and your very evident biases do blind you, but do try to process.

The head of the Met Council on Jewish Poverty knew Gladys and was aware of her case.

His comment does not in any way question the facts we reported.

To a normal, unbiased person, this has meaning. To you, a bigot and misogynist, it's just another Facebook comment, akin to something posted by an anonymous 12-year-old with no firsthand information on the case.

And that speaks volumes about your biases, your lack of honesty and your hatred.

[Moshe aron kestenbaum, Williamsburg ODA]

You all are self-absorbed asshole fucks. At 2 Pm today I asked for an appeal and nada, gornisht,zippo, not in my back yard, Everything untill it touches my pocket. I offered the first $10 and the town went quiet. Nimby's. Anyone know what the definition of PYMWYMI? Its, Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

[Shmarya]

You all are self-absorbed asshole fucks. At 2 Pm today I asked for an appeal and nada, gornisht,zippo, not in my back yard, Everything untill it touches my pocket. I offered the first $10 and the town went quiet. Nimby's. Anyone know what the definition of PYMWYMI? Its, Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

She is no longer homeless and has enough money to live.

[nachos]

Harold:

Why don't you set an example and open up your home?

[Moshe aron kestenbaum, Williamsburg ODA]

Thanks Shmarya

[yidandahalf]

Why oh why was my post of 11:39 today deleted?

[Shmarya]

Why oh why was my post of 11:39 today deleted?

It wasn't.

Link.

[harold]

Harold:

Why don't you set an example and open up your home?

I don't know any homeless person and Gladys is B"H homeless no more. It is for that reason that I suggested that Mr. Rosenberg create a sticky highlighting a profile of a homeless person. I suggest one per week. If the profile clicks them I will take him/her in. At the moment I have three spare bedrooms.

You would be surprised just what tugs enough at a person’s heart for them to open up their home. There are so many sad stories out there I could understand why many would prefer not to hear.

My daughter told me of a homeless person, his name was Kenny, who hung around Stern College. My daughter would always give him food since although she had an account at the Stern cafeteria she didn’t care much for the food so she would get food to give to Kenny instead. One day in her senior year when she had some time to kill she invites Kenny to the nearby Dunkin Donuts. He opens up to her with his story. He begins by stating that his only sister was shot and killed in Buffalo and then says that when he was younger he was married with a family. His family, parents, wife and 3 of his 4 daughters went one day to visit a friend in the hospital. On the way home his entire family was killed in a car accident. All of them - parents, wife, children - he basically lost it from that point on. His remaining unmarried daughter is now pregnant without a job also homeless. He got married again then divorced. He lives on the street, turned to Jesus, is very pleasant and very grateful to the girls that give him food and is always with a smile – however one cannot imagine what must go on in his heart.

Would I take Kenny into my home – I don’t know, too spooky, too sad a story. I am just not quite sure what damage this utter devastation has done to his mind. To have to work through such a tragedy without the help of professionals or family, on the streets of New York City sounds impossible. I am grateful that the girls of Stern College take some pity and I am especially proud of my daughter’s kind heart.

[Mr. Apikoros]

People who live "steps away from Central Park West" aren't necessarily wealthy. There are many rent-stabilized and rent-controlled apartments on the side streets which are quite modest.

For that matter, not all the rents are high on CPW itself. Carly Simon, who isn't exactly poverty-stricken, lived in a 9 room rent-stabilized apartment at 135 CPW for many years (73rd Street). I believe she was paying something like $1,400 a month in rent. The law was changed during the 1990's so that people with incomes over $200,000 a year for three years in succession would have their rents raised to market rates. The rent on Carly's apartment was jacked up to $8,000 and she made her regular residence her place on Martha's Vineyard.

I remember reading a few years back that Carly bought a coop apartment in the San Remo, which is between 74th and 75th street on CPW. So we won't have to worry about giving Carly a guest room in my house. I sure wouldn't mind, but my wife would probably feel otherwise.

[Isa]

How secure is your job?
Right now, they are trying to figure out how to do without you and your co-workers--be it move to another country, out sourcing, merger, or just plain ol' layoff.

