Research by a Consultant at Ernst & Young has found that being Jewish in the UK can cost an extra £13,000 per year. Between food, travel, synagogue memberships and school fees, the average household might be £12,700 worse off per year compared to a more secular family, as we discuss below.
Postcodes
Known as ‘Keeping up with the Cohens,’ the desire to live in more desirable neighborhoods can come at a premium. In the UK, the most sought after areas for Jewish life where there is access to kosher restaurants, shops and Jewish schools include Golders Green, Hampstead Garden Suburb and St John’s Wood – where average house prices for a 3 bed semi-detached home starts at over £1 million.
Even more modest areas come at a price with alternative areas such as Edgware, Bushey and Cockfosters are slightly less expensive, but still above the national average.
Food
“It’s no secret that keeping kosher isn’t cheap, with the cost of kosher meat costing the average household an extra £500 minimum per year, depending on how many people you feed at home,” explains Richard Cohen of funding startup, Capital Bean.
“From delis, butchers and supermarkets, the cost of chicken, lamb and beef is more expensive than non-kosher meats.”
“In addition, the cost of eating out at kosher restaurants can be 70% more expensive than a meal from a typical restaurant, costing the average kosher household as much as £1,500 extra per year.”
Education
Whilst there are a number of prominent Jewish schools that are free, there are various private schools both big and small across the UK. Some Jewish schools are more expensive than a typical private school with upwards of £2,000 extra per year towards school security, Jewish life and food.
Those not in the religious sect may pay several hundred a year extra for cheder (Sunday classes) and also for tuition for bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah.
Celebrations
For Jewish celebrations or ‘simchas,’ the cost of having your own bar mitzvah or wedding is more expensive than the national average. The survey reported that the average Jewish wedding costs £55,000, but many will tell you that it is very common to spend double this. Between a venue hire in London, kosher catering and religious ceremony, it is not uncommon to go beyond the £100,000 mark.
In addition, there are regular bar mitzvahs, aufrufs and other simchas and the gifts that come with it, typically starting from £180, being a multiple of the number 18 which represents ‘chai’ meaning life.
Synagogue Fees
Finally, the study showed that joining a synagogue costs up to £800 per household to cover burial costs, which are triple the amount of cremations. Also, Rabbis’ salaries are at least twice those of vicars in London, said the researchers.