51% of secular kids don’t get Hanukkah gelt
Survey conducted ahead of Festival of Lights reveals only 49% of secular parents give their children holiday money, compared to 61% of religious parents and 71% of traditional parents; religious parents are most likely to give their children more than NIS 100.
A comprehensive survey conducted by the Smith Institute reveals that 42 percent of the Israeli public doesn’t give Hanukkah money. Thirty-one percent of the public give their children up to NIS 50, 18 percent give NIS 50-100, and 7 percent of the parents spoil their kids with more than NIS 100.
The survey, which was commissioned by the Chasdei Naomi association, reveals that children are better off being religious or traditional during the holiday, as only 49 percent of secular parents give their children Hanukkah gelt compared to 61 percent of religious parents and 71 percent of traditional parents.
Twenty-two percent of religious parents and 11 percent of traditional parents give their children more than NIS 100 on Hanukkah. Among the secular public, only 7 percent of the parents give their children more than NIS 100 in holiday money.
And who gives the lowest Hanukkah gelt? Sixty-nine percent of traditional parents, 54 percent of secular parents and 33 percent of religious parents give their children up to NIS 50.
According to Moshe Cohen, director-general of Chasdei Naomi, which is the biggest association in Israel handing out food to the needy, the Hanukkah gelt tradition used to be a routine custom as part of the holiday spirit, even if children only received a few shekels.
"I believe that the fact that almost half of the Israelis don’t give Hanukkah gelt points to the growing economic difficulties among the public in Israel," he says.
"Nonetheless, it's encouraging to hear that more than half of Israeli parents still give their children Hanukkah gelt."