reSee.it Video Transcript AI Summary
Speaker 0, Curious Showell, describes a village of 44,000 Hasidic Jews in Upstate New York who primarily speak Yiddish, have an average of seven kids per family, and rely heavily on state assistance and welfare programs such as Medicare, SNAP, housing assistance, and tax credits tied to large families. The question is posed: How many kids do most people have out here?
Speaker 1 responds that families have seventeen, eighteen children, and attributes this to being proud to do what the Torah says, that one must be multiple and fruitful. The discussion continues: how do people afford to have ten kids? Speaker 1 says the community is based on this, and when asked if wealthy members give charity, Speaker 1 says yes, mostly, and adds, “I don't talk to suspicious person.”
Curious Showell presses: “How am I suspicious? Do you study Torah? Do you work for Hamas?” Speaker 1 replies: “Nothing. How do you make money?” When asked what he does for work, Speaker 1 says his wife, and then says, “I'm doing home care. Brokerage and construction.” On the question of Medicaid, SNAP, and EBT for most people, Speaker 1 responds uncertainly: “I don't know. I don't know. I can't speak for other people. What about you? I'm not gonna tell about myself.”
Showell notes the welfare-use curiosity again, asking if the Jewry here are on welfare. Speaker 1 states, “No. The Jewish people, Justin Kirsch, Joel, their taxes covers everything that we take back. They pay a lot of property tax.” When asked if he knows anyone on welfare, he refuses to comment. Showell pushes, “Come on.” Speaker 1 again declines, asking, “What do you guys do for work here? You guys have like businesses, work a job, study Torah?” Speaker 1 answers that he has a job and is in sales, selling food, specifically chocolate.
Showell questions the prevalence of EBT use: “What food do you sell? Chocolate.” He quips that he feels “bamboozled.” He asks again whether men take EBT and what percentage use it for groceries here. Speaker 1 asserts, “100%.” When pressed for a percentage, Speaker 1 hedges, and the conversation turns toward observing a synagogue, where many people are praying at 09:00 sharp, not at work.
A final question asks what most men do for work in the community. The exchange continues in a floor of confusion: “What do you mean?” and “Do people here survive off of welfare?” Speaker 1 answers, “It is a 100%. Like all of the communities, you have eight kids, can also get benefits.” The time stamp notes a moment of age inquiry—most people seen are teenagers, with one 21-year-old stating his age. The dialogue concludes with a broader insinuation: concerns about Sharia law and a theocratic ethnic enclave, framing Curious Joel as an example of Jews living there and many tapping into welfare benefits.