A woman shops for Passover 370.
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post)
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A third of the country’s citizens will be in overdraft on their bank accounts as
a result of Passover expenses, according to a survey published by the Paamonim
NGO.
The organization offers guidance to financially struggling families
to help them learn how to improve their economic circumstances and maintain
financial stability.
One in five of the study’s 500 respondents reported
that they are in permanent overdraft and that the holiday will not change that.
Only one person in three indicated that they are not in overdraft and that the
holiday will not affect the situation of their bank account.
Moreover, 69
percent of the people sampled indicated an intention to reduce the amount of
their shopping this holiday, a quarter of whom said they will save on food items
that they buy for the Seder.
While half of the respondents said they do
not notice any change in their economic situation compared to last year, a fifth
said they have seen improvement.
Israelis tend to prefer getting economic
training to solve their financial difficulties rather than receiving food
baskets for the holiday, Paamonim reported.
Still, the majority – some 60
percent – said they are not interested in any form of aid.
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Uriel
Lederberg, executive director of Paamonim, stressed that while the economic
situation of many families before Passover is “very worrying,” he is happy to
see that more families opt for guidance and financial support than food baskets
for the holiday.
“Paamonim believes in long-term solutions,” he said.
“Buying efficiently is very important, especially for Passover.
It begins
with planning before buying with a detailed list of items written after careful
thought. One should not buy what is not on the list and avoid being tempted to
buy unnecessary things just because they are cheap.”
Lederberg, whose
organization includes some 2,500 volunteers, called on the government to “ease
the heavy financial burden on households, implement the promises made prior to
the elections and ensure that more families will end the month and go through
the holiday without falling into a financial hole.”