How Do Orthodox Jews Raise So Many Kids?

How do Orthodox Jews raise so many kids? originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

Answer by Avraham Hermon, Practicing Orthodox Jew, on Quora:

I’m (currently) a father to seven awesome kids aged twelve to one. My wife and I are very happy to have them all. In my community (in the Shomron region of Israel) havingseven kids is pretty normal. But I guess the question is coming from someone in the West, where having seven kids isn't normal. Here are some things that we do differently here that may help answer the question:

1. We view having a “large” family as an ideal and a blessing. We are commanded (by the Torah) to be fruitful and multiply, and we perform this commandment.
2. We don’t have television and don’t watch movies. Our kids are less influenced by commercials and don’t need the latest games or clothes. Some of our kids wear hand-me-downs (that an older child outgrew and are still in good condition) and they are happy to get “new” clothes from an older sibling.
3. We don’t have a car that fits our entire family. When we all go out on an outing, we have to rent a car to fit some of us. We rarely go on vacation and have never taken the kids overseas.
4. Our kids don’t each have their own bedroom. Our house is modest by Western standards.
5. Schooling where I live is subsidized almost entirely by the government. University is subsidized partly and is inexpensive by Western standards.
6. I work from home most days of the week and pitch in with schoolwork and taking care of the children on most days of the week, making up hours of work after the kids go to bed. I make sure to do fun things with my kids, including teaching the older ones how to unicycle and building a soap box car with my first born boy. My weekends are spent playing with and learning with the kids to make sure that they each get lots of attention.
7. A significant portion of my salary goes towards my kids’ basic needs (food, art/music classes, clothing, housing, and savings for later). But we live a rather non-extravagant lifestyle, rarely going out alone with my wife to restaurants or the like, and rarely buying luxury items.
8. We make simple, healthy meals, limiting expensive and processed food. We don’t get “take-out.”
9. My wife loves bringing life into the world and nurturing life. Our kids are at home until the age of three, and then they go to preschool. She views this as her mission for this part of her life in which she is still able to bear children. Did I mention that she is awesome?

I’m sure there are more things that we do differently, but these are some that come to mind.

After showing this answer to my wife, she had the following input:

Our approach stems from our outlook on life and on what we prioritize. If career advancement were an ultimate goal, it is likely that we would have chosen to have a much smaller family. As parents, we have placed having a happy, healthy, and large family higher on our list of priorities than career advancement.

This question originally appeared on Quora. The place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions:

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