Abraham Harold Maslow developed what is still used as an essential format of understanding human motivation. In his pyramid of need, he postulates that human beings cannot reach a state of psychological health if the building block levels are not met. Below is Dr. Maslow’s original model.
Dr. Maslow studied healthy individuals to develop this theory. Today we will take this basic theory and apply it to Orthodox Judaism to discuss how as a community we have not made it possible for many members of our people to meet their basic needs as Orthodox Jews. It is my hypothesis, that when Jews cannot be functioning members of the community of main stream Torah Observant Jews, that they become somewhat “neurotic” in attempting to stay in the community, or choose to distance themselves for their own mental health and happiness. Let’s examine briefly the first three basic need areas: Physiological, Safety and Social.
Physiological needs are air, water, sleep and food. Air and water we have plenty of and sleep is even possible in New York (the city that NEVER sleeps). Food however becomes problematic for many Jews attempting to keep strict kosher. Keeping kosher in and outside the home is a necessary religious and social element of being an observant Jew. If a Jew is seen eating non-kosher or not a high enough level of kosher, he risks social isolation; especially when inviting others to your home for meals on holidays. Keeping kosher is economically challenging in that kosher food tends to be 2 to 3 times more expensive than non kosher food. This is true when buying at the grocery or the restaurant. The reasons that kosher food is so expensive are numerous, but none of the reasons seem to satisfy why it is as expensive as it is. It is most probably profit generated motivations that push kosher food so high. What it also does is push moderate and lower economic families away from keeping kosher; or at least, away from keeping a high level of kashrut observance such as Glatt or Bet Yosef meats. A family has to choose between religious observance, social acceptance and economic stability.
Safety needs include living in a safe area, medical insurance and job stability, as well as having financial reserves. It is a known fact that living in a safe Jewish community costs more. Housing, whether rented or owned is much more. In addition, more Jewish resources tend to be near or in larger communities where the cost of living is much higher (vs. rural communities). Medical insurance is a national problem that affects everyone. The cost of medical insurance and medical expenses is high for anyone of moderate to lower means. Couple it with the cost of food and housing, and something must give. Job security has also become a national disaster and the thought of cash reserves is for many only a dream. In New York City, the cost of a cash paying customer crossing the bridges and tunnels has increased by 50% literally overnight. Five days a week can cost as much as $60.00 a week or over $3,000 a year! For Orthodox Jews on a tight budget (see above) this extra money must come from somewhere. According to Maslow, safety needs come before religious and if one attempts to put religious needs before one’s safety, then physical and mental stability is in serious jeopardy.
Social needs become elusive if the physiological and safety needs are not on sturdy ground. These are further divided into friendship, belonging to a group, and giving and receiving love. To be accomplished as an observant Jew, one surrounds himself with other observant Jews. This becomes your friendship and social circle. Since observant Jews must live close to their synagogues, walking to services on the Jewish Sabbath and holidays versus driving, they tend to live in close proximity to each other. This also drives up the value of property (see safety). If a Jew decides to live outside the core community, a longer walk to synagogue, he/she places themselves out of reach of many social functions, such as visiting others, and having others over for holiday meals. Sometimes, they are off the radar due to where they live and are often not invited. Socializing with other Jews is a main stay for the orthodox community. Giving and receiving love at first glance would seem easy. Anyone can do that right? This is not the case in observant circles. To be considered a proper shidduch (match) economics and social status plays a major role. Getting ones children married to a solid young man or woman is a parent’s greatest concern, and often a source of great pain when a seemingly great catch won’t even go out with your child because of social and economic status, or participation in certain circles of religious expectations (a Talmid Torah, a person in pursuit of religious scholarly interests).
What can be done? This problem is quite intricate and there is no easy solution. However, the beauty of orthodoxy will eventually win out (G-D willing). As a community, our leaders must make a hard and courageous introspection. All who want to belong and be part of our community need to have access to the entire package. Basic needs of fairly priced food and housing would be a great start. More people would choose orthodoxy and even more will remain observant. In addition, our people will be happier and more self-actualizing members of the community.
