I’m writing this letter out of awareness and concern.

Although many in the younger generation are making a fabulous parnassah, with some earning millions within a short period of time, something unheard of back in my day 40–50 years ago, and for most old-timers from the 70s, 80s, and earlier, we who are in the middle, around 50–60 years old, and who didn’t have the opportunity to build our own businesses, are struggling terribly.

What’s troublesome to me is that when we look for work, even mundane work or simply any work, we’re often told, “We wouldn’t want to hire you, it’s beneath your dignity,” or “You’re worth more than that.”

But that’s exactly the problem. We try hard to compensate for our missing income with any amount of work or any job we can find, so as not to rely solely on our wives’ income, yet businesses won’t hire us.

Try opening a service business, and many people go directly to the workers to cut us out. When it doesn’t work out, they find out the hard way, but by then it’s too late.

So, as I sit here writing this public announcement and still trying to rack my brain over what to do to bring in even a small amount of income that will help us get over the top, I wonder whether anyone can suggest a solution.

I, along with others I know, am suffering quietly while everyone around us thinks we’re making a nice living. People expect us to give generous donations at every function when, in reality, it’s difficult to commit even $10.

I’m one of many capable fellows in that in-between age group who still has tuition to pay and simchos to make, and accomplishing that, even on the most basic level, has become nearly impossible.

We know that when push comes to shove, funds can be raised. However, we don’t want to feel as though we are surviving on handouts when we know we are still physically capable of doing meaningful work, even for less pay than we deserve, just to maintain our dignity and comfortably cover our daily expenses.

Not all of us were fortunate enough to be part of a family business, and most of us are not tech-savvy enough to start those types of businesses.

Waiting for Siyata D’Shmaya,

A Struggling Member of the Community

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