Frum Publications Obsession with Kollel Life

Have you ever picked up a Yated or Mishpacha lately?

It seems that these and other frum publications are obsessed with kollel and its impact on people’s lives, such as parnossah, shalom bayis, in-laws relationships, and anything else.

In the Yated, the Readers Write is full of letters that are both for (hardly any) and against (more common) kollel support, a topic which can never have enough said about it.

Mishpacha tends to write about in their serial novels, which are a frum woman’s kosher version of romance novels. In the past year alone, there have been 4 different serials about kollel life. One novel was about a kollel couple who was overly supported by one side of parents, and the husband gets caught up with online gambling and loses all of his chassuna money and almost gets divorced. The novel became so popular (and controversial) that it was turned into a book!

Then there was one about one guy in the family of fine kollel men who went to work (gasp!), was always made to feel inferior, and had to “prove” his worthiness in order to be considered “one of them”.

Even now, Mishpacha is running a serial about a kollel yungerman (the best one in the kollel!) who starts losing interest in his learning and yiddeshkeit, which is causing his life and wife to fall apart.

What does all this obsession tell us? One thing is for certain – that kollel is on the forefront of issues we are facing as a community. It is clear that kollel is here to stay, but it also clear that it is tearing us up, both with the financial stress on the parents and wives, and the societal pressures facing young couples that is so prevelant today, especially in Lakewood. (more on that in another post)

What will be the outcome? We can’t predict the future. One thing though, is certain. Stay tuned for yet another kollel novel out of Mishpacha magazine.

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Tags: mishpacha • novels • Parental Support • yated