Once you're 50, then its worse, the valued worker of yesteryear becomes 'Jew in 1938 Germany'

Once you are laid off- expect no help- your friends in general will not contact you lest they catch the disease; nojobitus.
It will be as if you got 'thrown in a latrine' and get 'crapped' on.

So think, what if you lost your job at age 50 [or beyond]what would you do?

Would you accept a job in Idaho where the nearest Jewish community is 200 miles away and then its Reform? Or perhaps you think you can keep Shabbos on a piece of cardboard in a NYC subway tunnel.

[Isa]

OK

You got laid off and age discriminated

Here is the recipe to sue:

Select 5 law offices, pay for one hour of time with an attorney [approx $300 per hour] and try to figure out what is going on and whether you really have a case.
Only do this in a State that has age discrimination laws. California has the best, Minnesota is OK and Texas is downright dreadful.

You will have to PAY upfront for legal services. Even if you don't have a case a Law office WILL take you 'for a ride' and suck your funds [they need to eat too!]
By doing this, one just might become so 'radioactive' that NOBODY will ever hire you.
Statistics will not do it, one needs other proof of Age Discrimination e.g a memo, a recording "get rid of the old fogies" whatever.
When people get laid off at your place do you call them up and wish them luck or whatever and maybe try to figure a pattern of the reason for specific layoffs?

So this can happen:
Get laid off
Pay law office $40,000
Don't go anywhere
Become radioactive and never get another job
fun huh?

[Hometown Postville]

Shamarya- You are right, the midwest is a very economically depressed area, however, people are very willing to help out where they can. Also, an $8 hr job because of the cost of living might not pay for luxuries but will pay for the basics. A lot of people miss out on and look with disdain upon small towns because we are perceived to lack culture and class, but when we get the opportunity to experience this,it is much more a treat than if you have it at your disposal 24/7. When we lived in the city, we ate out several times a week. Now, with a lower income it happens only a couple times a month, but much more enjoyable! We may be perceived as a bunch of hicks out here in the midwest, but we find enjoyment in the simpler things!

[Devorah]

" Hopefully a FailedMessiahnite will "adopt" him/her and help them on a path out of the hole that he or she finds themselves in."

Harold, I generally think you are a jerk, but today I agree with you. I would be willing to take in one woman, any age, in my Rockland County home. My cooking is not great, but the house is always clean with many skylights, trees and plants, and the refrigerator is well stocked with healthy food.

[nachos]

Posted by: Devorah | October 05, 2010 at 10:45 PM
Devorah, it's ok to agree with harold and still think he is a jerk :(

[Adam Neira]

You can judge a community or nation by how well it treats its most disadvantaged. Take any national leader out of his comfort zone and place him in a homeless position and see how well he survives. The reason I love Joseph and Moses so much is that they were left for dead and had to survive in inhospitable climates. A BBC documentary shown a few years ago depicted some South Pacific Islanders from an island near Papua New Guinea who were transported to the streets of London. They had real trouble understanding the homeless people's plight that they witnessed in the street. On their island a person who had suffered a fall was always helped in some way. The islanders also had a strong sense of civic concern and those members who were lazy, ungrateful, sinful or non-contributing were dealt with accordingly.

MOTS (Moral of the story)...We can learn from many cultures.

[nachos]

Harold:

How does you wife put up with you? Sometimes, you come accross as a mentsch and other times as a shmuck. Either, I want to shake your hand or (mostly) clutch your throat. There does not seem to be any in between.

[nachos]

Harold, renting a Port-A-John costs more than that!

Posted by: WoolSilkCotton | October 05, 2010 at 01:57 PM

Wool:

In your neck of the woods, how much does dinner for two cost at Peter Lugers nowadays.

As a former New Yorker living in farm country, I can't find good cold cuts. A good steak, I can get because we raise our own meat, but pastrami or a good bagel are unobtainable.

[SJ]

Nachos, howabout if Harold would start to sing? XD Would there be an in between then? XD

[ruthie]

shmarya,

i made an attempt to email you a breaking story.
i need an email address that i can use from my email account.
thanks. or email me.

[Shmarya]

Okay. Will do. But you can also use the email address posted here:

http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/about-me.html