It is not certain that there has ever been a comfortable economic reality for a divorced man in mid-life, but the past year and the rising cost of living dealt another painful blow to that sector of struggling men.
The attempts to navigate the path between alimony payments, providing a decent living for the children and of course routine bills and payments - have become an impossible task for young men who find themselves divorced with children, and discover that the monthly salary does not even manage to cover half of the expenses.
To this depressing combination must also be added the wave of rising prices that does not stop for a moment - and you will get an entire public that does not finish the month and is really anxious for its existence.
"It's clear to me that it's hard for everyone, but we don't talk enough about how impossible it is to be a divorced man in the State of Israel, and especially in 2022," says Batuga Elad, 39, from the center.
"I am the father of three children and have been divorced for three years. A lot of people warned me against this step and said that I might end up in Leph, and unfortunately I am almost on my way there.
"In Israel, you don't have the privilege of being divorced, unless you earn huge amounts of money - and I don't. I have an employee's salary that is barely enough to pay bills. Of course, I pay alimony, and there are expenses for leisure with the children on the days they are with me. In the last year, I was raised The rent, all my payments have increased. I pay a lot more for every attraction with the children outside or for food and shopping. I simply have nowhere to get the money. I'm in a deficit that's only getting bigger, and the situation is more desperate than ever."
Quite a few men in the fourth decade of their lives, who have discovered that the marriage system has been irretrievably destroyed and they want a divorce, make the financial consideration first.
In such an expensive country, such a decision can often be a financial death sentence.
The Chief Rabbinate // Photo: Oren Ben Hakon // The Chief Rabbinate,
"The pit is deep"
"I'm 45 years old and now I've moved back in with my parents, to that extent the situation is impossible," reveals Yoni, a divorced father of two.
"I got divorced two years ago after a bad relationship, and I knew it was going to be financially challenging, but I didn't realize how much.
"My salary scrapes the net 10,000 shekels, which is all I spent on alimony, rent and a car. After that I realized how deep the pit is. Any time spent with the children, gifts, birthdays - everything costs so much money here. And where am I supposed to to bring? Not to mention personal life and trying to find a new relationship. I'm sure I can't sit on a date with someone and spend hundreds of shekels. There's no way.
"With no choice, I went back to live with my parents, both 70-plus year old pensioners. I went back to my little childhood room, and it's very hard on the ego and the soul. I don't see how I'm going to be able to move forward in the future. This country is only getting more and more expensive, and we have no chance."
Better to stay together
One positive thing that may be found in the unrelenting wave of rising prices is that there will probably be far fewer divorced couples in the near future.
Many men, who are far from a matrimonial idyll, do the math and realize that getting divorced in such an expensive reality is not a very wise idea.
"I did my considerations and realized that I should stay married at least for the next few years, even though our situation is far from bright," reveals N.
"I know that as soon as I take the step I will simply collapse financially, so I give up. At least now I have a roof over my head and a joint income with my wife."
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