This question needs to be answered, of course. It sounds like a weighty problem, but it can be made easier by process of elimination. First exclude categories of career paths that you will not be embarking on – which will help focus on the areas that hold promise.

• Chinuch – Face it, you will not be getting the ‘sheteleh’ of your dreams. Not you, and not any of your friends. (Unless you are the son/son-in-law of the rosh yeshiva.) So that leaves you settling for a “teaching job” that you don’t really want just to be able to say you are in chinuch. Do you really want to live your life this way?
• Doctor – This needs 7-9 years of medical school + residency and costs anywhere between $150,00-200,000 to accomplish, besides living expenses during this time period. If your family wants to foot the bill and you think you have the brainpower, go for it. Otherwise, its a pipe dream. (And please don’t take out that much in student loans!)
• Lawyer – Maybe not 7-9 years, but definitely a long haul. Plus, there are lots of experienced lawyers that are out of a job who will gladly advise you against the law profession as a career path in 2011.
• Low paying careers – Notice, I didn’t say low paying jobs, but low paying careers. Examples of these are (but not limited to) – clerical jobs, city or other low-level government jobs, manual/physical labor, or any career where there is lots of competition and no clear path of advancement opportunity.

Choosing a career path to follow is a tough decision. By breaking it down into manageable pieces, you can make it easier and more likely to actually decide on something.

Next, we’ll start exploring possible career paths for a kollel graduate.

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The typical 30-40 year old Kollel yungerman is a complete paradox. On the one hand, he does not want to leave kollel, for he feels that he must get a “shteler” in order to “be anything” in life. If he leaves, he will never get a job, and he certainly feels that he is deserving of a respectable position. On the other hand, he is full of tremendous self doubt and lack of self esteem when faced with the question of, “What are your future plans?” He tries to wiggle his way out of giving a straight answer whenever his parents/ grandparents/ uncles /family acquaintances strike up a conversation about how things are doing.

Why is that? As a member of the herd, a kollel yungerman has been programmed from the start to achieve the ultimate pinnacle of success – which is to get the coveted “shteler”. Anything else is akin to admitting failure, and which yeshiva guy with any sense of pride would want to admit that? To save face, a yungerman at the crossroads of life must still declare that he is in the running for the ultimate success.

But on the other hand, the odds are clearly stacked against him. Hundreds of other, far more qualified young talmidei chachomim are in direct competition for the few shtelers that are available to someone “outside the family”. He knows deep down that the chances of him getting a decent shteler is very low, and that he won’t be able to hold out that long enough to get one. And even if he does get one, he is plagued with doubts on how well of a job he is able to do. Therefore, under the surface, your average 30 year old kollel member is a mess – torn between putting on a good showing for his parents / in laws / friends / spouse, and the harsh reality that becomes more and more apparent each and every day.

Life is full of choices, and ultimately, it’s up to you to make the right decision. Not your mother or father, not your rebbe or chaver. Only you can do what’s right for you. When the going gets tough, it’s up to you to be a man, and overcome your indecision. It’s up to you to stand up and do what’s right, and not to give heed to what other people think about you. Deep down, you know the truth. You won’t ever get that shteler, and if you do it’s going to be long wait. Your family needs you. You need to move on with life. It’s time to discover the true opportunity that is waiting for you. There is something on this world that only you are uniquely qualified to do.

If you are 30, and reading these lines, don’t allow yourself to turn 40 before you do anything. Life is too short, and the job you have is too great, to allow the fears of what other people think about you run your life.

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Kollel Yungerleit in Lakewood are especially sensitive to high gas prices. Most families live on a fixed income, which does not go up at all with the cost of living. (Lakewood Yeshiva Kollel Checks are $80 a week, and have been that amount for almost 30 years!)

Updated Jan. 2011: Now, although gas prices are not as high as they were in the spring of 2008, the price of cotton has skyrocketed in recent months. Spot cotton is trading on the NYME at appx. $1.72 a pound, an all time high, compared with just .60/lb. one year earlier. This will affect the price consumers pay for apparel and bedding, especially for cotton rich items such as ruffled and tailored bed skirts and cotton sheet sets. Instead of cotton bedding, customers may choose alternative forms of fabric such as satin sheets and satin pillowcases, which are comfortable and much more affordable than their cotton counterparts.

End of update

Lakewood kollel families typically do a lot of driving, especially in the summer months as thousands flock to the Catskills to enjoy the bungalows so graciously provided for by their parents and in-laws. A round-trip from Lakewood to the Catskills will cost around $80 for gas and tolls.

But the ones who are really hurting are those who travel for their shtellehs (positions). So many rabbeim that live in Lakewood teach in far away places, such as New York, Staten Island, Passaic, Queens, Far Rockaway, Mosney, and even Baltimore! The cost of their commute has practically doubled, reducing their earnings dramatically. Yeshivos and Day Schools are in no position to reimburse them for their added expenses, leading to further financial distress.

May Hashem spare us from futher price hikes, and give these hard working Rabbeim the financial peace they deserve.

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