Chasdei Naomi: “More academics are approaching us, it’s a warning sign”
53% of the Israeli public will cut back on expenses this holiday, due to economic considerations, in comparison with last year. 11% of the public will be forced to cut back in a significant manner. These findings were indicated in a survey conducted by the Chasdei Naomi – Israel’s largest non-profit association, prior to the Shavuot holiday. The survey was conducted by the Rafi Smith Research Institute, among a sample of 500 subjects. The survey also indicated that the more religious one was, the more he or she would cut back: 60% of the religious respondents indicated that they would cut back on expenses in comparison to 54% of the traditional and 49% of the secular subjects.
Moreover, it appears that people living in Northern Israel will cut back to the greatest extent in relation to residents of the other regions: 62% of northern residents will be forced to cutback, followed by 59% of Haifa residents. In third place are the residents of the south with 58%, and in fourth place are residents of Jerusalem with 50%.
In last place among those who mentioned that they would cut back are residents of Tel Aviv, central Israel and the Coastal Plain with 48.5%. In addition, residents of Northern Israel had the largest percentage of people who mentioned that they would be forced to significantly cut back with 14%, followed by Haifa residents with 12% and immediately followed by Central Israel and the Coastal Plain with 11%, followed by residents of Jerusalem with 10% and finally residents of the south with 6%.
Chasdei Naomi, Israel’s largest non-profit association in the area of food distribution reports that, once again this year, it will distribute milk products to the needy, including chocolate milk and cheese cakes. “Chocolate milk and cheese cakes are not meat, starch and vegetables; however, for Israel’s large group of seniors and Holocaust survivors, there is no option for enjoying these extras during the Shavuot holiday. Shavuot is an opportunity to leave a sweet taste in our beneficiaries’ mouths. Chasdei Naomi CEO Moshe Cohen added that he hopes that the day in which the association will find itself out of work will come soon. Unfortunately, it appears that this is just an unrealistic dream, because it appears that each year the government’s ability to provide for the populations at economic risk and to invest in them, shrinks.
The Jerusalem Post 7.6.2016:
