Welcome to the Jewish Economics Survey!
PLEASE NOTE: Upon completion of the survey, you should come to a Thank You screen. If you do not come to this screen, your information has NOT been submitted yet, so please see the note at the end of this introduction. Thank you!!**
Together with the help of others within the Orthodox Jewish community, all of whom have a reasonable understanding of economics and budgeting, this quick, simple [and anonymous] survey has been constructed for the use of the Orthodox public. The primary purposes of this study are:
* To gain a better understanding of what it costs the average frum person, couple, or family to live
* To compare the costs of living between different Orthodox communities
* To gather information as to which expenses people have a better grasp on vs. which they do not
* To gauge the preparedness of people within the community for times of crisis and economic downturns
Once all the information is gathered, that information will then be utilized in a variety of ways, including but not limited to:
* Assessing where the Jewish community's economic struggles lie and how to address those struggles
* Better preparing and educating young couples and individuals of the types and magnitude of the expenses that they can expect to face throughout life, and how best to go about doing so
* Utilizing that better education on the individual level to improve upon and create viable Jewish institutions that follow a sustainable economic model
The more precise the answers people give, the better we can have an understanding of just what things cost and what people spend. If you feel uncomfortable answering any question, please skip it or answer "rather not say". (If it is listed as "required", make sure to type "rather not say".)
Whether you know your expenses or not, free websites such as Mint.com or QuickenOnline are great starts to getting a handle on just how much you spend where and on what each month, and let you put any online account (which can be created for most banks, student loans, credit cards, 401(k)s, auto leases, stocks, etc.) on it to track each one. If you aren't yet sure of how much you spend, give a rough estimate, use one of those sites, and come back in a couple of months with more precise answers.
Finally, there is more discussion about the survey and some of the data gleaned from it so far available at
SerandEz.blogspot.com.
Thanks so much for taking part in this study, and please feel free to update your answers at any time!
Ezzie Goldish
JEconomicS@gmail.comhttp://SerandEz.blogspot.comUPDATE I: I am pleased to announce that the first presentation on the survey: "Playing - and Praying in the Black, While Living in the Red", at the Mt. Sinai Jewish Center in Washington Heights on May 6th was well attended and well received, and received positive media coverage from The Jewish Channel, which they aired on their Week In Review segment.
UPDATE II: The second presentation, given in the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills on Shabbos, August 8th, was also very well received. I've been approached about giving future presentations in other locations as well, and will keep people updated with information.
Thank you so much for your support!
** Please note that there is a slight glitch on questions where you can pick an option or fill in a blank: It always says "Other" and you must also fill in that radio button, or dot, in addition to entering a number. In addition, if you have not been brought to the Thank You screen, please scroll through your answers and check anything highlighted in red to make sure it is filled in (place a "0" "N/A" or "rather not say", etc.), then re-submit. Thank you!
(Last updated: 8/9/09)